The Government has announced its first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, with a plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.
Launched today (Wednesday 7 January), the Government says the strategy will save thousands of lives on the nation’s roads by tackling drink driving, improving training for young drivers, and introducing mandatory eye tests for older motorists.
It also includes a target to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 70% for children under 16 years.
Approximately four people die on Britain’s roads every day, with thousands more seriously injured each year, but through targeted action on speeding, drink and drug driving, not wearing seat belts, and mobile phone use, thousands of these tragedies can be prevented, the Government says.
As part of the strategy, the Government will consult on lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967 and is currently the highest in Europe.
In 2023, one in six road fatalities involved drink driving, but a consultation will explore the use of preventative technology, such as alcohol interlock devices, and new powers to suspend driving licences for those suspected of drink or drug driving offences.
This could mean that, in future, some drink drive offenders might be required to have one of these devices fitted to their vehicle as a condition of being allowed to drive again.
Inexperience behind the wheel is ‘costing lives’
Drivers aged 17-24 years represent just 6% of licence holders but are involved in 24% of fatal and serious collisions.
To address this, the Government will consult on introducing a three or six month minimum learning period, giving learner drivers more time to develop their skills in varied conditions such as night driving, adverse weather, and heavy traffic.
With the number of older drivers continuing to rise as Britain’s population ages, a consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for those over 70 will be launched, while options for cognitive testing will also be developed to protect all road users.
New measures will also target the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ plates designed to fool camera systems, while also cracking down on uninsured drivers and vehicles without a valid MOT.
Heidi Alexander, secretary of state for transport, said: “Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities. For too long, progress on road safety has stalled. This strategy marks a turning point.
“We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence. The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.”
Nicola Foster, chair of Road Safety GB said: “We welcome the publication of this highly anticipated national Road Safety Strategy and look forward to reviewing the detail and being part of the consultations that will follow on key elements outlined as part of the strategy.
“Road Safety GB is extremely well placed to assist with communication, dissemination and training through our membership and national conference network. We look forward to supporting DfT and the wider road safety community in a collaborative delivery approach going forward in 2026 and beyond.”
Independent road safety campaigner, Meera Naran MBE, whose 8-year-old son Dev, died in a road traffic collision, said: “I welcome this much-anticipated road safety strategy and am pleased to see a number of measures set out to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.
“I am especially grateful to the secretary of state for giving me her word that she would honour Dev and recognise the importance of legislative change to adopt the General Safety Regulations, as Dev’s Law, and for delivering on that commitment.
“I look forward to working closely with the department to ensure that the appropriate steps are taken to establish a robust and effective framework.”
A decade of stalled progress
Over the past decade, 22 European countries have made more progress than the UK in reducing road fatalities, causing Britain to slip from third to fourth in European road safety rankings.
This strategy therefore set out a new approach to reverse a decade of stalled progress, the Government says. The strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, which acknowledges that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not.
Rather than placing responsibility solely on individual drivers, the system ensures that road design, vehicle safety, enforcement, and education work together to protect all road users.
A new Road Safety Investigation Branch will analyse collision patterns and inform prevention strategies, drawing on linked police and healthcare data to identify root causes and target interventions more effectively.
The strategy also mandates 18 new vehicle safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance. This will ensure drivers and road users in Great Britain benefit from access to these cutting-edge technologies and supports growth by requiring manufacturers to meet the same requirements across Europe.
Lilian Greenwood, local transport minister, said: “Our vision with this ambitious Road Safety Strategy is clear: to ensure that people can travel safely on our roads however they choose.
“One of the hardest parts of my job is speaking to families who have lost loved ones on our roads and this is something we as a Government are taking action to prevent. No family should have to endure that loss, and this strategy sets out how we will work to ensure fewer do.
“Experts and campaigners have long called for a comprehensive strategy that treats road safety as a shared responsibility – from car manufacturers and town planners to drivers and legislators.
“This strategy, the first in over a decade, shows a Government that is not just listening, but leading, and together, we can build a safer future for all road users.”
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “The publication of a national road safety strategy is an important and welcome step, and one that many across the sector have been calling for over a long period of time.
“After years without a clear national framework, it is encouraging to see renewed leadership, ambition and long-term thinking being applied to road safety once again.
“The reintroduction of casualty reduction targets and the adoption of a Safe System approach signal a serious intention to reverse a decade of stalled progress and re-focus efforts on what is proven to save lives and reduce serious injury.”
A new Road Safety Board, chaired by the minister for local transport, will oversee delivery of the strategy, supported by an Expert Advisory Panel drawing membership from local authorities, emergency services, active travel groups, and road safety organisations.
Vulnerable road users remain a key focus
Motorcyclists account for just 1% of motor vehicle traffic but 21% of road deaths, while children from the most deprived neighbourhoods face four times the pedestrian casualty rate of those in the least deprived areas.
To address these disparities, the strategy includes consulting on reforms to motorcycle training, testing and licencing; and supporting trials to improve motorcycle safety on rural roads.
An estimated one in three road traffic fatalities involve someone driving or riding for work, prompting the launch of a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter pilot.
This will establish a national standard for employers requiring people to drive or ride for work, covering HGVs, vans, cars, motorcycles, e-cycles and cycles. It aims to help businesses in both the public and private sectors reduce work-related road risk by promoting good practice, accountability, and compliance with existing legislation.
The Government says the success of this strategy depends on strong partnerships between government, local authorities, businesses, road safety professionals, emergency services, and the public working together to ensure that every journey starts and ends safely.
Edmund King OBE, director of The AA Charitable Trust and AA president, said: “This is a positively radical reframing of road safety which is long overdue. We commend the government for its wide ranging and ambitious strategy and ambitious targets which we hope will save the lives of thousands of people.
