Industry reacts to government road safety plans
Industry representatives and safety groups have welcomed the Department for Transport’s publication of a new Road Safety Strategy, which outlines its plans to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Great Britain’s roads by 65 per cent over the next decade.
The strategy focuses on four key themes: supporting road users, deploying technology and data to drive safer vehicles and post-collision care, ensuring that infrastructure is safe, and promoting robust enforcement.
It will be overseen by government representatives and delivery bodies via a newly established Road Safety Board, chaired by a transport minister, which will meet at least once a year and aim to ensure joined-up delivery of the strategy.
This body will be supported by an Expert Advisory Panel comprising those working directly with road users and communities.
Among the measures announced in the strategy that will be relevant to commercial vehicle fleets is DfT’s pilot of a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses that require people to drive or ride for them, including heavy and light goods vehicle operators.
“The Charter will be developed in collaboration with business and industry, and will be informed by existing schemes such as National Highways’ Driving for Better Business programme… DVSA’s (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) Earned Recognition scheme and the TyreSafe programme,” said the department in its strategy document.
“It will promote good practice, and accountability of organisations and their workers. Success will initially be measured on organisational engagement, initial safety impacts and culture change.
“The pilot will run for two years and will be monitored and fully evaluated. Regulatory measures will be considered if voluntary engagement is insufficient in reducing work-related road risk.”
In a section dealing specifically with the regulation and enforcement of the commercial vehicle sector, DfT observed: “Larger vehicles, often run by commercial fleet operators, can cause significant harm if involved in collisions, so have specific roadworthiness and safety requirements placed on them by law.”
It highlighted recent enforcement action by DVSA including ‘Operation Milkman’, which “uncovered widespread overloading and mechanical defects across several dairy delivery firms”.
Said DfT: “These cases show how cutting corners on safety can endanger lives and distort fair competition – and why robust enforcement remains essential.
“For compliant operators, additional tests and checks cause delays and cost their bottom line.”
Highlighting the benefits to businesses of DVSA’s Earned Recognition scheme, which enables fleets to submit compliance data to DVSA in exchange for reduced roadside checks, DfT said it would explore opportunities to further the programme.
But it warned: “Persistent non-compliance will face robust enforcement. The DVSA will continue to take action to ensure that no operator gains a competitive advantage by compromising safety.
“Moreover, the government will ensure that penalties and sanctions which apply to commercial vehicles are kept under review, to ensure that they provide sufficient deterrent to offending, including non-UK operators using UK roads.”
DfT highlighted a number of vehicle and trailer types which were frequently operated unsafely or non-compliantly in terms of their roadworthiness, loading and driver skills – some of which did not require operator licences despite being operated commercially, namely vans, pick-ups and their trailers.
“To improve driver skills and competence, the government will explore the benefits and feasibility of financial incentives for voluntary training, and awareness raising on trailer and towing safety.”
The government also pledged to “work with industry to develop and publish recommended maintenance standards for light trailers, light goods vehicles and agricultural trailers” and to “refine the DVSA’s approach to enforcement to target operators of light goods vehicles and trailers who don’t have robust systems to ensure safety”.
It said it would also launch a communications package dealing with load security and roadworthiness, led by industry, and explore the case for a wider safety review of light goods vehicles.
A number of consultations are being launched in tandem with the strategy’s announcement, including on motoring offences, minimum learning periods for learner drivers for Category B licences, mandatory eyesight testing for older drivers, and mandating safety technologies within GB type approval.
Road Haulage Association (RHA) managing director Richard Smith welcomed the launch of the Road Strategy to help reduce road deaths and injuries.
“The RHA is a champion for the highest standards on our roads and we fully support efforts to make journeys safer,” he said.
“We’ll lead our industry in supporting the government to deliver on its mission to reduce road deaths by 65 per cent by 2035 – a goal that will require genuine partnership with industry.
“We will be responding to consultations ensuring haulage, coach and van sector perspectives are heard as the government presses on with its plans.”
On the formation of the Road Safety Board and Expert Advisory Panel, Mr Smith said the RHA could “offer the Department vital industry insight, experience and counsel, and are poised to do so”.
He added: “We also welcome the strategy’s commitment to piloting a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses that require people to drive for them. This aligns perfectly with our upcoming Driver Welfare campaign, making this a very timely commitment. We look forward to working with the government to make sure this charter meets the needs of commercial vehicle operators.”
Sue Percy CBE, chief executive of the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) , said the strategy represented “a bold and necessary step forward”.
“We are pleased to see the UK government embed the Safe System approach and a clear hierarchy of road users —principles CIHT has consistently advocated for. These measures will help save lives, reduce harm, and ensure the UK leads the way in delivering a safer, more sustainable transport system for all. We look forward to working closely with the Department for Transport to turn ambition into action.”
Rebecca Guy, senior policy manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), also welcomed the strategy’s publication.
“This represents an important step by the government at a time when reducing road traffic casualties remains an urgent priority,” she said.
“In the last decade the UK has lost its position as a global leader on road safety, with road deaths decreasing by just 10 per cent between 2014 and 2024. The European Transport Safety Council ranked the UK as 9th worst out of 32 countries in Europe for reducing road deaths between 2023 and 2024, below countries such as Italy and Portugal.
“This strategy will be essential to reversing that stalled progress and ensuring we do not fall further behind other comparable countries.
“We are pleased to see the introduction of ambitious and clear road safety targets. If backed by robust data, regular reporting and meaningful enforcement, these provide a vital framework for accountability and focus. This ensures that progress can be properly measured and policies adjusted where they are not delivering results.
