Will Noble

131 People Were Killed On London's Roads Last Year

Image: Shutterstock

131 people were killed on London's roads in 2017, TfL has revealed, while 3,750 were seriously injured.

The disheartening — if not altogether shocking statistics — show an overall 1% fall in casualties from 2016, yet highlight how much is still to be done to make the city's road safer.

People walking, cycling or riding motorcycles made up more than 50% all casualties and 87% of all deaths. The number of those walking who were killed or seriously injured in 2017 increased by an estimated 10% on 2016; while motorcyclists killed or seriously injured increased by an estimated 5%.

There was a 1% drop in deaths and serious injuries to cyclists.

Cyclist deaths and serious injuries in London dropped 1% - but much is still to be done. Image: TfL

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, will use these latest statistics to push forward his ambitious Vision Zero plan, which sets out to eliminate all road deaths in London by 2041.

Said Lilli Matson, Director of Transport Strategy at TfL:

These new figures show why our Vision Zero approach is so important. We refuse to accept that any death or serious injury on London’s roads is acceptable or inevitable and will continue to work with the police and all boroughs to meet our target of eliminating all death and serious injury from London's roads...

Despite the grim statistics, new internal reporting systems used by police have led to more reliable data for serious injuries and an increase in reported serious injuries. A new online self-reporting tool, introduced in 2017 by the Metropolitan Police Service, has also made it easier for Londoners to report collisions and injuries, and led to a 35% increase in self-reporting — making up more than 20% of all casualties in 2017. In previous years, some serious injuries may not have been reflected in the statistics.