“Tackling drivers who drive under the influence of drink or drugs, people who don’t wear their seatbelts and those getting behind the wheel without insurance are key to reducing road deaths and serious injuries. We also endorse the mantra of road safety being a life-long education, not just when learning to ride or drive.”
Nicholas Lyes, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards, said: “After what can be described as a lost decade in terms of reducing the number of killed and seriously injured on the roads, we welcome the Government’s commitment to ambitious targets and robust policies to make our roads safer.
“The strategy focuses on all key aspects including behaviours, training, vehicle technology and enforcement – all of which play a crucial role in keeping us safe on the road. An emphasis on younger drivers and motorcycle safety is particularly positive, considering these are some of our most vulnerable road users.”
Not much to see (new) here … sadly. I live in an area where there’s no respect for the correct, consistent use of road signs and where mini-roundabouts are being replaced (or reverting to) T-junctions, automatic traffic lights are considered safe, school crossing patrols are being replaced by seriously under-used zebra crossings, and out-of date cycle track designs are being introduced (amongst many other things). Detailed design is a disgrace. Safe systems approach? Don’t make me laugh. Local authorities have the responsibility to provide safer roads, but there appears to be no action that can be taken against an authority which is increasing danger on the roads. Object, and one is told to go to the Ombudsman … as if that would make any difference. Angry? Moi? Oh. I should also mention the new trick of hiding behind a “road safety audit” … Happy New Year.
Andrew Fraser, STRLING
0
Over and above what the national strategy may be, I have my own road safety strategy – drive on a trailing throttle, look where I’m going and all around me and always be able and ready to stop for anything and anyone.
Hugh Jones, South Wirral
+4
Disappointing in terms of so much out for consultation – so kicked down the road again for 5 years before action probably. Expert and academic knowledge counts for not a lot these days, people on social media must have their say. Little leadership – but at least something.
Keith Baldock, Brighton
+9
I suspect this will be yet another example of things being done for the sake of things being done, rather than targeted improvements for problematic environments.
> Rather than placing responsibility solely on individual drivers, the system ensures that road design, vehicle safety, enforcement, and education work together to protect all road users.
That’s news to me. Having spoken with many road safety practitioners over the years, this is how most of them already appear to work – much to my personal annoyance. We will see no changes then.
> Driving standards have dropped since I past my driving test in 1984
I’m not going to repeat my often shared opinion as to why driving standards have fallen over the last decade or so, everyone here is understandably tired of hearing it.
David Weston, Newcastle upon Tyne
+4
Our immediate response as in our Press Release:(https://www.20splenty.org/road_safety_strategy)
“20mph to deliver an immediate win for the UK Government’s Road Safety Strategy”
20’s Plenty for Us welcomes the government’s adoption of the internationally recognised Safe System approach – something that 20’s Plenty for Us had been calling for. A Safe System clearly requires 20mph speed limits in urban/village areas.
Recent research from Wales and London shows that introducing 20mph limits in built-up areas reduces road casualties by around 25%. With half of all casualties occurring on 30mph roads, Local Authorities can deliver an immediate 12% reduction towards the government’s 65% casualty target by implementing wide area 20mph.
For those walking, the impact will be even greater, as six out of every ten casualties occur on 30mph roads.
Introducing 20mph will make a particularly welcome contribution to reducing casualties among children, with 70% of casualties among young people walking or cycling occurring on 30mph roads.
20’s Plenty for Us calls on the UK Government to revise its guidance to Local Authorities on Setting Local Speed Limits to give greater direction and support, making it easier and cheaper for them to set 20mph in urban areas and village centres.
Rod King MBE, Founder and Chair, 20’s Plenty for Us CIC commented
“We welcome the UK government’s Road Safety Strategy and its commitment to reducing casualties by 65% over the next 10 years. Crucially, its delivery needs early interventions that can be widely deployed without huge cost, engineering or technical complications.
With 20mph as an urban/village norm recognised and proven as the foundation for any Safe System, delivery of the strategy must include an early adoption of 20mph in villages, towns and cities in the rest of the UK, as has already been achieved in Wales and Scotland. We look forward to assisting the government in this by participating in the new Road Safety Board.”
ENDS
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Notes to Editors
• 20’s Plenty for Us CIC (company number 15510973) supports communities throughout the UK and internationally who want their place to be a better place to be. Its vision is for a 20mph speed limit wherever people and motor vehicles mix, with 30mph targeted where it’s evidentially safe for vulnerable road users.
• 20’s Plenty for Us CIC is non-party political and receives no governmental funding.
• For more information about 20’s Plenty for Us, please visit our website https://www.20splenty.org/ or email info@20splenty.org
Rod King, Lymm
--3
Driving standards have dropped since I past my driving test in 1984. Non use of indicators, incorrect use of round about lanes,
influx of foreign drivers who apply the driving standards of their countries to the UK roads. Powerful cars of there Elite cars, should be only for those with experience of proper handling.
New drivers should also have driving awareness of spending a week with HGV/LGV drivers along with being bus drivers, because so many are ignorant of what it is like to drive and also to stop heavier vehicles. As an ex HGV driver, seeing cars and vans pull in, in front of trucks, taking away the trucks braking distance happens far to often.
With to many cars on the roads compared to trucks, cars and their drivers are the problem. If wanna be drivers paid the same price as an HGV drivers, fewer would be on the road plus the stricter driver awareness skills required, would reduce cars of the road because pass rates would be far fewer. (as always, cars are the governments cash cow).
Anthony Lamb, Darlington
--10