Road statistics
How many miles do motor vehicles travel on Great Britain’s roads each year?
In 2023, vehicles travelled 330.8 billion miles on Great Britain’s roads, a 2.2% increase from 2022. However, this remained 2.3% lower than pre-pandemic levels in 2019. Car traffic rose by 3.0% from 2022, reaching 251.3 billion miles. Despite this growth, car traffic in 2023 was still 4.4% below 2019 levels.
What is the total length of road in Great Britain?
In 2024, Great Britain had a total of 246,500 miles of roads, an increase of 800 miles compared to 2023. Major roads accounted for 31,900 miles, including 2,300 miles of motorways and 29,600 miles of ‘A’ roads. These major roads represented approximately 13% of the total road network.
What is the total compensation paid by local authorities for damage to people or vehicles caused by poor road conditions?
In 2023/24, local authorities in England (including London) and Wales paid £15.2 million in compensation for damage caused by poor road conditions, with an additional £13.6 million spent on processing claims. The total cost reached £28.8 million, a 27% increase from £22.7 million the previous year, equating to £142.15 per mile of road.
Source: https://www.asphaltuk.org/wp-content/uploads/ALARM-survey-report-2024-FINAL.pdf
What percentage of local authority roads are classified as being in poor structural condition?
In 2023/24, 11% of roads in England (excluding London), 16% in London, and 7% in Wales were in poor structural condition. The estimated “catch-up” cost to improve road networks, beyond current funding, rose by 16% to £16.3 billion, up from £14.02 billion in the previous year. This averages £124.9 million per authority in England (excluding London), £39.5 million in London, and £30.3 million in Wales.
Source: https://www.asphaltuk.org/wp-content/uploads/ALARM-survey-report-2024-FINAL.pdf
Car statistics
How old is the average car?
By the end of December 2023, the average age of a licensed car in the United Kingdom was 8.9 years, marking an increase of approximately 16% compared to December 2018. The average age differed depending on the fuel type. Petrol cars had an average age of 9.1 years, while diesel cars were slightly older at 9.3 years. In contrast, battery electric cars averaged 1.5 years old, and plug-in hybrid cars had an average age of 2.4 years.
Source: https://www.racfoundation.org/data/green-fleet-index
How many owners will a car have in its lifetime?
Over its lifetime, the average car will be owned by four different people.
Source: SMMT
How many used cars changed hands in 2024?
In 2024, the UK’s used car market expanded by 5.5%, reaching 7,643,180 transactions—an increase of 400,488 compared to 2023 (7,242,692 transactions). Petrol and diesel vehicles accounted for 92.1% of total transactions, with 7,041,734 units sold.
Source: SMMT
What percentage of car occupants make up road fatalities in the UK?
Car occupants made up 45% of road users killed in Great Britain, the highest proportion of any group. This is due to cars representing the majority of traffic, with fatality rates for car occupants being lower than those for more vulnerable road users.
Which age group contributes towards most toward annual car fatalities?
In 2023, approximately one-fifth of all killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties from car collisions involved a young driver. Young male drivers aged 17 to 24 are four times more likely to be killed or seriously injured compared to drivers aged 25 and over.
What days and times are younger car drivers more at risk?
2023 data suggests that KSI casualties in collisions involving at least one young driver peak on weekdays between 4pm and 7pm. On weekends, there is a general rise in casualties during the evening and early morning hours.
Motorbike statistics
How many motorbike owners are there in the UK?
In 2023 it was reported that there were over 1.33 million motorcycles registered in the UK.
Source: https://www.statista.com/statistics/312594/motorcycle-and-car-registrations-in-the-united-kingdom/
How much more dangerous is it to drive a motorbike instead of a car?
Although motorcyclists make up less than 1% of traffic, they account for approximately 20% of all road deaths and serious injuries in Great Britain. A motorcyclist involved in an accident is about 40 times more likely to be killed than a car driver.
How many people are killed each year while riding a motorbike?
In 2022, 350 motorcyclists were killed in Great Britain, with 5,618 reported as seriously injured and 10,975 as slightly injured.
How many motorbike fatalities are due to other vehicles?
Between 2004 and 2022, nearly 40% of motorcycle fatalities occurred in two-vehicle collisions involving a motorcycle and a car and 9% involved a HGV. Just over 6% were due to multiple vehicles being involved.
Are men more likely to be injured or killed in a motorbike accident?
Yes, data from between 2018 and 2022 indicates that male motorcycle casualties are 12 times more common than female casualties overall. This ratio is 12 times higher for 12 to 15-year-olds and 15 times higher for 25 to 29-year-olds.
When are fatal collisions more likely to happen?
Between 2018 and 2022, the peak times for motorcyclist KSIs on weekdays are from 7am to 10am and 4pm to 7pm. However, on weekends, the pattern changes, with a single peak in the early afternoon, between 12 noon and 4pm.
Where are fatal collisions most likely to happen?
Between 2018 and 2022, 66% of motorcycle fatalities occurred on rural roads, compared to 41% in traffic. However, the proportion of slight injuries and total casualties on rural roads was lower than in traffic. The fatality rate on motorways (3%) was also lower than in traffic (7%), with non-fatal injury rates being even lower.
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