“A commitment to consult on mandating the fitting of 18 new safety technologies is an overdue step to protect pedestrians and all road users. These will ensure that new vehicles meet the highest modern safety requirements, delivering life-saving benefits. This change is estimated to prevent more than 14,000 people being killed or seriously injured on Great Britain’s roads over 15 years.
“RoSPA strongly supports the decision to consult on reducing the legal drink-driving limit. This reflects the clear scientific consensus that even low levels of alcohol significantly impair driving ability, sending a strong message about the dangers of drink-driving.
“RoSPA also welcomes proposals to consult on mandatory eyesight tests for drivers when they reach 70. Drivers must be able to see clearly and respond safely on the road, and regular vision checks are a sensible way to reduce risk as we age. Any system should support people to drive safely for as long as possible, while taking timely action when health or eyesight could put them or others in danger.
“But it is equally important to strengthen protections for young and newly qualified drivers, who are significantly more likely to be killed or seriously injured. We welcome the government’s commitment to consult on a minimum learning period for learner drivers, but would like to see post-test measures introduced to protect young drivers.
“We are also pleased to see the government’s commitment to establish a dedicated Road Safety Investigation Branch. Unlike aviation and rail, previously, road deaths have occurred without a consistent national system for learning lessons and making formal safety recommendations. With a dedicated investigative branch, opportunities to prevent future tragedies could be realised.”
Ross Moorlock, CEO of road safety charity Brake, said: “This new Road Safety Strategy to tackle the unacceptable level of road death and injury on our roads marks a turning point. For the first time in 10 years, road safety is back on the national agenda.
“We welcome a new framework and commitment to action to prevent crashes and injuries, and save lives, but we urge the government to be brave and bold when it comes to the next steps. I respond today, recognising the devastating impact road crashes have on families and communities.
“The UK has made no significant progress towards reducing road casualties over the last decade, and we applaud the Government for setting ambitious targets to address this. Every year, more than 1,600 people die on roads in Britain and a further 28,000 suffer serious, life-changing injuries…
“Every year at Brake, we support more than 2,000 families who have been bereaved or injured in a road crash through our National Road Victim Service, so we see first-hand the trauma and devastation that follows a road death or injury for everyone involved.”
He continued: “We welcome the news today that the government is considering important measures to address the risks associated with young drivers, including a minimum learning period before taking a driving test. We agree this is an important first step towards strengthening our current licensing system.
“We are also delighted to see the government commit to life-saving vehicle safety technology, such as intelligent speed assistance and automated emergency braking, being fitted as standard on all new cars. Brake has long campaigned for action on these two important areas.
“We also welcome proposals for tougher penalties for driving offences, including drink-driving, and a reduction in the legal drink-drive limit to align England and Wales with Scotland and the rest of Europe.
“We are pleased to see that the government is considering mandatory sight tests for drivers aged over 70, and reforms to motorcycle training and testing, and we look forward to having the opportunity to feed into these important consultations.
“We applaud the launch of a national pilot to address work-related road risk, and recognition that around a third of road deaths involve someone driving or riding for work.”
But Mr Moorlock added that there were areas where Brake believed greater impact could be achieved. While welcoming the Road Safety Investigation Branch, he said: “post-crash care is about more than investigation. It’s also about supporting the families whose lives are devastated by road crashes. That commitment is missing from the strategy, and addressing it is vital. For too long, road victims have lacked parity with other victim groups.
“Excellent services exist, like Brake’s National Road Victim Service, which provides specialist, trauma-informed care to more than 2,000 families every year, but services like ours operate without central government support, relying on fragmented and insecure funding.
“A truly comprehensive strategy would close this gap by committing to sustainable, nationwide provision for road victims. Scotland has shown leadership with dedicated investment in road victim support, and this is an approach that should now be matched nationally. We welcome the announcement that the Ministry of Justice will consult on a new Victims’ Code in due course.”
He added: “We consider the absence of national speed management measures to be a grave oversight. We know from the latest Department for Transport casualty statistics that speed is a factor in almost three-fifths of road deaths, whether that’s drivers breaking speed limits or driving too fast for the road conditions.
“Mandating vehicle safety technology such as intelligent speed assistance and automated emergency braking will go some way to mitigating the risks associated with driver speed, but further national measures will be absolutely essential to meeting the government’s targets to reduce road death and injury.”
Paul Hollick, chief executive officer at driver coaching and engagement specialist Lightfoot, said: “We welcome the proposal to pilot a National Work-Related Safety Charter and we fully support the government’s focus on reducing work-related road risk.
“Employers are uniquely positioned to influence safer outcomes, particularly with additional training, as most drivers have not had any further training since passing their tests. We applaud the Government in recognising that driving for work is stressful and demanding.
“For example, in the ever-expanding last mile delivery sector we see that safety is often being compromised to ensure deadlines and targets are hit. But there are many other examples like this when it comes to driving for work.
“Lightfoot’s experience across UK fleets has proved that engaging drivers must be at the heart of any effective road safety strategy, and that policies and technology deliver the greatest impact when drivers understand and actively participate in initiatives.
“That’s why we support the Work-Related Safety Charter’s emphasis on good practice, accountability and culture change, and the government’s holistic approach to all aspects of road safety is the right strategy.
“We also believe the charter should place explicit emphasis on driver engagement, behavioural change and real-world outcomes, as these are the factors most closely linked to sustained reductions in work-related road risk. Every employer’s objective, as it is at Lightfoot, should be to get every driver home safely at night, and this aligns with the charter’s principles.”
The full safety strategy and associated consultations can be accessed here.
