Caitlin Taylor, RoSPA’s Road Safety Manager for England, welcomes the Government’s commitment to a strategy and explains why it is much needed.

 
In response, the newly titled (and newly appointed) Minister for the Future of Roads, Lillian Greenwood MP, addressed the debate with a commitment to developing a new Road Safety Strategy — the first in over a decade. Greenwood’s new title, reflecting a shift from the traditional ‘Roads Minister’ to one emphasising a forward-looking approach, suggests a broader, long-term focus on road safety and associated infrastructure.
 
She stated that significant investments will continue for roads like the A1, in collaboration with National Highways and other stakeholders, to collectively reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
 
This rebranding of the role underscores a commitment to evolving road safety strategies and addressing both current and future challenges regarding UK roads.
 
At RoSPA, we believe that road safety must be a priority for the new Government. Our roads are vital, connecting major cities and rural areas, but it’s clear that they require a vision for long-term safety enhancements. Progress on fatality reduction on the UK’s roads has almost stalled over the last decade, with deaths decreasing by just 7 per cent, compared with a 47 per cent fall in the previous decade, according to Department for Transport data. Any improvement is good – but, in our view, this loss of momentum is not good enough. Without a joined-up strategy, our roads are now barely less dangerous than they were ten years ago – and, on some roads, like the A1, fatalities are on the rise.
 
This is why we welcome the new Government’s commitment to a Road Safety Strategy, which will be key to driving the next generation of safety improvements. We would like to see a holistic, evidence-led approach that includes not just the immediate improvements but also regular reviews of incident-prone areas, the use of new safety technologies, and ongoing efforts to educate drivers about safe practices.
 
We have been calling for a Road Safety Strategy for a long time and were pleased to have recently met with Ms Greenwood alongside colleagues from across our sector. Collectively, we made clear that a new Road Safety Strategy is our number one road safety recommendation for the new government. It is great to hear that this message has been received. We look forward to working with Ms Greenwood and her team as they implement this vision. By taking these steps, we can work together to reduce road collisions and help all road users travel more safely across the UK.
 

Caitlin Taylor is RoSPA’s Road Safety Manager for England.