The Department for Transport (DfT) have published their finalised figures for road traffic collisions across Great Britain, prompting industry bodies to call for more road safety support for motorcyclists.
It comes as the data released on July 30 revealed a 14% increase in motorcyclist fatalities since 2024 – now sitting at 386. Riders of all casualty types sat at 15,447 for last year, with 6096 bikers falling into the killed or seriously injured category.
Overall, motorcyclists accounted for 25% of road deaths for the year but made up just 1% of road traffic.
“An overall increase in the number of killed and seriously injured in 2025 is troubling, and we are deeply concerned by the increase in motorcyclist fatalities,” Director of Policy and External Communications at IAM RoadSmart, Nicholas Lyes said.
“Those using two wheels are among the most vulnerable road users, and we need a concerted effort to bring these numbers down by reforming licensing and training .
“The UK Government’s strategy will undoubtedly address some of these issues, but it must be backed by clear timelines, proper funding, and decisive action if we are to meet the ambitious targets the strategy sets out.”
Also released by the DfT on July 30 were road casualty statistics for alcohol-related collisions across 2024.
The figures showed a decline to the lowest levels in three years, with an estimated 220 fatalities across the year – a drop of 16% compared to 2023. That said, drink-driving-related casualties sat at 6350 overall – just a 1% drop.
Motorcyclists have remained one of the higher-risk groups on the road for decades, and there is clearly no silver bullet to solve the problem. But a 14% jump in a single year is significant, and so surely it’s time that the Government instigated some level of training reform. Even if the first attempt doesn’t become the final answer, at least we’d have made a start. Nothing changes when nothing changes, as they say.
Dan is a fully-trained journalist, with a Gold Standard Level 3 Diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists. He has a passion for motorcycles of all capacities, but feels at home aboard a sportsbike. He's been working for MCN in print and digital for the best part of 10 years, with regular contributions to RiDE Magazine on the side.
News Editor, trackday fan, lover of 90s sportsbikes