The Road Safety Trust responds to Government’s Road Safety Strategy
The Road Safety Trust welcomes the publication of the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy.
This is the first national road safety strategy for many years, and its publication marks an important milestone for everyone working to reduce deaths and serious injuries on UK roads.
Calls for renewed national leadership on road safety were widely made across the sector during the 2024 general election period, and the publication of a strategy for the first time in a generation marks a significant moment for road safety policy.
Road safety is a long-standing and complex challenge. Progress has stalled in recent years, and the human cost of inaction remains unacceptably high. A clear, long-term strategy provides an opportunity to reset ambition, improve coordination and focus collective efforts on measures that are proven to save lives and reduce serious injuries.
Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust, said:
“The publication of a national road safety strategy is an important and welcome step, and one that many across the sector have been calling for over a long period of time. After years without a clear national framework, it is encouraging to see renewed leadership, ambition and long-term thinking being applied to road safety once again.
“The reintroduction of casualty reduction targets and the adoption of a Safe System approach signal a serious intention to reverse a decade of stalled progress and re-focus efforts on what is proven to save lives and reduce serious injury.
“We will now take the time to consider the strategy’s content in detail, and look forward to working constructively with Government and partners across the sector to respond to the consultations and help ensure that this renewed focus on road safety translates into real, measurable improvements for people and communities across the UK.”
As the UK’s largest independent funder of road safety research and innovation, The Road Safety Trust is committed to bringing the full weight of our evidence base, insight and expertise to support the delivery of effective, practical measures that reduce harm on our roads.
The Trust will continue to work with partners across the road safety sector to support evidence-led policymaking, and help to ensure that this strategy delivers lasting impact.