Home Menu Search

Serious road casualties drop in Wales since default 20mph introduction

16 August 2024

In September 2023, Wales became the first nation in the UK to introduce a default 20mph speed limit. The change applied to restricted roads only, usually in residential and built-up areas.

In 2024 Q1, the Welsh government reports there were 606 police reported road collisions in Wales. Of these collisions:

  • 16 (3%) were fatal. 
  • 163 (27%) were serious collisions. 
  • 427 (70%) were slight collisions.

The total number of collisions is 18% lower than in the previous quarter (737) and 17% lower than in the same quarter in 2023 (733). 

In 2024 Q1, there were 316 road collisions on 20 and 30mph road speed limits (combined). Of these, 5 were fatal collisions, 69 were serious and 242 slight collisions. 

The number of collisions on 20 or 30mph roads is 17% lower than in the previous quarter (379) and 25% lower than in the same quarter in 2023 (421). 

 

Related news, events and information

UK casualties fall but alcohol related deaths rise

1 August 2013 – Reported Road Casualties in Great Britain: Quarterly Provisional Estimates Q1 2013. For reported road...

Wales prepares to reduce 30mph speed limits to 20mph

3 July 2023 – Described as ' biggest step-change in community safety in a generation', most streets in Wales that currently...

Vehicle speed compliance statistics for Great Britain: 2022

24 August 2023 – Half (50%) of car drivers broke the speed limit on 30mph roads compared to 45% on motorways and 11% on national...

Vehicle speed compliance statistics for Great Britain: 2016

29 June 2017 – These statistics provide insight into the speeds at which drivers choose to travel and their compliance with...

Landmark Report Calls for Government Action to Save Lives

17 September 2020 – An investment package of £1.2 billion would improve more than 5,000km of roads and prevent more than 8,000...

Driver fatigue and road collisions

28 March 2024 – In 2022, it was estimated that there were approximately 1,300 collisions in the UK resulting in injuries from...

Provisional Casualty Estimates Q2 2011

5 November 2011 – Personal injury accidents in the year ending June 2011 on public roads (including footways) in Great Britain,...

Seven per cent fall in GB Road Casualties brings total deaths below 3000

1 July 2008 – The Department of Transport has today published National Statistics on road casualties in Great Britain in...

Quarterly Casualty Estimates published

11 February 2013 – The Quarterly Provisional Estimates published recently by UK DfT, provides in-year estimates of personal injury...