North West one of the most dangerous regions for pedestrians in the UK – five areas, including Manchester, rank in the top ten
- Westminster is the UK’s most dangerous area for pedestrians, with 23.39% of all road collisions involving people on foot.
- Scottish cities feature prominently on the danger list with Glasgow (22.08%) and Aberdeen (21.99%) placing second and third, respectively.
- Northern cities dominate the top ten list, with five North West locations including Liverpool, Bolton and Manchester.
A new study by personal injury experts at claims.co.uk has revealed the most dangerous places in the UK for pedestrians – and central London comes out on top.
Looking at government road safety data between 2014 and 2023, researchers ranked areas by the percentage of all road collisions that involved pedestrians.
The data shows a clear pattern, with urban areas – particularly in London and major cities – posing a significantly higher risk to pedestrians than rural counties. The North West emerges as a particularly dangerous region, with five areas in the top ten.
The UK’s 10 most dangerous areas for pedestrians
| Rank | Area | Region | Annual collisions | Pedestrian collisions | Percentage of pedestrian collisions |
| 1 | Westminster | London | 1,036 | 242 | 23.39% |
| 2 | Glasgow | Scotland | 672 | 148 | 22.08% |
| 3 | Aberdeen | Scotland | 111 | 24 | 21.99% |
| 4 | Camden | London | 563 | 120 | 21.31% |
| 5 | Oldham | North West | 152 | 32 | 21.29% |
| 6 | Liverpool | North West | 681 | 140 | 20.51% |
| 7 | Bolton | North West | 209 | 43 | 20.46% |
| 8 | Manchester | North West | 416 | 84 | 20.24% |
| 9 | Harrow | London | 307 | 59 | 19.12% |
| 10 | Rochdale | North West | 135 | 25 | 18.73% |
Westminster leads the nation in collisions involving people on foot. The London borough records an average of 1,036 collisions annually, with 242 of these involving pedestrians – about 23.4% of all collisions in the area.
Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city, takes second place. Out of 672 collisions a year, 148 involve pedestrians – a rate of 22.1% incidents.
Aberdeen is the third most dangerous area for pedestrians, with nearly 22% of its collisions involving people on foot. While the city records a relatively low total of 111 collisions a year, 24 of these involve pedestrians.
Camden, another London borough, takes fourth place with 21.3% of all road collisions involving pedestrians. Out of an average of 563 collisions each year, 120 involve someone on foot.
Oldham, in the North West, places fifth, with nearly 21.3% of its 152 annual collisions involving pedestrians – a total of 32 incidents.
Liverpool takes sixth place, with pedestrians involved in 140 of the city’s 681 collisions each year – over 20.5% of the total.
In seventh is Bolton, another North West town, where 43 of 209 annual collisions involve people on foot, giving it a rate of nearly 20.5%.
Manchester follows in eighth, with pedestrians involved in 84 of its 416 yearly collisions – just over 20.2%.
Harrow, another London borough, ranks ninth, recording 59 pedestrian-involved collisions out of 307 annually – about 19.1%.
Completing the top ten is Rochdale, also in the North West. The town averages 135 collisions a year, with 25 of those (18.7%) involving pedestrians.
The UK’s five safest areas for pedestrians
| Rank | Area | Region | Annual collisions | Pedestrian collisions | Percentage of pedestrian collisions |
| 1 | East Riding of Yorkshire | Yorkshire and The Humber | 474 | 25 | 5.17% |
| 2 | Central Bedfordshire | East of England | 421 | 24 | 5.68% |
| 3 | Wiltshire | South West | 822 | 50 | 6.12% |
| 4 | Aberdeenshire | Scotland | 208 | 13 | 6.30% |
| 5 | Shropshire | West Midlands | 380 | 24 | 6.37% |
At the other end of the scale, the East Riding of Yorkshire emerges as the safest place in the UK for pedestrians. The area sees around 474 collisions a year, but only 25 involve people on foot – just 5.2% of the total.
Central Bedfordshire comes next, with around 421 collisions a year, but only 24 involve people on foot – a low rate of 5.7%.
In third place is Wiltshire. The county records a fairly high 822 collisions annually, yet just 50 of those involve pedestrians, keeping its rate down to 6.1%.
Aberdeenshire, just north of Aberdeen, is the fourth-safest place in the UK for pedestrians. The county records around 208 collisions a year, but only 13 involve people on foot – just 6.3%. It’s a sharp contrast with nearby Aberdeen, which places among the most dangerous places for walkers. The difference shows how much factors like location and population density can affect pedestrian safety.
Shropshire rounds out the five safest areas. Of the county’s 380 collisions each year, only 24 involve people on foot – a share of just 6.4%.
A spokesperson at claims.co.uk commented on the findings, “These numbers really show how different pedestrian safety can be depending on where you are. In busy city centres it’s expected that more people on foot will mean more incidents, but in some places the share involving pedestrians is worryingly high.
“In fact, someone walking in Westminster is almost five times more likely to be involved in a collision than in East Riding of Yorkshire. That kind of gap really highlights the need for targeted road safety measures in the areas where people are most at risk.
“What’s particularly striking is the gap between neighbouring areas. Aberdeen is among the most dangerous places for pedestrians, while just next door Aberdeenshire is one of the safest. It shows how much street design, traffic flow and population density shape the risks people face on a daily walk.
“For those in high-risk areas, a few small habits can help – stick to crossings, take extra care at junctions and avoid distractions like phones while crossing. But the bigger picture is down to city planners and councils. Better crossings, improved lighting and smarter traffic calming could go a long way towards making our streets safer for everyone.”
