UK Motorcycle Accident Statistics (2024 Data)

How many motorcyclists are killed or injured each year?

The Department for Transport's most recent motorcyclist factsheet, published on 25 September 2025, reports that in 2024 there were 340 motorcyclists killed, 5,468 seriously injured (adjusted) and 10,152 slightly injured (adjusted) in Great Britain.

That is roughly 15,960 reported motorcyclist casualties in a single year. The DfT also notes that a considerable share of non-fatal casualties are never reported to the police, so the true number of injuries is higher than the recorded total.

These are figures reported by police forces through the STATS19 system, not estimates or projections.

Why are motorcyclists so much more at risk than other road users?

Motorcyclists account for only about 1% of the traffic on the road but a heavily disproportionate share of deaths and serious injuries. The DfT identifies motorcyclists as the road user group with the highest risk of being killed or seriously injured per mile travelled.

The reason is physics. A rider has no crumple zone, no seatbelt and no airbag, so the energy of a crash is taken by the body. An impact a car occupant would walk away from can leave a motorcyclist with life-changing injuries.

What causes most serious motorcycle crashes?

Across fatal and serious collisions, the single most common factor recorded by police is ineffective observation, in other words someone not looking properly. In the DfT data this factor was assigned to the other vehicle in 68% of cases and to the rider in 42% of cases (a collision can have more than one factor).

This is the classic 'Sorry mate, I didn't see you' (SMIDSY) crash, where a driver pulls out of a junction or turns across a rider's path. It is exactly the type of collision where the driver, not the rider, is usually at fault.

Around 38% of motorcyclist fatalities happen in a two-vehicle collision with a car, and about 37% of rider fatalities occur at or within 20 metres of a junction (these are 2020 to 2024 averages).

Where and to whom do motorcycle accidents happen?

On a 2020 to 2024 average, 69% of motorcyclist fatalities happened on rural roads, even though rural roads carry only 39% of motorcycle traffic. Higher speeds and less forgiving roadsides make rural crashes more likely to be fatal.

92% of motorcyclists killed or seriously injured over the same period were male, reflecting who rides most miles rather than any difference in risk between riders.

Are motorcycle roads getting safer over time?

Yes, over the long term. Between 2004 and 2024 motorcyclist fatalities fell by 42%, while motorcycle traffic fell by only 6%. That gap means the risk per mile ridden has improved, thanks to better protective gear, safer machines and road-safety work.

The trend is not a straight line, though. Provisional DfT estimates pointed to a rise in motorcyclist fatalities in the most recent year, which is why rider awareness and driver observation still matter.

What do these numbers mean if you have been hurt?

If you were injured in a crash that was not your fault, you may be entitled to compensation. A claim is usually made up of two parts: general damages for the pain, suffering and loss of amenity of the injury itself, and special damages for your actual financial losses such as lost earnings, damaged kit, a written-off bike and treatment costs.

General damages are assessed by reference to the Judicial College Guidelines and medical evidence, so the amount depends entirely on your specific injuries and recovery. We do not set or pay compensation ourselves. Bike Crash Claims is a marketing service that connects riders to regulated specialists who handle the claim; the figures on this page are accident statistics, not a promise of any particular payout.