Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report, 2025
Date published:
Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report, 2025 has been published today Thursday 27 August 2026
The NIRSS to 2030 annual statistics are now available. These data provide the finalised Accredited Official Statistics which track the 2024 position against the four targets and various key performance indicators contained in the Strategy.
The publication is available at www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/northern-ireland-road-safety-strategy-2030-statistics
KEY POINTS
- There were 56 fatalities in road traffic collisions in 2025. This represents a decrease of 17% from the strategy baseline figure (68), and a decrease of 19% from 2024 (69).
- There were 1,066 people seriously injured (SI) in road traffic collisions in 2025. This represents an increase of 42% from the strategy baseline figure (751), and an increase of 14% from 2024 (939).
- There were 115 Children (aged 0 to 15) killed or seriously injured (KSIs) in road traffic collisions in 2025. This represents an increase of 62% from the strategy baseline figure (71), and an increase of 24% from 2024 (93).
- There were 227 young people (aged 16 to 24) KSIs in road traffic collisions in 2025. This represents an increase of 16% from the strategy baseline figure (196), and an increase of 10% from 2024 (207).
- In 2025 car users had the lowest rate of KSIs per kilometres travelled (4 KSIs per 100 million kilometres travelled by car or van) compared to the other road user groups and hence considered at less risk. Motorcyclists had the greatest rate (344 motorcyclist KSIs pre 100 million kilometres travelled by motorcycle), with the rates for pedal cyclists (63 pedal cyclist KSIs per 100 million kilometres cycled) and pedestrians (41 KSIs per 100 million kilometres walked) being in between.
- People over the age of 70 had 57 KSIs per 100,000 population. This rate is 13% above that recorded in 2024 and is 35% above the baseline figure of 42.
- There were 43 people killed in collisions on rural roads. The numbers recorded in 2025 are down 10% on 2024 (48). Fatalities on rural roads are now 2% below the baseline figure of 44.
- There were nine people killed in road traffic collisions where alcohol or drugs was attributed. This is 7 fewer than the 16 recorded in 2024. The number in 2025 is 48% below the baseline level of 17.
- There were 280 KSIs resulting from collisions involving drivers under the age of 25. This is a 4% increase from the number recorded in 2024 (268). The number in 2025 is 15% above the baseline number of 244.
- Over the three-year period 2023-2025, novice drivers (those within 2 years of passing their driving test) were involved in road traffic collisions that resulted in the death or serious injury of, on average, 140 people each year which represents a 24% increase on the 2014-2016 baseline average of 113 KSIs per annum. The greatest proportion of these involved a driver within six months of passing their test (35%), highlighting the increased risk associated with new drivers in the first 6 months after passing their driving test
- In 2025, three-quarters (75%) of vehicles exceeded the speed limits on built-up roads (all road types up to 40mph) under free-running conditions (11pm-7am). On non-built-up roads, the proportion of vehicles exceeding the speed limits, under free-running conditions, was greatest on dual carriageways (47%), followed by single carriageways above 40mph (32%) and motorways (26%).
Notes to editors:
- The Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report, 2025 is the third publication in the lifetime of the reporting on the targets and KPIs set out in the Road Safety Strategy to 2030.
- The report is typically based on the period 1 January to 31 December 2025. The report monitors the progress in 2024 of the targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) set out in the NIRSS. The targets and indicators are measured against a baseline of the 2014-2018 average figures (unless otherwise stated
- There are four principal targets and a suite of thirty-three key performance indicators (KPIs) which currently underpin the road safety strategy. Many of the indicators are calculated as a rate in order to properly take account of the changing level of exposure, and hence risk, attached to the subject group.
- This report details progress to date on the four key targets and across the strategy’s KPIs. A number of the indicators, when reported by single year, show a lot of volatility. In these cases an additional figure reporting on a five-year rolling average (or smoothed trend) has been included to give a clearer indication of which direction the underlying trend is moving.
- With regards to the speeding KPI, free-running speed (as recorded between 11pm to 7am) is considered to be the speed at which vehicles will travel when they are unimpeded by other vehicles. It is considered a truer reflection of a motorist’s speeding behaviour and, in the absence of congestion, would generally be higher than a 24 hour or daytime speeding rate.
- These official statistics were independently reviewed by the UK Statistics Authority in September 2016, comprising a full assessment against the Code of Practice for Statistics. They comply with the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics and should be labelled ‘Accredited Official Statistics’.
- Further information and electronic copies of the Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report are available at: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/articles/northern-ireland-road-safety-strategy-2030-statistics
For more information relating to this publication, including additional analysis, breakdowns of data, or alternative formats please contact:
Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch, First Floor, James House, Cromac Avenue,
Belfast, BT7 2JB
Telephone:(028) 9034 6270E-mail: asrb@nisra.gov.uk
Website: https://www.infrastructure-ni.gov.uk/topics/dfi-statistics-and-research
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