The worst UK regions for road deaths have been analysed as new government data shows fatalities have increased by 8.7% in the last year.
Road safety experts at Road Angel have broken down almost 1700 fatalities on UK roads in 2022 to uncover where motorists are most likely to be involved in a deadly accident.
The South East of England had the highest number of road fatalities in the UK, with 251 recorded deaths last year in the region.
Increase in road fatalities by region
| Ranking | Region or Country | Killed (20221) | Killed (2022) | Year Increase/decrease |
| 1 | London | 75 | 105 | +40% |
| 2 | Eastern | 164 | 205 | +25% |
| 3 | Scotland | 143 | 174 | +21.7% |
| 4 | East Midlands | 153 | 177 | +15.7% |
| 5 | Wales | 86 | 93 | +8.1% |
| 6 | South East | 235 | 251 | +6.8% |
| 7 | North East | 51 | 54 | +5.9% |
| 8 | West Midlands | 133 | 140 | +5.3% |
| 9 | Yorkshire/Humberside | 160 | 163 | +1.9% |
| 10 | South West | 168 | 160 | -4.8% |
| 11 | North West | 190 | 173 | -9.1% |
| N/A | Great Britain | 1558 | 1695 | +8.6 |
Motoring-related fatalities have remained the highest in the South East region since 2013, considerably higher than in every other area year after year.
Road deaths in the South East were 22% higher than in the next most deadly region for motoring fatalities, Eastern England.
Eastern England was the only other region that recorded over 200 fatalities last year, with a 25% increase from the year previous.
The East Midlands makes the top three of the most common regions for fatalities, and with 177 recorded deaths there was also an increase from the year previous.
Scotland followed with a 21.7% increase in road deaths from 2021, where 174 people lost their lives.
According to the research, out of the 11 regions analysed, 9 had increased road fatalities from the previous year.
London had the largest increase in road fatalities out of all the regions, with 40% more fatalities recorded than the previous year.
Eastern England had the next highest increase in fatalities, with 205 in 2022 compared to 165 in 2021.
Out of the two areas that recorded a decrease in fatalities, the Northwest saw the biggest decrease of 9.1% down to 173 from 190 in 2021.
The Southwest also saw a small decrease in fatal road accidents, down 4.8% from the year before to 160.
The region with the least recorded deaths last year was the Northeast, which had 54 fatalities, making it the safest area for drivers, and it is 72% safer than the next area with the lowest fatality rate.
With 93 recorded fatalities, Wales had the next lowest recordings of deaths in the UK but had an 8.1% increase from 2021.
Gary Digva, founder of Road Angel, said: “August is national road victim month so it’s timely to consider that the latest data reveals that almost every region recorded an increase in deaths in 2022, and it is concerning to see that total road fatalities are on the increase in the UK.
“The South East of England is the most dangerous region in the UK for motorists, with the highest recordings of deaths among motorists.
“Eastern England, the East Midlands, Scotland, and the Northwest all have over 173 fatalities recorded, which is an incredibly high rate.
“The capital of England, London, has also seen a huge 40% increase in fatalities due to deadly accidents.
“For motorists to keep safe it is very important that they remain alert and drive with care when behind the wheel to reduce the chances of accidents, injuries and death ultimately protecting themselves and other road users.
“Having bad habits while driving, such as speeding and driving recklessly, can be deadly so motorists must always follow road rules.
“The government and councils must adopt approaches to improve road safety such as lowering speeds on roads, increasing speed cameras in high-risk areas and educating users about safe driving.”
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