More than one in five child pedestrians killed or seriously injured in road crashes lived in England’s most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods, according to Department for Transport data. The gap with the wealthiest areas has widened rather than narrowed over the past decade.
The level of road danger faced by children in England varies significantly according to the socioeconomic conditions of the neighbourhoods in which they live.
Official data shows that child pedestrians living in the country’s most deprived communities are approximately five times more likely to be killed or seriously injured in a road crash than those living in the wealthiest areas.
According to a Department for Transport (DfT) report examining the relationship between deprivation and road casualties in England, more than 20% of child pedestrians killed or seriously injured lived in the most deprived 10% of neighbourhoods. By comparison, only 4% lived in the least deprived 10%.
The figures also show that this inequality has not narrowed over the past decade. Instead, the gap has widened slightly.
Almost 30,000 People Killed or Seriously Injured in Great Britain
According to DfT figures covering Great Britain, 29,918 people were killed or seriously injured on the roads in 2025. Of these, 2,432 were children under the age of 16.
The overall number of people killed or seriously injured was 3% higher than the average recorded between 2022 and 2024.
Road deaths fell by 4% to 1,538 during the same period. However, the improvement was not shared equally across all road-user groups.
Motorcyclist fatalities rose by 14%, increasing from 325 in 2024 to 372 in 2025. Road safety organisations say the rise demonstrates the need for a dedicated and comprehensive intervention plan for motorcyclists.
The Link with Deprivation Extends Beyond Children
The DfT analysis shows that the relationship between socioeconomic deprivation and road casualties is not limited to child pedestrians. A similarly strong connection can also be seen among pedestrians of all ages and bus passengers.
The distribution appears more balanced among car occupants. However, people living in wealthier areas tend to travel significantly greater distances by car, meaning that casualty figures must also be assessed in relation to exposure.
Although people in poorer households generally travel fewer miles by car, their casualty rates do not fall proportionately. This suggests that the risk per mile travelled may be considerably higher among the most deprived sections of society.
These findings are consistent with structural risk factors that have long been discussed in road safety research. They include homes located close to heavily trafficked roads, narrow or poorly maintained pavements, inadequate safe crossing facilities, limited play areas, poor street lighting and excessive vehicle speeds in residential areas.
RoSPA Warns of a Widening Safety Gap
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) described the widening road safety gap between the most and least deprived communities as particularly concerning.
The UK government has pointed to its national road safety strategy, announced in January 2026. The strategy—the first comprehensive national plan of its kind in more than a decade—formally recognises that people living in disadvantaged communities face higher levels of road danger.
Government officials say the strategy aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries among all road users. Its impact on outcomes in deprived communities will also be monitored separately.
Using the 2022–2024 period as a baseline, the strategy sets a target of reducing road deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035. It also aims to achieve a 70% reduction in deaths and serious injuries among children under 16 by 2030.
Road Safety Is Also an Issue of Social Equality
The figures on child pedestrians show that road safety cannot be explained solely by whether drivers obey traffic rules. Within the same country and under the same legal framework, a child’s risk of being killed or seriously injured on the road can vary severalfold depending on the neighbourhood in which they live.
The findings highlight the need to address safe road design, speed management, infrastructure investment, enforcement and urban planning through the lens of social equality.
In many countries, including Türkiye, road casualty data is either not examined at neighbourhood level or is not matched with socioeconomic indicators. England’s example demonstrates how combining crash statistics with deprivation data can help identify the communities facing the greatest risk and direct limited resources to the places where they are needed most.
Sources:
- UK Department for Transport report on the relationship between road casualties and deprivation in England, and 2025 road casualty statistics
- UK National Road Safety Strategy, January 2026
- Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents statement
- The Guardian, 30 July 2026
This article was prepared by the RoadSafetyNews editorial team using publicly available official statistics and statements from relevant organisations.
