Fewer people were hurt on Welsh roads between April and June this year than in the same three months of 2025.
According to the Welsh Government, the figures show the sharpest drops on roads with 20mph and 30mph limits. Deputy Minister for Transport Mark Hooper has welcomed them.
The numbers
Comparing April to June 2026 with the same quarter last year:
- Collisions on all roads in Wales fell by 19%
- Casualties on all roads fell by 20%
- On 20mph and 30mph roads taken together, collisions were down 22% and casualties down 20%
Before and after 20mph
The latest quarter has also been compared with April to June 2023, a few months before the default 20mph limit took effect on 17 September 2023.
Against that baseline, collisions on 20mph and 30mph roads combined have dropped by 37%, with casualties down 35%.
The Welsh Government says that, leaving aside data from the Covid pandemic, these are the lowest figures ever recorded in this way.
What the minister said
Mr Hooper said: “These latest figures are extremely encouraging and provide more evidence that the 20mph default speed limit is helping to make our roads safer.
“Every one of those figures represents someone who has avoided injury, or death, on our roads. I want to thank the police forces across Wales for their continued work in recording this data and keeping our communities safe.
“We will continue to monitor these trends closely, as part of our ongoing evaluation of the policy, but today’s figures are a strong sign that things continue to move in the right direction.”
Deaths rose in 2025
The quarterly figures follow data published in September showing that deaths and serious injuries on Welsh roads went up last year. They had fallen at first when the 20mph limit came in.
Department for Transport figures released last month show 91 people died on roads in Wales in 2025. That compares with 84 in 2024, the first full year with the default 20mph limit in place.
A divisive policy
The 20mph default has divided opinion since day one. A petition opposing it gathered almost half a million signatures, a Senedd record.
Labour brought the policy in with Plaid Cymru’s support. Reform UK and Conservative politicians still regularly use it to criticise both parties.
