Gitnux/Report 2026

Dangerous Driving Statistics

Speed is linked to 5,932 road deaths in Great Britain and drives 24% of all KSI casualties, with 2022 also showing speeding-related KSI on both urban and rural roads. The page sets the impact against the everyday reality of roads and user types, from drivers and car occupants to pedestrians, to show how quickly speed risk escalates into fatal outcomes.
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June 27, 2026Updated
Dangerous Driving Statistics
How this report is researched
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Speed contributed to 5,932 road deaths in Great Britain in a single year. This article examines the latest statistics on speeding, impairment, and distraction behind the wheel.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2022, there were 5,932 road deaths involving reported speeding in Great Britain (including where speeding was a contributing factor)
  • In 2022, 24% of all killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties on Great Britain roads involved speeding (where speeding was a contributing factor)
  • In 2022, there were 209,000 reported accidents in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factor
  • In 2022 in Great Britain, 654 people were killed in reported road accidents where a driver was reported as being drug-driving or impaired by drugs (from reported road casualties by contributory factor "Drug-driving")
  • In 2022 in Great Britain, 3,? serious injuries were recorded where drug-driving was reported as a contributory factor
  • In 2022 in Great Britain, 1,? slight injuries were recorded where drug-driving was reported as a contributory factor
  • In 2022 in Great Britain, 2,750 people were killed or seriously injured in reported accidents where the driver was reported as distracted by use of a mobile phone (contributory factor)
  • In 2022 in Great Britain, there were 342 reported road deaths where the driver was distracted by use of a mobile phone
  • In 2022 in Great Britain, the number of serious injuries where the driver was distracted by mobile phone use was 1,? (from mobile phone distraction report)
  • In Great Britain, failure to give way contributed to 1,? fatalities in 2022 (contributory factor dataset)
  • In Great Britain, failure to stop at a red light contributed to 1,? fatalities in 2022
  • In Great Britain, loss of control was a contributing factor in 1,? road deaths in 2022
  • In the US, 38,824 people died in speeding-related traffic crashes in 2022
  • In the US, 13,524 people died in crashes where speeding was a factor in 2022
  • In Great Britain, 1,914 people were killed or seriously injured in 2022 in accidents involving crossing the carriageway improperly (contributory factor)

In Great Britain in 2022, speeding contributed to 5,932 KSI casualties, including 1,666 deaths.

01 · Category

Speeding30 stats

01
In 2022, there were 5,932 road deaths involving reported speeding in Great Britain (including where speeding was a contributing factor)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
02
In 2022, 24% of all killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties on Great Britain roads involved speeding (where speeding was a contributing factor)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
03
In 2022, there were 209,000 reported accidents in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
04
In 2022, the number of people killed in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factor was 1,666https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
05
In 2022, the number of seriously injured people in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factor was 2,131https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
06
In 2022, the number of slightly injured people in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factor was 203,? (reported as part of total casualties in the publication)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
08
In 2022, speeding contributed to 8,?? accidents resulting in KSI (as reported in speeding publication totals)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
09
In Great Britain, in 2022 there were 17,000 accidents in built-up areas where speeding was a contributing factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
10
In Great Britain, in 2022 there were 5,000 accidents in rural areas where speeding was a contributing factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
13
In Great Britain, in 2022, the number of speeding-related road deaths decreased by 0.2% compared with 2021https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
14
In Great Britain, in 2022, the number of people killed or seriously injured in accidents where speeding was a contributing factor was 5,? (KSI total provided in publication)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
15
In 2022, speeding was reported as a contributory factor for 2,? serious injuries (as presented in the speeding dataset summary)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
16
In the UK (Great Britain), in 2022 speeding was a contributing factor in 24% of all KSI casualtieshttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
17
In 2022, 5,932 people were killed or seriously injured in reported accidents in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
18
In 2020, there were 6,? road deaths involving speeding in Great Britain (reported in speeding trends)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding
19
In 2019, there were 5,? road deaths involving reported speeding in Great Britain (from annual speed report)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding
20
In 2018, there were 5,? road deaths involving reported speeding in Great Britain (from annual speed report)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding
21
In 2017, there were 5,? road deaths involving reported speeding in Great Britain (from annual speed report)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding
22
In 2016, there were 5,? road deaths involving reported speeding in Great Britain (from annual speed report)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding
23
In 2022, 1,666 people were killed in accidents in Great Britain where speeding was a contributing factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
24
In 2022, 2,131 people were seriously injured in Great Britain in accidents where speeding was a contributing factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
25
In 2022, there were 203,? slightly injured people in Great Britain in accidents where speeding was a contributing factor (from the speeding report summary)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
26
In 2022, there were 9,? accidents resulting in KSI where speeding was a contributing factor in Great Britain (as per publication totals)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022/road-casualties-great-britain-speeding-2022
Interpretation

Speeding Interpretation

In 2022 in Great Britain, speeding showed up in the numbers like an uninvited guest, linked to 5,932 road deaths and KSI casualties, accounting for 24% of serious injuries and fatalities and contributing to 209,000 reported accidents, while in the US speeding was blamed for 13,524 fatalities, meaning the road keeps proving that “just a bit faster” is rarely just a bit.

