UK Road Safety Strategy

The government has announced a Road Safety Strategy.

Four people a day die on Britain’s roads, with 76 more seriously injured.

The ambition is to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035, with a 70% target for children under 16.

The press release says that the strategy adopts a Safe System approach.

As well as the strategy itself, there will be a series of consultations including:

• on reducing the alcohol limit for drink driving
• on a 3 or 6 month minimum learning period for new drivers
• on mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70

There will be a new Road Safety Board, a Road Safety Investigation Branch, and 18 new vehicle safety technologies will be mandated.

The Road Safety Strategy

The Road Safety Strategy is a 60-page document.

The Case for Change

Chapter 1 of the strategy sets out the case for change.

It says that the UK has slipped down the European rankings for road safety in recent years.

It adds that pedestrians, cyclists and roadworkers are disproportionately vulnerable to serious and fatal injuries. Perceptions of safety are the main barrier to people cycling.

Vision

The Vision section says that the strategy is underpinned by a Safe Systems approach.

The approach was designed in Sweden, and is based on the idea that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not.

The pillars of the Safe System include safe roads, safe road users and safe speeds.

National targets provide a shared aim for everyone concerned, including local authorities. Safety Performance Indicators will be used to measure progress.

Steps to Achieving the Vision

Chapter 3 sets out the steps to achieving the vision, divided into four themes:

• 1 – supporting road users
• 2 – technology and data
• 3 – infrastructure
• 4 – robust enforcement

Theme 1

The supporting road users theme includes the idea of a minimum learning period for new drivers, a lower blood alcohol limit for drink driving, and eyesight testing for older drivers

Theme 1 mentions active travel, including the 2022 Highway Code changes which have not been widely adopted by drivers, and the relatively small sums of money handed to councils for active travel infrastructure.

This theme also says that the word ‘collision’ will be used instead of ‘accident’ in most official contexts.

Theme 2

The technology and data theme includes the adoption of 18 new safety technologies for vehicles.

It refers to Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS), and the establishment of a data-led Road Safety Investigation Branch.

There is mention of SUVs, but the only commitment is ‘to further understand safety concerns regarding increasing vehicle size’.

Theme 3

Theme 3, the infrastructure theme, promises new Setting Local Speed Limits guidance, and a new Manual for Streets.

The strategy says of the Manual for Streets:

‘It will continue to stress the importance of design that puts people first and have low speed as a key design principle.

It will apply to new and existing streets including residential streets, new developments, town centres and so on’.

Theme 4

Theme 4 says that effective enforcement makes streets safer for people including pedestrians and cyclists.

The actions here are aimed at drink driving and drug driving, failing to stop and report collisions, and illegal number plates.

Missing from this section is ensuring that reporting offences via Operation Snap is properly funded, and that police across the country review submissions consistently.

Also missing is scrapping ‘exceptional hardship’, which allows drivers with 12 points or more to keep their licences.

Road Safety Board

A Road Safety Board will be chaired by the Minister for Local Transport, and should ensure delivery of the strategy.