The hidden cost of road collisions

Every year in London, thousands of people are injured or killed on our roads. These aren’t just numbers - they’re real lives changed forever.

In 2023 alone, more than 22,900 traffic collisions were reported to police across the city, resulting in 26,210 casualties. That includes 102 people who lost their lives, and over 3,600 who were seriously injured with lasting impacts like fractures, burns, and trauma.

The toll is staggering. Not only in human terms, but financially too. According to our latest research, the total cost to society of serious and fatal road collisions in London last year was over £1.2 billion.

The largest part of that total (more than £900 million) comes from what’s known as the human cost. This is a way of measuring the value of the pain, grief, and suffering caused by the loss of life or the effects of serious injury, and it is based on studies showing how much people are willing to pay to lower the risk of such terrible outcomes. Whilst the human cost is an important indicator used in many countries, it is theoretical.

The rest of the total is £325 million, and these are the direct costs related to emergency services, hospital care, lost productivity, damage, and administration. Road collisions are costing public budgets £325 million, and if we really tackled road danger, that could be spent on other public services like transport, healthcare, or housing.

To put it into perspective:

£325 million could cover the salaries of 1,426 trainee doctors.
It’s enough to buy 20 new Piccadilly line trains.
Or it could fund the London Fire Brigade for six months.

More deprived areas see more road collisions, and likely suffer the most from the human and economic toll. In 2023, 2,600 collisions occurred in the most deprived areas of London, which is more than double the number in the least deprived areas. Not only is this unfair, it’s avoidable.

1 Traffic collisions reported to police in London in 2023 resulted in.png

2 The costs of road collisions fall into two categories.png

2 The costs of road collisions fall into two categories-1.png

3 Even if we only consider the direct costs, road collisions are a huge burden on London’s finances.png

4 Some boroughs are more affected by these costs than others.png

5 Traffic collisions are also more likely to happen in deprived areas.png

Road danger is a climate issue.

Because when roads feel too dangerous to cycle, most people won’t. And right now the fear of fast, relentless traffic stops so many of us from choosing the low-carbon option.

We can’t afford to carry on like this.

With the Department for Transport forecasting up to 54% more traffic by 2060, things are on track to get worse, unless our political leaders act now.

Shifting towards active travel like cycling and public transport wouldn’t just cut emissions. It would also mean cleaner air, better health, and streets that work for everyone.

We’re calling on councillors to:

Design streets that prioritise people over traffic.
Invest in public transport, cycling, and walking.
Rethink how we treat road danger as a public health issue.

At Possible, we believe in streets that are safe, healthy, and fair for everyone. The numbers in this research show just how high the cost is when we fail to get that right.

It’s time to stop accepting road collisions as inevitable, and instead start building a London where moving around doesn’t come with a death toll or a billion-pound price tag.

Want to get involved?

You can email your councillor using our simple tool below.