The number of people killed in crashes on Britain’s roads rose by 10% last year, Department for Transport (DfT) figures show.
Some 1,711 fatalities were recorded in 2022, compared with 1,558 in 2021.
The DfT attributed the rise to the increase in journeys following the lifting of coronavirus restrictions.
It stated that the total for 2022 represented a decline of 2% compared with 2019, before the pandemic.
There were also 28,031 people suffering serious injuries on Britain’s roads last year, with the total number of casualties of all severities reaching 135,480.
Edmund King, director of the AA Charitable Trust, said: “Every death on our roads is a tragedy and it is worrying that after the pandemic, road deaths are rising.
It’s on all of us to eliminate deaths and casualties on our roads
“It is a preventable tragedy that a fifth of people who die in cars on our roads are not wearing a seatbelt.
“There needs to be concerted and targeted education to reach those drivers who choose to risk their lives for the sake of a two second action.
“It’s on all of us to eliminate deaths and casualties on our roads. As well as having more cops in cars to catch people in the act, road users need to take responsibility when heading out on the roads.”
A DfT spokesman said: “We welcome the continued decrease in road casualties compared with pre-Covid levels, with our roads being some of the safest in the world.
“Nevertheless, we continue to work tirelessly to improve road safety through our world-renowned Think! road safety campaigns and £47.5 million safer roads fund, so local authorities can also work to keep road users safe.”
Outside of coronavirus lockdowns there has been no significant improvement in road crash fatality figures since around 2010.