Car accidents remain a leading cause of injury on UK roads. Here, the road traffic accident experts at JMW look at the most recent UK data on road accidents, road casualty numbers, and serious injuries, using police-reported figures from across Great Britain.

What Counts as a Car Accident in UK Statistics?

UK road accident figures are based on collisions that occur on public roads and are reported to the police, where at least one person is injured. These incidents are recorded by police forces using the national STATS19 system. The data includes collisions involving cars, motorcycles, cyclists, pedestrians and other road users.

Damage-only incidents are not included. The statistics focus solely on road traffic accidents that result in injury or death, and casualties are categorised as fatal, serious, or slightly injured to help the authorities estimate levels of harm. Serious injuries include harm such as fractures, head injuries, spinal injuries and other injuries requiring hospital treatment, while slightly injured refers to less severe injuries that do not meet the criteria for serious injury.

How Many Car Accidents in the UK Per Year?

Because of how road traffic data is collected in the UK, there is no single official figure for the total number of car accidents each year. Instead, the most reliable measure is the number of road traffic casualties, as these figures are based on collisions reported to police forces where at least one person was injured. For this reason, casualty data provides the closest indication of how many injury-related car accidents occur each year.

The most recent figures published by the Department for Transport show that in 2024 there were 128,272 reported road traffic casualties across Great Britain. Each of these casualties relates to a road collision involving injury, meaning the data reflects a substantial number of car crashes every year. Within this total, 29,467 people were killed or seriously injured, including 1,602 people involved in fatal accidents, with the remainder sustaining slight injuries.

While these figures show a small decline compared to 2023, they confirm that car accidents continue to result in serious injuries on UK roads. Many of these injuries require medical treatment, rehabilitation and time away from work. In more serious cases, people may need long-term care and ongoing support.

This is where specialist legal advice can make a difference. JMW supports people who have been injured in car accidents by helping them secure compensation and access appropriate rehabilitation as early as possible. We have experience handling claims involving serious injuries, fatal accidents and collisions involving vulnerable road users, focusing on practical support alongside the legal process.

Where a car accident has been caused by another party’s negligence, a personal injury claim can help cover pain and suffering, loss of earnings, treatment costs and future care needs. The scale of injury shown in these annual figures underlines why many people turn to experienced road traffic accident solicitors for guidance after a collision.

Serious injuries on UK roads

Serious injuries make up a substantial proportion of reported road casualties. In 2024, almost 30,000 people sustained injuries classified as serious or fatal. These injuries often require hospital treatment and can result in long-term physical, psychological and financial effects. The category of injured casualties includes both serious and slightly injured individuals, reflecting the full range of injury severity in road traffic accidents.

Serious injuries commonly seen after car crashes include head injuries, spinal injuries, multiple fractures and internal injuries. Recovery can involve surgery, rehabilitation, ongoing care and extended time away from work. For many people, the impact of a road collision continues long after the accident itself. JMW Solicitors can help you claim compensation to assist your recovery, and any lost earnings caused by the injury.

From a personal injury perspective, serious injuries are particularly relevant, as they often lead to higher compensation awards to reflect pain, suffering, loss of earnings and future care needs.

Vulnerable road users and car accidents

Car accidents involving vulnerable road users often result in complex injury claims. These collisions can happen anywhere, including urban roads, rural routes and major junctions. Seeking legal advice is often an early step for people injured in these circumstances.

Trends in UK Road Collisions

Over the past two to three years, road casualty figures have shown modest year-on-year changes rather than significant reductions. However, over the last decade, road casualty numbers have generally decreased, with a notable drop from 2004 until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. While total casualty numbers fell slightly between 2023 and 2024, serious injuries and fatalities remain broadly consistent.

This trend highlights that road collisions continue to pose a risk across the UK, despite ongoing road safety initiatives. 

Common causes recorded by police forces

Police forces record contributory factors for road traffic accidents as part of the STATS19 system. These factors do not assign blame but help to explain how collisions occur. Commonly recorded factors include driver inattention, failure to look properly, excessive speed and impaired driving. Road safety factors are now recorded using a new system that aims to improve the accuracy and consistency of data by focusing on actionable safety factors, replacing the previous contributory factor system.

In many cases, car crashes involve a combination of factors rather than a single cause. Studies suggest that addressing these road safety factors through targeted interventions can reduce accident rates, although the effectiveness may vary depending on the specific measure and context. Where negligence is involved, injured people may be entitled to claim compensation for the harm they have experienced.

Why these statistics matter after a car accident

National road accident statistics reflect the scale of injury experienced by people across the UK every year. For individuals who have been injured in a car accident, these figures demonstrate that serious injuries and long-term consequences are not unusual outcomes of road collisions.

Making a Personal Injury Claim after a Car Accident

A personal injury claim may be available where someone has been injured in a car accident caused by another party’s negligence.

Early legal advice can clarify next steps and support access to rehabilitation and interim compensation where appropriate.

JMW has extensive experience supporting people who have sustained injuries in road traffic accidents. We act for individuals injured in car accidents, collisions involving vulnerable road users and serious injury cases. Our expert team focuses on helping people access treatment, rehabilitation and compensation, while providing clear advice throughout the claims process.