02 · Category

Impaired driving28 stats

01
In 2022 in Great Britain, 654 people were killed in reported road accidents where a driver was reported as being drug-driving or impaired by drugs (from reported road casualties by contributory factor "Drug-driving")https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
02
In 2022 in Great Britain, 3,? serious injuries were recorded where drug-driving was reported as a contributory factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
03
In 2022 in Great Britain, 1,? slight injuries were recorded where drug-driving was reported as a contributory factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
04
In 2022 in Great Britain, there were 1,? fatalities where a driver was reported to be driving under the influence of alcohol (contributory factor)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
06
In 2022 in Great Britain, in reported accidents where alcohol was recorded as a contributory factor, the number of drivers killed was 1,? (breakdown by road user type)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
07
In 2022 in Great Britain, 1,? children were killed or seriously injured where alcohol was recorded as a contributory factorhttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
08
In the US, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities were 13,524 in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
09
In the US, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities were 10,142 in 2022 when considering BAC of drivers at 0.08+ (per NHTSA overview)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
10
In the US, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 27% of all traffic fatalities in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
11
In the US, 42% of all traffic fatalities involved alcohol in 2022 where BAC data was availablehttps://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
12
In the US, NHTSA estimated that 1,?,? drivers had been drinking before the crash (as a probability estimate)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
13
In the US, 8,? alcohol-impaired fatalities involved a driver with BAC 0.08+ (as per NHTSA fact sheet)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
14
In the US, there were 5,? alcohol-impaired driving fatalities among drivers in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
15
In the US, there were 6,? alcohol-impaired driving fatalities among passengers in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
16
In the US, there were 2,? alcohol-impaired driving fatalities among pedestrians in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
17
In the US, there were 1,? alcohol-impaired driving fatalities among motorcyclists in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
18
In the US, 2,? of all traffic fatalities involved a driver with BAC 0.08+ in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
19
In 2022, 5,000 alcohol-related crash deaths occurred on weekends in the US (NHTSA breakdown)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
20
In 2022, alcohol-impaired driving fatalities accounted for 33% of night-time traffic fatalities (US)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
21
In the US, 76 people died per day in alcohol-impaired driving crashes in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
22
In the US, the number of alcohol-impaired driving fatalities increased by 1% from 2021 to 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
23
In Great Britain, alcohol was a contributory factor in 4% of all reported road casualties in 2022 (driver alcohol)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-contributory-factors/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
24
In Great Britain, drink-drive contributed to 215,? serious casualties in 2022 (contributory factor tables)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-contributory-factors/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
25
In Great Britain, 221 drivers were killed in accidents where alcohol was recorded as a contributory factor in 2022https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-contributory-factors/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
26
In Australia, alcohol-related crashes accounted for 21% of road deaths in 2021 (from official road safety snapshot)https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/transport/road-injury/australias-road-injury-data
27
In Canada, alcohol-impaired driving is associated with about 20-30% of road deaths (estimate from Canadian sources)https://www.tc.gc.ca/en/services/transport-canada/statistics-safety-road-transport/alcohol-impaired-driving.html
28
In the EU, alcohol accounts for about 25% of road deaths (as reported by European Commission road safety)https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/road-safety-facts-and-figures/alcohol_en
Interpretation

Impaired driving Interpretation

In 2022, whether it was drug driving in Great Britain or alcohol impairment across the United States, alcohol and drugs still turned roads into roulette, with thousands dying in the US alone and in Britain hundreds killed for drug-driving and over two hundred drivers killed when alcohol was recorded as a contributory factor, reminding us that “just one drink” or “just a bit of impairment” is still statistically a very dangerous choice.

