A long-awaited reset of Britain’s approach to road safety was unveiled today, with ministers promising a dramatic reduction in deaths and serious injuries on the nation’s
roads over the next decade.
The government’s first road safety strategy in more than ten years sets out a bold ambition: to cut fatalities and life-changing injuries by 65% by 2035, rising to 70% for children under 16. If achieved, the measures could save thousands of lives and prevent countless families from experiencing sudden and devastating loss.
Around four people die on Britain’s roads every day. Thousands more are seriously injured. Ministers say many of these crashes are preventable and that progress has stalled for too long.
Launched on 7 January 2026, the strategy signals a tougher stance on the most common causes of serious collisions, including drink and drug driving, speeding, mobile phone use and failure to wear seatbelts. It also marks a shift away from blaming individual drivers alone, towards designing a system that recognises human error but works to stop mistakes becoming fatal.
One of the most significant proposals is a consultation on lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales. The current limit, unchanged since 1967, is the highest in Europe. In 2023, drink driving was a factor in one in six road deaths.
The government will also explore new preventative measures, including alcohol interlock devices that prevent a vehicle from starting if the driver is over the limit, and stronger powers to suspend licences for those suspected of drink or drug driving. For some offenders, fitting such a device could become a condition of being allowed back on the road.
As Britain’s population ages, the strategy also turns its attention to older drivers. A consultation will consider mandatory eyesight tests for motorists over 70, alongside the development of options for cognitive testing, with the aim of balancing independence with safety for everyone using the road.
Other measures target the growing problem of illegal and ‘ghost’ number plates designed to evade enforcement cameras, as well as uninsured vehicles and those without a valid MOT.
Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, 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”.
Local Transport Minister, Lilian Greenwood, 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”.
Campaigners have long argued that the UK has fallen behind its European neighbours on road safety. Over the past decade, 22 European countries have made greater progress in reducing fatalities, pushing Britain down the rankings.
The new strategy adopts the internationally recognised “Safe System” approach, which accepts that people will make mistakes but insists that those mistakes should not result in death or serious injury. Responsibility is shared across road design, vehicle standards, enforcement and education.
As part of this shift, a new Road Safety Investigation Branch will analyse collision patterns using linked police and health data, helping authorities understand root causes and prevent similar incidents in future.
Vehicle safety is another major pillar. The strategy mandates 18 new safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, ensuring drivers in Great Britain benefit from the same protections as those elsewhere in Europe while giving manufacturers a single set of standards to meet.
The plan has been welcomed by road safety organisations. Edmund King OBE, president of The AA, called it “a positively radical reframing of road safety” and said its ambition was long overdue. IAM RoadSmart said the focus on behaviour, training, technology and enforcement together was a crucial step after what it described as a “lost decade”.
The strategy also shines a spotlight on vulnerable road users. Motorcyclists make up just 1% of traffic but account for 21% of road deaths, while children in the most deprived areas are four times more likely to be injured as pedestrians than those in the least deprived communities. Proposed responses include reforms to motorcycle training and trials to improve safety on rural roads.
Work-related driving risk is another area of concern, with around one in three road fatalities involving someone driving or riding for work. A new National Work-Related Road Safety Charter pilot will set standards for employers across sectors, covering everything from HGVs and vans to cycles and e-cycles.
Oversight of the strategy will sit with a new Road Safety Board chaired by the Local Transport Minister, supported by experts from local government, emergency services and road safety groups.
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”.
Ministers are clear that success will depend on partnership: between government, councils, businesses, emergency services and the public. The message at the heart of the strategy is simple but ambitious – that every journey should begin and end safely, and that the loss of life on Britain’s roads is not inevitable.
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 lifelong education, not just when learning to ride or drive”.
IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards, Nicholas Lyes, 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.
We’re also pleased to see action being taken on drug driving, which is a growing menace and by giving police additional powers to take action against those caught at the roadside, it will serve notice that such dangerous behaviours will not be tolerated”.
RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, said:
“We’ve long said the dial needs to be turned up when it comes to reducing road casualties, so we warmly welcome this strategy – and especially the reintroduction of casualty reduction targets, that were scrapped 16 years ago.
The simple truth is that this strategy can’t come soon enough. Britain might have some of the safest roads by international standards, but on average, 4 people are still killed and 76 seriously injured every single day. That’s an unacceptable number of lives being ruined or cut short.
The strategy addresses many areas we know drivers are concerned about, including drink and drug-driving, ‘ghost’ plates and dazzling headlights. The inclusion of a commitment to consult on the use of alcohol interlocks for convicted drink-drivers – which are internationally proven to save lives – is particularly encouraging, especially given the extent to which drivers are supportive of their use. It’s also positive to see proposals on the table for both improving young driver safety and tackling the scourge of uninsured drivers who push up motor insurance costs for everyone.
It’s important to remember that the ultimate success of any new or updated penalties or laws will depend on awareness among drivers and enforcement. But undoubtedly, this strategy is a real chance to give the whole topic of road safety the focus and public attention it deserves. What we need now is for it to quickly evolve into a set of concrete actions that make the roads safer for everyone”. Photo by M1 motorway from a footbridge by Peter Barr, Wikimedia commons.