There has been a “concerning” rise in the number of people dying in road traffic incidents involving police, a watchdog has warned.
Thirty-nine fatalities were recorded last year – an increase of 14 deaths on the previous 12 months, according to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
It is the highest level since 2018-19, the watchdog said.
The figures cover deaths of motorists, cyclists or pedestrians involving police pursuits on the roads, as well as those resulting when officers’ vehicles have responded to emergency calls.
Thirty-three deaths were related to police chases in 2021-22, including 25 people who were either the driver or passenger in a car that was pursued by officers.
The average age of the driver or passenger was 27 years old, the IOPC said.
The watchdog’s director general Michael Lockwood said: “It is concerning to note that this year has seen a rise in the number of fatalities from road traffic incidents, 39 deaths from 25 the previous year.
“Five incidents accounted for 12 of the deaths and a high proportion (85%) of the deaths were police pursuit-related.
“In the 13 deaths where the IOPC has concluded an investigation, we found police officers acted appropriately and in accordance with their training, policies and procedures.”
In its annual report on deaths following police contact in England and Wales, the IOPC said there had been 11 deaths in custody – down eight on the previous year.
There were also two fatal police shootings in 2021-22, involving the Met Police and the Thames Valley force.
The report comes after protests over the death of 24-year-old Chris Kaba who was shot dead by a police officer in south London on 5 September.
Protesters marched to New Scotland Yard over the death of Chris Kaba
The IOPC has said it will “explore all of the circumstances” surrounding the death of the unarmed black man, including whether “race influenced any actions taken by the police”.
The Metropolitan Police officer involved has been suspended.
The fatal shootings listed in the IOPC’s report included a man in his 20s who was shot three times by officers near Kensington Gardens in central London in December 2021.
Officers had been called to reports of a suspect with a gun, the watchdog said.
The report also included details of the death of 24-year-old Kelvin Odichukumma Igweani, who was shot dead by police in Milton Keynes in June 2021.
He had barricaded himself in a room with a child and was suspected of murdering his neighbour Richard Woodcock who had attempted to intervene, an inquest heard.
In its report, the IOPC said there were 56 apparent suicides following police custody in 2021-22, an increase of one on the previous year.
The watchdog also investigated 109 other deaths following contact with the police in a wide range of circumstances, an increase of 14 on the previous year.