Motorway deaths increased by 14% last year, official figures have revealed, against a backdrop of an improving road safety picture.

The Department for Transport's statistics show that 100 people were killed on motorways in 2013 and the number of seriously injured casualties on motorways rose by 1% to 660.

But the figures also show that road deaths across all classes of highway decreased by 2% compared to the previous year and the number of people seriously injured fell by 6%.

Child fatalities in reported road accidents fell from 61 in 2012 to 48 last year, reversing increases seen in the previous two years. Pedestrian deaths fell by 5% and pedal cycle fatalities decreased by 8%.

Institute of Advanced Motorists director of policy and research Neil Greig described the increase in motorway deaths as “worrying".

“It is worrying that motorways have seen a 14% increase in deaths which is only partly explained by a 1.5% increase in traffic on them. It is vital that the Government keeps a close eye on these figures as the Highway Agency rolls out its programme of widespread hard shoulder running as opposed to motorway widening.”

A Highways Agency spokesman said: “Safety will always be a top priority for us and we are determined to make our roads even safer. We continue to invest in improvements to create a safer road environment.”

The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety's executive director David Davies welcomed the overall fall in road casualties but added that the figures show that "Government is failing and that it badly needs to step up its efforts."

Photo courtesy of Highway Patrol images

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