Huge spike in deaths of young women on UK roads

The number of young women killed or seriously injured on UK roads jumped by an “alarming” 25 per cent in the last year – prompting a major road safety charity to call for the implementation of AI-assisted cameras and alcolocks to crack down on dangerous driving.

New figures from the Department for Transport show that the number of people killed in road collisions in the UK fell by just two per cent to 1,607 in the 12 months leading up to June 2024, with the overall number of casualties dropping by four per cent.

Such a decline is part of a general downward trend that has been apparent since 2014 (excluding the years covering the COVID-19 pandemic, which are not statistically relevant because there were very few vehicles on the road). 

However, when taking into account that during the previous year – the 12 months prior to June 2023 – the reduction in the number of fatalities was as high as nine per cent, this year’s decline appears modest in comparison.

Speaking to Auto Express, road safety charity IAM Road Smart’s policy director Nicholas Lyes said: “Any reduction [in casualties] is to be welcomed, but there has been little significant progress in reducing KSI (killed or seriously injured) [figures] for a decade.”

Of particular concern is that while the overall number of young female casualties on UK roads fell slightly in the past year, the number of fatalities for those aged 0-16 jumped by 21 per cent, while for those aged 17-29, the figure was 25 per cent.

While the figures remain relatively small – combined, the number of young women aged 0-29 who died on the road in the year leading up to June 2024 was 102, compared with 343 men – Lyes still described this trend as “alarming”. 

Lyes said: “Without contributory factor data, it is difficult to know what the cause is precisely. However, the prevalence of drug driving and mobile phone use at the wheel are typically higher among younger age groups when self-reporting research is conducted.”

With this in mind, Lyes told us that IAM RoadSmart supports the wider rollout of AI-assisted camera technology. This has already been proven to be effective across the country in catching those not wearing a seatbelt, as well as using their phone behind the wheel. 

Regarding cases of drink-driving, which reached a 10-year high earlier in 2024, Lyes stated: “We would support wider use of roadside breathalysing and even measures such as alcolocks to reduce reoffending.”

IAM RoadSmart also believes the rise in injuries among young women – and young people in general – could be linked to the growth in popularity of e-scooters. While this mode of transport has acquired a poor reputation in recent years, the DfT’s latest figures actually show a small decrease in the number of overall casualties in collisions involving e-scooters, from 1,413 in the year ending June 2023, to 1,194 in the 12 months leading to June 2024 – despite more cities signing up for e-scooter rental trials.

The number of cyclist casualties also fell by six per cent in the last year, and Auto Express asked IAM RoadSmart if this was as a consequence of the recent updates to the Highway Code, which introduced a new so-called hierarchy of road users. This was intended to promote greater awareness and consideration of cyclists among drivers, among others.

Lyes said: “It’s a little too early to say, but better/segregated cycle infrastructure will also reduce collisions between cars and cyclists.”

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