In 2024 we reported on 49 fatal road traffic collisions in London, including two mass casualty events where three people were killed. The data we have collected is not exhaustive, but it shows we reported on 53 fatalities in total. Transport for London data from previous years puts the figure nearer 100 people a year, so it is likely our reporting does not account for everyone who died.
Between 2010 and 2014, the average number of people killed on the roads was 136 a year. Data released by TfL shows there were 102 casualties in 2022, and 95 in 2023. The Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan will be hoping that downward trend has continued when official data is released later this year.
Meanwhile the total number of casualties, including deaths and serious injury, also appears to be slowly dropping. The baseline between 2010 and 2014 was nearer 5,000 a year, but that has stayed below 4,000 since 2018 after rising during the first two years of Sir Sadiq’s tenure. The Mayor’s Vision Zero goal is to eliminate death and serious injury from London’s streets by 2041.
See our map of all the fatal crashes in London in 2024.
While violent crimes like stabbings and shootings grab headlines in London, the data shows vehicles remain a threat to the safety of Londoners. We reported on the deaths of 24 pedestrians, 16 drivers/passengers, and five cyclists over the last year. There were also four incidents that involved police cars, resulting in five deaths – including a pregnant woman.
It is worth noting there can be discrepancies between data sources because of the data definitions used. This previously led to criticism from Conservatives at City Hall who accused TfL of publishing ‘misleading’ data about bus fatalities. TfL insists no correction of its data is required because it follows STATS19 government guidelines.
Using our own reporting data, we have created a map to show where the RTCs happened in 2024. At a glance it shows the majority of cyclists were killed in the inner London boroughs, while drivers/passengers were more likely to be killed in the outer areas of London. It also appears far more pedestrians were killed north of the River Thames. Incidents with police cars happened in all corners.
For each incident, you can click the link on the map above to see our latest coverage.
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