The first road safety strategy in more than a decade will be published by the Government after it declared the number of deaths on Britain’s roads had become “normal”.

THE The Department for Transport (DfT) published final figures for reported road fatalities in Britain in September..

They showed there were 1,624 deaths in 2023, a 5% decrease from the previous year.

Some 29,711 people were killed or seriously injured (KSI), little change compared to 2022, while there were 132,977 victims of all seriousness, a drop of 2% year-on-year.

DfT data also showed that 75% of deaths and 61% of victims, across all severities, were men.

Transport Secretary Louise Haigh told MPs on the Transport Committee: “We have begun the process of delivering the first road safety strategy in this country in over a decade.

“We are looking very carefully and taking into account the evidence from other countries where they have Vision Zero to see what has worked and take a whole systems approach, because this cannot just be a policy owned by the Department of Transport.

“It takes all of government, whether it’s education or the criminal justice system, to look at what measures are most effective. »

Haigh says the government will prioritize the most effective measures.

“I really think that one death on our roads is too many,” she added. “I think we treat road safety in a certain way, as if it were a natural accident.

“I think if the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads happened any other way, we would be treating the situation like a pandemic – we have been normalizing it for too long.”

Haigh also revealed that the government was considering establishing the country’s first-ever Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB).

“This is one of the measures envisaged as part of the road safety strategy,” she said.

THE the previous administration announced plans in 2022 to create the new investigative bodywhich would include a specialist team of inspectors who would examine how and why incidents happen and provide insight into how new technologies such as autonomous vehicles could be safely introduced onto public roads.

This branch, modeled on those in the rail, aviation and maritime sectors, would investigate themes relating to the causes of collisions, as well as specific incidents of concern.

It would also make independent safety recommendations to organizations such as government and police forces to better shape the future of road safety policy.

Aaron Powell, fleet and logistics director at Speedy Hire, said: “We believe safety should extend beyond the workplace and encompass all aspects of life, including our roads.

“With thousands of preventable accidents each year, it is imperative that we work with government and industry partners to implement effective measures that can save lives, reduce injuries and ease the economic burden of accidents of the road. »

Reduction in road deaths slows

The number of road deaths has fallen by just 9% over the past decade, compared to a 47% fall over the previous decade, according to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA).

In a new report, “Safer lives, a stronger nation‘, it reveals that injuries caused by road collisions are the third leading cause of accident-related hospitalization in England and road deaths are the fourth leading cause of accidental death in the UK.

Caitlin Taylor, head of road safety at RoSPA, said: “Our new report shows that there is still more to be done to improve safety on the UK’s roads.

“Today, four people will tragically die on the road, and this is unacceptable. These deaths and injuries are often preventable – they do not necessarily happen.

“Time and time again, we have seen significant declines in road traffic incidents after implementing appropriate improvements in legislation, technology, funding and enforcement. »

In summer, Brake chief executive Ross Morlock has called on the new government to implement a road safety strategy in a speech at his annual reception.

Road safety charity holds annual conference Road Safety Week next week (November 17-23).

More than 3,300 organizations and individuals have already registered to take part in Road Safety Week, which provides employers and fleets with free access to resources to help them reduce their road risks.

Fleet News and Brake will each host webinars during Road Safety Week to help employers and fleets keep their drivers and other road users safe.

Find out more from Fleet News how to minimize costs and ensure driver safety with a robust vehicle accident management strategy.