Research shows accidental deaths in Wales up by over 40%
People are more likely to have a fatal transport-related accident in Wales, with the rate of transport deaths 18% higher than the UK’s overall rate.
Last updated 14th Nov 2024
The number of accidental deaths in the UK has reached an all-time high as people are "substantially more likely" to suffer a serious accident than they were 20 years ago, data has revealed.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) warned the country is "facing an accident crisis" after data from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland showed a UK-wide rise of 42% in accidental death over the last decade, with more 20,000 people killed each year.
Accidents have become the top cause of preventable death for people under 40, with more than half of fatal accidents taking place in the home.
The study also found that accidents cost the UK almost £12 billion every year - £6 billion in NHS care and £5.9 billion in lost working days.
Accidental deaths have risen by 60% in Scotland, 42% in Wales and 67% in Northern Ireland since 2013.
Almost half (46%) of accidental deaths in 2022 resulted from falls, the study found, with more than a quarter (26%) from poisoning, and 7% due to a road traffic accident or transport related.
Wales has second highest rate of accidental death in the UK, warns new report
People are almost a third more likely to die due to an accident in Wales than in England – accidental death rates in Wales are up by 41% over the last decade.
Higher likelihood of fatality on Welsh roads
People are more likely to have a fatal transport-related accident in Wales, with the rate of transport deaths 18% higher than the UK’s overall rate.
Motorcyclists and those travelling by bus are particularly vulnerable in Wales, with accidental death rates 78% higher and 260% higher respectively than in the UK.
However, there are lower rates of accidental death among both pedestrians (35% lower) and pedal cyclists (26% lower) in Wales compared to the UK’s overall rate.
Other types of accidental deaths higher in Wales
The rate of non-transport fatal accidents in Wales is also 22% higher than in the UK as a whole.
This is mainly due to the fact that deaths from accidental falls are around a quarter (24%) higher in Wales than the rest of the UK – and falls are by far the largest cause of accidental death in Wales.
The rates of accidental deaths caused by crushing, striking and machinery (known in medicine as being caused by ‘inanimate mechanical forces’) are 147% higher in Wales than the rest of the UK, and similarly, accidental deaths caused by other living things (known in medicine as being caused by ‘animate mechanical forces’), such as dog bites, are 227% higher in Wales than the rest of the UK.
Deaths caused by forces of nature, such as flooding, are 214% higher in Wales than the rest of the UK.
While the rate of suffocation and choking deaths was 28% higher in Wales than the rest of the UK, the rate of drownings was 10% lower.
Steve Cole, Director of Policy, Campaigns and Public Affairs at RoSPA, said:
“Wales is facing an accident crisis....
People in Wales are substantially more likely to suffer a serious accident today than they were 20 years ago."
"We must take action now to stop further preventable deaths and serious injuries – accidents are avoidable and do not need to happen."