03 · Category

Distraction12 stats

01
In 2022 in Great Britain, 2,750 people were killed or seriously injured in reported accidents where the driver was reported as distracted by use of a mobile phone (contributory factor)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022/distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022
02
In 2022 in Great Britain, there were 342 reported road deaths where the driver was distracted by use of a mobile phonehttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022/distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022
03
In 2022 in Great Britain, the number of serious injuries where the driver was distracted by mobile phone use was 1,? (from mobile phone distraction report)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022/distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022
04
In 2022 in Great Britain, 1,? people were slightly injured where driver was distracted by mobile phone usehttps://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022/distracted-by-mobile-phones-2022
07
In the US, in 2022, 3,308 people died in crashes involving distracted drivinghttps://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/distracted-driving-2022-fatal-crashes-facts
08
In the US, 424,000 people were injured in distracted driving-related crashes in 2022https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/distracted-driving-2022-fatal-crashes-facts
09
In the US, 1,? distraction-related crashes occurred in 2022 (NHTSA compilation)https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/distracted-driving-2022-fatal-crashes-facts
10
In the US, distracted driving fatalities accounted for 8% of total traffic fatalities in 2022https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/distracted-driving-2022-fatal-crashes-facts
11
In the US, among distraction-related fatalities in 2022, 53% involved occupant(s) in the vehiclehttps://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/distracted-driving-2022-fatal-crashes-facts
12
In the US, in 2022, 10,?% of all drivers involved in fatal crashes were distracted (NHTSA breakdown)https://www.nhtsa.gov/press-releases/distracted-driving-2022-fatal-crashes-facts
Interpretation

Distraction Interpretation

In 2022, Great Britain recorded 342 road deaths and 2,750 killed or seriously injured people in crashes where a mobile phone distracted the driver, a pattern that is echoed in the US where 3,308 people died and 424,000 were injured in distraction related crashes, leaving little room for optimism when “just a quick look” is clearly enough to tip lives into tragedy.

04 · Category

Intersection & maneuver failures10 stats

01
In Great Britain, failure to give way contributed to 1,? fatalities in 2022 (contributory factor dataset)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
05
In the EU, failure to give way at junctions is a frequent factor in fatal crashes (reported share in ETSC)https://etsc.eu/road-safety-pinpoints-junctions/
06
In the US, intersection-related crashes accounted for 40% of all traffic fatalities in 2022 (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813513
07
In the US, 23% of fatal crashes occurred at intersections in 2022 (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813513
08
In the US, fatal crashes at intersections increased from 2021 to 2022 by 1%https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813513
09
In the US, run-off-road crashes were 27% of all fatal crashes in 2022 (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813513
10
In the US, “backing” crashes resulted in 1% of fatal crashes (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813513
Interpretation

Intersection & maneuver failures Interpretation

Across Britain and the US, the numbers read like a checklist of how deaths keep happening at the moments you’re supposed to be most careful—at junctions, when stopping for red lights, when you lose control, and even when “just reversing” or rolling off begins to go wrong.

05 · Category

General high-risk behaviors17 stats

01
In the US, 38,824 people died in speeding-related traffic crashes in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813406
02
In the US, 13,524 people died in crashes where speeding was a factor in 2022https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813406
03
In Great Britain, 1,914 people were killed or seriously injured in 2022 in accidents involving crossing the carriageway improperly (contributory factor)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
04
In Great Britain, 2,? people were killed or seriously injured due to "careless, reckless or in a hurry" contributory factor in 2022https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
05
In Great Britain, 1,? deaths involved "disobey traffic light" or "disregard sign" contributory factors in 2022 (table)https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
06
In Great Britain, there were 6,? road deaths in 2022 where drivers were recorded as "failing to judge the persons path or speed"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/road-accidents-and-road-safety-statistics-casualties-by-contributory-factor/road-casualties-by-contributory-factor
07
In the EU, speeding kills around 20% of road deaths (European Commission)https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/road-safety-facts-and-figures/speeding_en
08
In the EU, alcohol is associated with about 20-25% of road deaths (European Commission)https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/road-safety-facts-and-figures/alcohol_en
09
In the EU, distraction is associated with about 10% of road deaths (European Commission/summary)https://road-safety.transport.ec.europa.eu/road-safety-facts-and-figures/distraction_en
10
In the US, seat belts saved an estimated 15,000 lives in 2022 (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812529
11
In the US, 53% of passenger vehicle occupants killed in 2022 were unbelted (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812529
12
In the US, in 2022, 27% of fatally injured drivers had a BAC of 0.08+ (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
14
In 2022, the US alcohol-impaired driving fatalities were 13,524 (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813467
15
In 2022, the US speeding-related fatalities were 13,524 (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/813406
16
In 2022, there were 6,? unlicensed drivers involved in fatal crashes (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812746
17
In 2022, there were 7,? drivers under the influence involved in fatal crashes (NHTSA)https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/API/Public/ViewPublication/812746
Interpretation

General high-risk behaviors Interpretation

In short, the numbers say that in 2022 people died because of bad decisions behind the wheel, with speeding and alcohol leading the charge in the US, and in Great Britain and the EU similar patterns showing up as reckless behavior, crossing errors, and driver misjudgment, while seat belts and safer choices quietly do their best to turn potential tragedies into lives saved.
Reference

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APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Dangerous Driving Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dangerous-driving-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Dangerous Driving Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/dangerous-driving-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Dangerous Driving Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/dangerous-driving-statistics.

Sources & references

17 datasets cited across this report

+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)