Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report, 2025 has been published today
Topics:
Date published:
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 on the ASRB website at: Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy to 2030 statistics
Key Points:
In 2024:
- There were 69 fatalities in road traffic collisions in 2024. This represents an increase of 2% from the strategy baseline figure (68), and a decrease of 3% from 2023 (71).
- There were 939 people seriously injured (SI) in road traffic collisions in 2024. This represents an increase of 25% from the strategy baseline figure (751), and an increase of 7% from 2023 (880).
- There were 93 Children (aged 0 to 15) killed or seriously injured (KSIs) in road traffic collisions in 2024. This represents an increase of 31% from the strategy baseline figure (71), and an increase of 12% from 2023 (83).
- There were 207 young people (aged 16 to 24) KSIs in road traffic collisions in 2024. This represents an increase of 5% from the strategy baseline figure (196), and an increase of 8% from 2023 (192).
- In 2024 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 (359 motorcyclist KSIs pre 100 million kilometres travelled by motorcycle), with the rates for pedal cyclists (61 pedal cyclist KSIs per 100 million kilometres cycled) and pedestrians (29 KSIs per 100 million kilometres walked) being in between.
- People over the age of 70 had 51 KSIs per 100,000 population. This rate is 15% above that recorded in 2023 and is 21% above the baseline figure of 42.
- There were 48 people killed in collisions on rural roads. The numbers recorded in 2024 are up 2% on 2023 (47). Fatalities on rural roads are now 9% above the baseline figure of 44.
- There were 16 people killed in road traffic collisions where alcohol or drugs was attributed. This is 5 more than the 11 recorded in 2023. The number in 2024 is 8% below the baseline level of 17.
- There were 268 KSIs resulting from collisions involving drivers under the age of 25. This is a 12% increase from the number recorded in 2023 (240). The number in 2024 is 10% above the baseline number of 244.
- Over the three-year period 2022-2024, 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, 144 people each year which represents a 28% 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 2024, 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 (41%), followed by single carriageways above 40mph (33%) and motorways (24%).
Notes to editors:
- The Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report, 2024 is the third publication in the lifetime of the reporting on the targets and KPIs set out in the Road Safety Strategy to 2030. Further information on the Strategy is available at: Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy to 2030
- The report is typically based on the period 1 January to 31 December 2024. 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’.
- Electronic copies of the Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy (NIRSS) to 2030 Annual Statistical Report are available at: Northern Ireland Road Safety Strategy to 2030 statistics | Department for Infrastructure
- For more information relating to this publication, including additional analysis, breakdowns of data, or alternative formats please contact: Analysis, Statistics and Research Branch,
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