Road casualties in Norfolk have risen more sharply than anywhere else in the country, new data shows. According to the charity Brake, the number of people killed or seriously injured on Norfolk’s roads increased from 470 in 2023 to 555 in 2024. This contrasts with the wider East of England, where casualties fell slightly, with 2,725 people killed or seriously injured – a 1.9% decrease on the previous year. The focus key phrase for this article is Norfolk road safety statistics.
Brake, which campaigns on road safety issues, is calling for life-saving technology such as speed assistance and driver attention warning systems to be made mandatory on all new vehicles in the UK. The charity analysed figures published by the Department for Transport in September and found that speed was a factor in 59% of all road deaths in 2024. Brake estimates that the introduction of such technology could prevent around 1,700 deaths nationwide.
Iain Temperton, a road safety consultant with Traject and former head of road safety at Norfolk County Council, welcomed the technology but stressed the importance of driver awareness. He said: “If they’re used properly, they are fabulous tools to help us manage our speed and keep ourselves and other people safe.” He added that drivers must still know and observe speed limits themselves, with technology serving only as an aid.
Chris Spinks, former head of roads policing in Norfolk and Suffolk, said car manufacturers have invested millions in testing the safety of these systems. “It’s like anything you have in a vehicle – it’s got to be used properly,” he said. He drew a comparison with seatbelt adoption, noting the initial opposition to change: “If you go back all the way to when seatbelts were first brought in, there was a groundswell of opinion that said, ‘Oh, if my car catches fire, I’m going to be stuck’. Well, actually, the amount of times that a seatbelt would save serious injury or life massively outweighs any of those issues.”
Brake’s analysis forms part of its Road Safety Week campaign, highlighting the urgent need for preventative measures. With Norfolk experiencing the fastest rise in serious road casualties, local authorities and campaigners are urging drivers to take responsibility, while also pressing the government to ensure new vehicles are equipped with the latest life-saving technology.
Norfolk road safety statistics underline a broader concern across the country about rising traffic-related injuries and deaths. Advocates hope that a combination of driver awareness, enforcement, and mandatory safety technology can help reverse the trend.
