Safe, Sustainable Travel Torbay

This page maintains a record of fatal road traffic collisions that have occurred within the local authority of Torbay in 2025, as reported by official or local media sources. Each entry links to the original report wherever possible.

We acknowledge that behind every statistic is a life lost, a family changed forever, and a community affected. Our deepest sympathies go to the loved ones of those who have died on Torbay’s roads.

This record is published by Safe, Sustainable Travel Torbay (SSTT) to raise awareness of the real and preventable risks posed by motor vehicles in our local area. Torbay’s streets are shared spaces connecting homes, schools and workplaces, yet they remain sites of loss and harm far too often.

The purpose of this record is not to assign blame but to ensure these deaths are not treated as inevitable. Each life lost represents a point of learning about infrastructure, culture and the systems that shape how we move.

The term “accident” is still commonly used, yet research consistently shows that over 90% of road collisions involve some form of human error. These events are not random. They reflect the choices we make individually and collectively about how much danger we accept on our roads.

Studies such as Fevyer and Aldred’s “Road Fatalities: Media Framing of Vulnerable Road Users” have shown that the way deaths are reported can shape public understanding:

• Driver responsibility is often minimised or omitted, while the actions of those killed are scrutinised.
• Deaths of people walking or cycling are often treated as isolated tragedies, rather than symptoms of a wider public health and planning issue.

Understanding the Purpose of This Record

This record is not intended to suggest that active travel is unsafe. The physical, social and environmental benefits of walking, wheeling and cycling far outweigh the risks. People who travel actively live longer, healthier lives, and communities with more active travel enjoy cleaner air, reduced congestion and stronger local economies.

Recording fatalities helps us recognise that these benefits should never come at the cost of preventable harm. The purpose is to make visible the human consequences of a transport system that still prioritises vehicle flow over safety and wellbeing.

By acknowledging loss, we aim to:

• Challenge the normalisation of road danger
• Encourage design and policy that reduce risk at source rather than shifting blame
• Support a shared vision for streets that are safe, inclusive and sustainable

This work aligns with SSTT’s wider efforts, including Vision Zero advocacy and our Bike Bus Torquay initiative, to demonstrate that a safer, healthier transport culture is both possible and achievable.

4 October 2025 – Brixham, New Road (outside Sainsbury’s Local)
A 79-year-old woman, a pedestrian, died at the scene after being struck by a grey Volvo XC90 driven by a local man. Emergency services attended but were unable to save her life. The driver was arrested on suspicion of causing death by careless driving and later released while police enquiries continue. Source: Devon & Cornwall Police News

31 August 2025 – Torquay, Torwood Street
A 24-year-old man, a motorcyclist, died at the scene following a collision involving his motorcycle, a Ford Fiesta driven by a woman in her 30s, and a white DAF lorry driven by a man in his 50s. His family later issued a tribute through police.
Source: Devon & Cornwall Police News

27 May 2025 – Torquay, Higher Warberry Road
A man in his 20s, a member of a refuse collection crew, died after becoming trapped under a bin lorry he had been working with. The vehicle was being driven by a male colleague, who remained at the scene and assisted police with their investigation.
Source: Devon & Cornwall Police News

20 May 2025 – Torquay, Torbay Hospital car park (collision occurred 14 May)
An 82-year-old man, a pedestrian, died in hospital several days after being struck by a Hyundai i20 driven by a man in his 70s in the Torbay Hospital car park.
Source: Devon Live

5 February 2025 – Paignton, Southfield Avenue
A man in his 60s, cycling along Southfield Avenue, died following a collision with a white Ford Transit van driven by a man in his 70s. Paramedics attended, but the cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.
Source: BBC News

9 January 2025 – Torquay, The Willows (M&S car park)
An 80-year-old woman, a pedestrian, died after being struck by a red Citroën C3 driven by an elderly woman in the car park of Marks & Spencer. Emergency services attended, but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene.
Source: Devon & Cornwall Police News