Road deaths involving larger vehicles on the rise, warns Brake

Road collisions causing deaths and serious injuries that involve vans, trucks and buses are sliding back towards pre-pandemic levels, requiring action from fleet operators, according to Brake.

The road safety charity analysed Government data for 2021 and found that collisions involving deaths and serious injuries show signs of sliding back towards pre-pandemic levels.

Light Goods Vehicles (LGVs), such as vans, were involved in 2,835 fatal or serious collisions (FSCs) in 2021. This is 12% more than a decade ago in 2012, and an increase of 24% on 2020. The data shows there were eight FSCs a day involving LGVS in 2021.

LGVs were also involved in crashes that caused 35 deaths of people on foot, the highest since 2012, and 399 serious injuries of people on foot.

HGVs were involved in 1,063 FSCs in 2021. This is 36% fewer than in 2012, but an increase of 7% on 2020. There were three FSCs a day involving HGVs in 2021.

HGVs were also involved in crashes that caused 42 deaths of people on foot, and 97 serious injuries of people on foot.

Buses or coaches were involved in 585 FSCs in 2021. This is half the number recorded in 2012, but an increase of 23% on 2020. There were about two FSCs a day involving buses or coaches in 2021.

Buses and coaches were also involved in crashes that caused 14 deaths of people on foot, and 163 serious injuries of people on foot.

Mary Williams OBE, chief executive of Brake, said: “Deaths and catastrophic injuries on roads cause horrific shock and devastation to families, friends, employees and communities and must end. Yet the statistics present a saddening slide back towards pre-pandemic levels and, for vans, a long-term trend of increasing rates of involvement in collisions involving deaths and serious injuries.

“The statistics show why it is so important for corporations to take responsibility for managing their road risk through policies and procedures. Improved road risk management by employers, improved fleet safety rules and increased policing of fleet safety can help to put an end to the terrible carnage.”