Mark Hooper MS, Deputy Minister for Transport
Today, the Welsh Government has published provisional statistics on police recorded road collisions and casualties in Wales for April to June 2026.
The figures show a continued reduction in the number of collisions and casualties on our roads. Between April and June 2026, there were 19% fewer collisions and 20% fewer casualties across all roads in Wales compared with the same quarter in 2025.
The reductions on roads with lower speed limits are particularly encouraging. On 20mph and 30mph roads combined, collisions fell by 22% and casualties by 20% compared with the same period last year.
Looking further back, to the equivalent quarter in 2023 before the default 20mph speed limit was introduced, the figures show an even greater reduction. Collisions on 20mph and 30mph roads combined were 37% lower, while casualties were 35% lower.
These are the lowest figures recorded in this way for this quarter, excluding the exceptional period affected by the Covid pandemic.
Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community. Fewer collisions and casualties mean fewer people experiencing the pain and consequences of being injured on our roads. That is why reducing road danger remains at the heart of our approach to transport and road safety.
These results are extremely encouraging and add to the evidence we are seeing following the introduction of the default 20mph speed limit. Earlier monitoring has also shown reductions in vehicle speeds on monitored 20mph roads. However, these latest statistics are provisional, quarterly figures can fluctuate, and it remains important that we assess the evidence over a longer period before drawing firm conclusions about long-term trends.
Our approach to road safety goes beyond speed limits. The Road Safety Partnership Plan for Wales 2026–2040 is based on the Safe System and Vision Zero, with an ambition to reduce road deaths by 40% by 2040. It emphasises shared responsibility across safer roads, speeds, vehicles and road-user behaviour, alongside effective post-collision response.
We are developing proactive, evidence-led speed management combining engineering, engagement, education and proportionate enforcement. This considers not only collision records but also speeds, road characteristics, people walking and cycling, and community concerns.
Our aim is the right speed on the right road, reflecting evidence, local circumstances and community engagement, with lower speeds particularly important where people and vehicles mix.
We will continue evaluating the default 20mph speed limit and working with highway authorities, police forces, GoSafe and other partners to make Wales’s roads and streets safer.
I thank our police forces and road safety partners for their continued work, including collecting and recording the data that informs our understanding of road safety.
There can be no complacency. Every death and serious injury on our roads is one too many. Nevertheless, these latest figures are a very welcome indication that Wales continues to move in the right direction towards safer roads and communities.