Almost 500 people were killed or seriously injured (KSI) on Merseyside roads last year

New data released by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has revealed the number of road casualties across the six local authority areas in 2024. The Department for Transport (DfT) produces a report on annual road casualties for the entire country. In the last 12 months alone, 486 people were killed or seriously injured in our area.

This represented a 14% reduction on 2023, when the largest number of KSIs had been recorded in six years. On that occasion, 586 people were recorded as KSI. The Merseyside Road Safety Partnership exists to improve road safety and reduce the number of those killed and seriously injured on the roads.

Members of the combined authority are to receive an update on its work when they meet at Mann Island next week. Throughout last year, more vulnerable road users including children, motorcyclists and cyclists, incurred spikes in casualty numbers but all recorded “notable reductions” in 2024. The number of pedal cyclists recorded went down by around 20%.

With overall KSIs in 2023 the largest since 2017, officials said it was “imperative to deliver a reduction in 2024.” The report added: “In comparison to the five-year average, 2024 performed exactly as expected, but this demonstrates that despite the long-term declining KSI trend levels are now plateauing.”

According to the new data, reportable road deaths went down by 45% on 2023 figures. However Adult Pedestrian figures – aged 26-59 – which had been on a long-term declining KSI trend, did see a slight KSI increase of 9% throughout 2024.

Despite a massive backlash with a petition getting more than 7,000 signatures prompting a council debate, protests and even vandalism, the roll out of 20mph zones in Wirral appears to have been successful. Analysis presented to the committee said there had been a 12% reduction in road traffic collisions, a 23% reduction in KSIs and 64% more vehicles travelling below 20mph.

Wirral Council began changing speed limits on thousands of roads in Wirral in early 2023. Four phases of the scheme were rolled out with the first, initially supported unanimously, seeing speed limits change on nearly 1,700 roads.

The scheme is funded by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority. Councils have had the power to introduce new 20mph zones since 1999 without applying to the government for permission.