Child pedestrian casualties in England five times higher in poorest areas
Official data reveals a widening decade-long gap in road injuries between England’s richest and poorest postcodes, highlighting urgent infrastructure inequalities that demand targeted public investment.
Children walking near roads in England face nearly five times the risk of casualty in the most deprived neighbourhoods compared to the wealthiest, new government analysis shows. Official data highlights a widening divide over the past decade between the poorest and most affluent 10 per cent of postcodes.
Great Britain saw 29,918 people killed or seriously injured on roads in 2025, including 2,432 children under 16. This overall figure represents a 3 per cent increase over the 2022-24 average, even as total fatalities dropped 4 per cent to 1,538.
The geographic disparity is most pronounced among younger pedestrians. More than 20 per cent of child pedestrians killed or injured resided in the most deprived 10 per cent of areas, while only 4 per cent came from the least deprived.
This divide extends to all pedestrians and bus users, signalling deep-seated infrastructure inequalities across the country. While the gap appears less severe for car occupants, analysts note that wealthier postcodes have significantly higher mileage. This suggests the actual risk for car occupants is much higher in deprived income deciles despite their lower exposure.
Vulnerable road users face compounding dangers outside of private vehicles. Motorcycle fatalities rose 14 per cent, climbing from 325 deaths in 2024 to 372 last year. Furthermore, speeding was a contributing factor in 52 per cent of all recorded road deaths, and more than three-quarters of those killed were male.
Rebecca Guy of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents highlighted the trend, stating, “It is particularly concerning that the gap between the most and least deprived areas has widened over the last decade.” She argued that tackling inequality must be at the heart of the government’s approach, requiring targeted investment to ensure safe infrastructure for communities at greatest risk.
Motorways remained statistically the safest roads per mile travelled, accounting for just 6 per cent of fatalities while carrying 21 per cent of traffic. Addressing the disparities, a Department for Transport spokesperson said, “Everyone should feel safe on our roads, no matter where they live.” The department noted its new road safety strategy recognises these higher risks and will track its impact to ensure measures are fair to all communities.
