Driving for Work Road Casualties 2025: DfT Data for Fleets

New driving for work road casualties figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show that in 2025, 445 people were killed in collisions involving someone driving for work, 29% of all road deaths in Great Britain. Vans of 3.5 tonnes or under were the second most common work vehicle in those injury collisions, behind cars.

What did the DfT publish in September 2026?

On 24 September 2026 the DfT updated its official statistics, Reported road casualties Great Britain: estimates involving driving for work. It uses police-reported collision data (STATS19), with assumptions such as treating vans recorded as "commuting" as working, because tradespeople typically do not commute in the conventional sense.

The DfT says the figures are still likely to be underestimates, because the journey purpose was recorded as unknown for 53% of vehicles in 2025.

How many people were killed or injured in work-related collisions in 2025?

According to the DfT factsheet, in 2025:

• there were 22,871 reported collisions involving at least one driver or rider travelling for work, 23% of all police-reported collisions
• 445 people were killed in collisions involving a working driver, 29% of all road fatalities
• 6,460 people were killed or seriously injured (KSI) in these collisions, 22% of all KSI casualties
• 1,703 of the KSI casualties were people travelling as part of work, including 1,482 working drivers or riders
• 4,757 people who were not working were killed or seriously injured, including 1,183 pedestrians

Most of the harm falls on other road users, not the working driver.

Are work-related collisions going down?

Slowly. Work-related collisions fell from 36,472 in 2015 to 22,871 in 2025, and deaths in them from 589 to 445. But they have stayed at around a quarter of all reported collisions every year since 2015.

How often are vans involved?

The DfT breaks down the vehicles being driven for work in injury collisions in 2025. Cars came first with 7,451 (28.7%). Vans of 3.5 tonnes maximum gross weight or under came second with 5,871 (22.6%), ahead of buses and coaches (11.6%) and goods vehicles of 7.5 tonnes and over (10.1%).

What is the government planning to do about it?

The Road Safety Strategy, published on 7 January 2026, sets a target of a 65% reduction in people killed or seriously injured on Great Britain's roads by 2035, against a 2022 to 2024 baseline.

It says "the government expects the employers or engagers of anyone driving or riding for work to ensure that they are as safe as possible on the roads", and estimates that about 1 in 3 road deaths UK-wide involve someone driving or riding for work.

The government will pilot a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter covering HGVs, light goods vehicles, cars and other vehicles. The pilot will run for two years, and the strategy states that "regulatory measures will be considered if voluntary engagement is insufficient in reducing work-related road risk". The charter's detailed requirements have not yet been published.

What does the law already require of employers?

Under section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, every employer must ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of its employees, including safe plant and systems of work. Section 3 extends this to people who are not employees but may be affected, which covers other road users and pedestrians.

Regulation 3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 requires every employer to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of those risks. For a van fleet, the vehicle itself is part of that assessment.

Where do daily vehicle checks fit in?

DVSA's van daily walkaround check guidance says: "You're responsible for making sure your van is safe to drive." It asks drivers to do a walkaround check before the journey, and to record and report any defects if they drive for a business with an operator licence. If a van is dangerous, DVSA can stop it being used until it is fixed, and drivers may be fined, prosecuted or given penalty points.

A record of each check shows the vehicle side of your risk assessment is actually happening, and a vehicle check app makes that record automatic. Our guides to grey fleet compliance and preparing for a DVSA roadside check cover the wider picture.

See how drivers complete a walkaround check on their phone in the interactive demo, or browse the features and pricing.

This article summarises DfT statistics, government policy and legislation as at October 2026. It is general information, not legal advice.