Fatalities and injuries on South Yorkshire roads up 18 per cent

Data from the Department for Transport shows that 821 people were killed or seriously injured in a South Yorkshire collision in 2022 – an increase of almost 18 per cent compared to 2021.

When including slight injuries, the overall number of casualties for the county was 2,725 – a 0.8 per cent increase from the year before.

Thirty-five people lost their lives as the result of a collision on South Yorkshire roads in 2022, and a further 786 people suffered serious or life-changing injuries.

Tom Finnegan-Smith, chairman of the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership strategic board, urged road users to take care when travelling.

Mr Finnegan-Smith said: “Behind every statistic, there is a family or loved one, torn apart by pain and grief. These numbers are about people – whether they are motorcyclists, pedestrians, drivers or cyclists – people who have set off on a journey and in some cases, never come home.

“We all have the power to change this. By travelling to the speed limit, putting away our mobile phones, taking extra time at junctions and safely passing cyclists, we can stop people being killed or seriously hurt on our roads.”

Dr Alan Billings, South Yorkshire Police and Crime Commissioner, added: “I urge all drivers to think about their safety and the safety of other road users by driving within the speed limits and helping to make South Yorkshire’s roads safer.