Road safety statistics: guidance
Source: gov.uk (2025-11-27)

Guide to reported road casualty statistics including notes and definitions, quality and methodology information and supporting technical documents.

The road casualty statistics are based on data reported by police using the STATS19 data collection system. This page provides background information on the statistics and STATS19.

Coverage and definitions

Details of what is and is not included in the statistics and the main definitions used are available from the:

Coverage of the statistics page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics-notes-and-definitions/road-casualty-statistics-overview-and-coverage)

Glossary page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics-notes-and-definitions/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-notes-definitions-symbols-and-conventions)

Contributory factors guidance page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-contributory-factors-for-reported-road-casualty-statistics/guide-to-contributory-factors-for-reported-road-casualties-great-britain)

Injury-based reporting and severity adjustment guidance page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-severity-adjustments-for-reported-road-casualty-statistics/guide-to-severity-adjustments-for-reported-road-casualties-great-britain)

Quality and methodology

Quality

Information related to the quality of the statistics can be found from the:

Background quality report (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualty-statistics-background-quality-report/reported-road-casualty-statistics-background-quality-report) which provides an overview

Known data issues page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualty-statistics-background-quality-report/road-casualty-statistics-known-data-issues) which lists specific issues

Revisions page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualty-statistics-background-quality-report/revisions-to-road-casualty-statistics) which outlines changes to previously published figures

More in-depth analysis of the quality of specific aspects of the STATS19 casualty data can be found in the:

Summary of recent feedback from police force data providers (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stats19-collection-and-use-feedback-from-data-providers)

Linking STATS19 fatality data with ONS death registrations (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/linking-stats19-fatalities-and-ons-death-registration-data)

Comparison of STATS19 data to other sources of road safety data (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/other-sources-of-information-on-road-casualties/other-sources-of-information-on-road-casualties) report

Exploring the impact of online reporting of road casualties (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impact-of-online-reporting-of-road-casualties/impact-of-online-reporting-of-road-casualties) report

Contributory factors: comparison with post-investigation recording (https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/contributory-factors-in-fatal-collisions-comparing-stats19-with-post-investigation-recording-2021-data/contributory-factors-in-fatal-collisions-comparing-stats19-with-post-investigation-recording-2021-data) report

Methodology

Methodology documents for specific elements of the road casualty statistics can be found in the:

Drink-drive statistics methodology note (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-methodology-for-drink-drive-statistics/methodology-note-for-reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-involving-illegal-alcohol-levels)

Provisional statistics methodology note (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-statistics-methodology-documents/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-methodology-note)

Valuation of road collisions and casualties report (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/995110/rrcgb-valuation-methodology.pdf) and 1994 methodology paper (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/995103/rcgb-1994-article-5-valuation-of-road-accidents-revision.pdf)

Older methodology papers for aspects of the statistics that are no longer routinely updated are available from the methodology papers page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-statistics-methodology-documents).

Data collection

The latest specification for the STATS19 data collection is the 2024 specification. Documentation for this is available in the:

STATS19 form (2024 format) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6835dc189c2ff625fff69339/ncrf_form_2024specification.pdf) (PDF, 3.04 MB, 9 pages)

Guidance issued to police (known as STATS20) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6925a35433d088f6d5da2cf0/STATS20_2024_specification.pdf) (PDF, 1.16 MB, 138 pages)

Older copies of these documents (for the previous specification) are available from the:

STATS19 form (2011 format) (PDF, 628 KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60d0cc548fa8f57ce4615110/stats19.pdf)

STATS20 guidance (2011 format) (PDF, 2.11 MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60d0cc968fa8f57cf3f0b3ad/stats20-2011.pdf)

User engagement

Periodic reviews of the STATS19 collection are overseen by the Standing Committee on Road Injury Collision Statistics (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/committees-and-user-groups-on-transport-statistics/the-transport-statistics-user-group#standing-committee-on-road-injury-collision-statistics) (SCRICS). Details of the latest (2018) review of STATS19 (PDF, 296 KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60d05b6a8fa8f57ce63f19f7/stats19-review.pdf) and the resulting recommendations (PDF, 2.23 MB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/60ec379ae90e0764c59382bc/stats-19-review-final-report.pdf) are available with a summary of progress in implementing these recommendations in the following section.

We welcome feedback on these statistics which can be provided to xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx). A summary of recent feedback and responses can be found on the:

User feedback and responses page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics-user-engagement/road-safety-statistics-responses-to-user-feedback)

Summary of recent user engagement page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-accidents-and-safety-statistics-user-engagement/road-safety-statistics-user-engagement-and-feedback)

Planned developments

A summary of planned changes to the road safety statistics, and other development work, which will be updated periodically, is available on the:

STATS19 review update and future plans page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-statistics-stats19-review-update-and-future-development-roadmap/road-safety-data-and-statistics-stats19-review-update-and-future-plans)

Report on the impacts of moving to the new STATS19 specification (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/stats19-collection-and-use-impacts-of-the-2024-specification)

Road safety statistics future data road map (ODT, 30.9 KB) (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/66f2ffd866439d663cf12c0c/STATS19-future-data-roadmap.odt)

Data protection and privacy

The underlying STATS19 data contains some fields that are considered sensitive as they may identify individuals or assign individual blame in collisions. We do not routinely publish these data but they can be requested by approved researchers via the form below.

Application form to request sensitive STATS19 data (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/674776faa72d7eb7f348c0a2/Application_for_access_to_sensitive_STATS19_data__web_version_.odt) (ODT, 13.4 KB)

STATS19 data personal information and data protection (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/personal-information-and-data-protection#statistical-uses-of-the-police-recorded-personal-injury-road-accident-data) information.

Official accredited statistics status

These are accredited official statistics which comply with the Code of Practice for Statistics. Further details are available via the:

Accredited official statistics status page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/reported-road-casualty-statistics-background-quality-report/national-statistics-status-of-reported-road-casualties-statistics)

Statement of administrative sources (https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7b306340f0b66a2fc05c34/dft-statement-stats-19.pdf)

Road accident and safety statistics: pre-release access page (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-accident-and-safety-statistics-pre-release-access-list)