GB Road Collision Data: What the Records Since 1979 Show

The Department for Transport holds one of the longest-running road safety datasets in the world, covering every reported personal injury collision on Great Britain's roads from 1979 to the present day. The records include details of the collisions themselves, the vehicles involved and the casualties who resulted from them, giving researchers, journalists and concerned drivers a remarkably complete picture of how road danger has changed over nearly five decades.

The data is published in two forms. Record-level files allow analysts to work with the raw figures and build their own breakdowns, while a separate set of detailed statistical tables presents pre-processed results for those who want findings without handling the underlying data directly. Both are produced and maintained by the Department for Transport as part of its transport statistics programme.

For ordinary drivers, the significance is straightforward. The records show which road types, vehicle categories, times of day and locations have historically produced the most harm. Someone who commutes on a rural A-road, drives a motorcycle or travels late at night can look at the figures and understand objectively where the real risks lie, rather than relying on impression or anecdote.

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