Fresh calls for action on speeding in Greater Manchester and across the UK

‘Let’s talk about speed!' says Brake, the road safety charity, as road deaths caused by speeding rise by 20% in 2022.

Road deaths and serious injuries caused by driver speed rose significantly last year, according to new analysis of government road casualty data by Brake, the road safety charity, for Road Safety Week 2023.

• 1,766 people died on UK roads in 2022, a 10% increase on figures from 2021
• 3,336 people killed or seriously injured on roads in the North West, up 7% since 2021
• Knowsley saw the biggest increase in road casualties, up 80% since 2021
• 303 people died in crashes caused by drivers breaking the speed limit, up 20% since 2021
• Speed is a contributory factor in one in four (25%) fatal crashes
• 92% of drivers surveyed by Brake agree speed limits are essential for safe roads, yet more than a third (34%) say they sometimes or often break the speed limit
• 39% of drivers surveyed agree the default speed limit on roads in built-up areas should be lowered from 30mph to 20mph

The latest road casualty statistics show that, in 2022, 1,766 people died on UK roads (1,711 in Britain, 66 in Northern Ireland), a 10% increase on figures from the previous year. Brake’s analysis also found that in the same period, road deaths caused by drivers exceeding the speed limit rose by 20%.

Further analysis of regional data revealed that 3,336 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in the North West, a 7% increase on 2021 figures. Knowsley saw the biggest increase in road casualties: the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads in the borough rose from 39 in 2021 to 71 in 2022, an increase of 80%. Halton also saw a significant increase in road casualties, with numbers rising by 52%. The number of road deaths and serious injuries fell in just eight of the region’s 23 local authority areas from 2021 to 2022.

Brake also carried out a public opinion survey, asking more than 2,000 drivers about their driving habits and attitudes to speed and speed limits. The survey found that 92% of drivers think that speed limits are essential for the safety of our roads. Despite this, more than a third (34%) of those surveyed said they sometimes or often drive faster than the speed limit, and 40% think that driving just a little bit over the speed limit doesn’t matter. Two-fifths (39%) of drivers surveyed also agreed that the default speed limit on roads in built-up areas should be lowered from 30mph to 20mph, supporting changes that are taking place across the UK to make communities safer through the introduction of lower speed limits.

Brake is releasing the survey results at the start of its biggest annual road safety campaign, Road Safety Week, which runs from 19 to 25 November. The charity is calling on everyone to join a national conversation about speed, to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive and inappropriate speed, and challenge why so many people still think it is acceptable to drive faster than the speed limit.

Road Safety Week began yesterday (19 November) to coincide with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, for which people across the world lit candles in memory of people killed or seriously injured on roads. Brake worked with local councils across the UK to get public buildings and other landmarks lit up in yellow, to show support for road victims.

This year, more than 3,400 schools, communities, organisations and emergency services, together representing more than 17 million people, have signed up to take part in Road Safety Week by organising local activities, sharing important road safety messages and posing the question: If five people die on UK roads every day, why do we still think it is ok to speed? Brake has provided free resources to everyone taking part in Road Safety Week, including campaigns toolkits, lesson plans and assemblies for school, as well as factsheets, films, posters and more for businesses, local communities and campaign groups

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