Some absolutely essential actions to improve road safety for any government to take forward. Of course we would add the continuation of the excellent Safer Roads Fund to that list and improving the safety of the Major Road Network.
Many thanks to all involved in coordinating a groundbreaking manifesto calling for immediate and strategic action to address the persistent issue of road fatalities and serious injuries in the UK. With support from more than 30 leading organisations, PACTS outlines 4 strategic priorities to significantly reduce fatalities and serious injuries on UK roads. 1. Developing a National Road Safety Strategy focused on prevention, protection, and post-collision response, coupled with evidence-based targets and robust safety performance indicators. 2. Establishing a Road Safety Investigation Branch modelled on existing transportation safety branches to analyse road incidents and provide actionable insights for preventing future tragedies. 3. Introducing Graduated Driver Licensing to support young drivers by limiting high-risk driving situations, a measure proven to reduce fatalities by up to 40%. 4. Adopting Advanced Vehicle Safety Regulations - Immediate implementation of the world-leading vehicle safety standards, mandating critical technologies such as Automatic Emergency Braking and Intelligent Speed Assistance. The UK has seen a stagnation in road safety improvements since 2010, from being a global leader in road safety, it is now lagging behind other nations. Every day, five people die on UK roads, with more than 30,000 individuals killed or seriously injured annually, amounting to a staggering societal and economic cost of approximately £43.5 billion each year. Jamie Hassall: “These four simple measures will be the building blocks to enable the UK to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. With strong leadership and a strategic approach the UK managed to half the numbers of road deaths in a decade but since 2010 the focus was lost and daily road deaths have remained at five a day. Investing in road safety is not just a moral duty but it’s good for peoples’ health and wellbeing, the environment, business, and the country.” PACTS urges the incoming government to prioritise these strategies within the first 100 days of office to ensure the UK meets international road safety targets and sets a global standard in protecting its citizens. TRL Richard Cuerden Cycling UK RAC Foundation Elizabeth Box Kumar Niketan Brake, the road safety charity Ross Moorlock Road Safety Foundation UK Dr Suzy Charman Nick Reed Towards Zero Foundation David Ward National Motorcyclists Council Road Safety GB James Gibson The Road Safety Trust Ruth Purdie OBE UKROEd Intelligent Transport Systems UK Max Sugarman Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) ADRIAN walsh RoadSafe The AA Edmund V King OBE Sustrans RoadPeace Rebecca Morris Thatcham Research MCIA UK Road Safety Analysis Ltd The Bikeability Trust Agilysis Limited Safer Essex Roads Partnership IAM RoadSmart Neil Greig Co-Pilot