‘Alarming' rise in number of motorcyclist deaths on British roads

Independent

4 days ago

New figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) revealed motorcyclist deaths in Britain increased by nine per cent last year.
RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said the 'alarming' figures were 'more evidence of the need for a renewed focus on saving lives on the roads, so we look forward to the publication of the Government's road safety strategy'.
Some 343 riders lost their lives in crashes in 2024, up from 315 during the previous 12 months, and making up 21 per cent of the total 1,633 people killed on Britain's roads last year.
That was a one per cent rise from 1,624 in 2023, but an eight per cent fall from 1,775 in 2014.
The DfT said the pattern for motorcyclist fatalities has remained relatively stable over the last 10 years.
AA president Edmund King said: 'Every death on our roads is a tragedy, and sadly, we are still losing at least four people a day.
'If this level of loss were experienced on any other form of transport, there would be a national inquiry and public outcry.
'Yet, for some reason, we seem to accept this as the risk of moving around our communities. This should not be the case.'
Mr King called for the Government's upcoming road safety strategy to include 'bold action' such as harsher penalties for not wearing a seatbelt or drug-driving.
He also stressed the need to 'safeguard newly qualified drivers' to ensure they feel confident on the road before 'exposing them to additional risks' such as carrying passengers of a similar age.
Nicholas Lyes, director of policy and standards at road safety charity IAM RoadSmart, said: 'These figures demonstrate a troubling lack of progress in bringing down fatal and serious injuries on our road network.
'Moreover, 2024 saw a significant increase in the number of motorcyclists that were killed, further highlighting that more needs to be done to protect some of the most vulnerable road users.'
DfT spokesperson said: 'Every death on our roads is a tragedy and the safety of our roads is an absolute priority for this Government.
'We've been clear that more needs to be done in this space, which is why we are committed to delivering a new road safety strategy – the first in over a decade – and will set out next steps on this in due course.'
The DfT figures for 2024 are provisional.