Essex Sees Sharp Rise in Road Deaths as Police Link Surge to Dangerous Driving

Road deaths across Essex have risen at an alarming pace this year, with police warning that drug use, speeding, and reckless behaviour are driving a “relentless” increase in collisions.

In just the first eight months of 2025, 48 people have lost their lives on the county’s roads — nearly matching the 50 fatalities recorded in the whole of 2024. Of those deaths, 25 cases are now being considered by the Crown Prosecution Service for potential charges against drivers involved.

Adam Pipe, head of roads policing for Essex Police, described the situation as one of the most difficult periods in recent memory.“These are not, in most cases, accidents — there’s behaviour behind it,” he said, pointing to a dramatic rise in drug-driving, speeding, and general carelessness.

More than 1,000 people have already been arrested for drug-driving in 2025 alone.

The South Essex Roads Partnership, which brings together councils, emergency services, and National Highways, has set a long-term goal of eliminating all deaths and serious injuries on Essex roads by 2040. Yet the scale of the challenge was brought into sharp focus earlier this year when six young people died in separate collisions within just 14 hours.

In response, Essex Police plans to test new roadside cameras powered by artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically detect drivers using mobile phones or failing to wear seatbelts. However, Pipe stressed that technology alone will not solve the problem

“The key is changing minds and behaviours on our roads,” he said.