London has a reputation for being one of the worst places to drive in the UK, with a huge number of vehicles, one way systems and road works all causing congestion problems, not to mention dangerous and inexperienced drivers.
There are 2.56m cars registered in London, with 54% of households owning at least one car in the capital. That equates to around 10% of all cars registered in the UK. However, while car ownership across Great Britain has steadily increased, in London it has remained static.
Using both primary data from our New Driver Accident survey and existing research surrounding driving in London, this post looks at whether the UK’s capital really is one of the most dangerous places for motorists.
London Accidents
Across the UK, the top five areas with the highest casualty rates were all found to be London boroughs. The highest casualty rate for those killed and seriously injured per billion vehicle miles was 455 in Westminster, followed by 410 in the City of London and 375 in Hackney. The lowest rate was in South Gloucestershire with just 33 casualties.
The DVLA has also revealed the London postcodes with the highest number of dangerous drivers, based on those with 12 or more points on their licence. Croydon, Walthamstow and Poplar were the top three areas for dangerous drivers in London, with each having at least 20 drivers with 12 or more points. Outer London areas were also found to have a high number of drivers with points on their licence, suggesting those closer to motorways might be more likely to be caught speeding.