Labour UK Government publishes first GB Road Safety strategy in over a decade

• Labour UK Government launches new Road Safety Strategy to cut deaths and serious injuries on our roads

• Ambitious plans include tougher enforcement, safer vehicles, and improved infrastructure

• The plan includes a 65% target reduction in people killed or seriously injured by 2035

Road users in Llanelli are set to benefit from the UK Labour Government’s new Great Britain Road Safety Strategy, the first plan in over a decade to make our roads safer for everyone.

Last year alone four people on average died every day on our roads, with thousands more seriously injured each year. These tragedies are preventable. 

The new strategy sets out bold measures to tackle the root causes of road collisions, harness new technology, and ensure enforcement keeps pace with modern risks. 

The proposed reforms will: 

• Introduce tougher action on drink and drug driving, including consulting on lowering the drink-drive limit 

• Mandate cutting-edge safety technologies in new vehicles 

• Improve driver training and testing, including a proposed minimum learning period for learner drivers 

• Establish a new Road Safety Investigation Branch to learn from collisions and prevent future harm

The strategy also commits to a 65% reduction in deaths and serious injuries on GB roads by 2035, and a 70% reduction for children, using a 2022–2024 baseline. 

Dame Nia Griffith, Labour Member of Parliament for Llanelli, said:

“Making our roads safer and reducing the number of serious injuries and fatalities on our highways remains of paramount importance in all of our communities.

These proposals are a landmark step forward that will save lives, protect vulnerable road users, and ensure the high standards of safety that local people expect.”

Labour UK Government Secretary of State for Transport, Heidi Alexander, said: 

“Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities. For too long, progress on road safety has stalled. This strategy marks a turning point. 

“We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence. The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.

The Road Safety Strategy sets out how the UK Government will deliver: 

Supporting road users by: 

• Consulting on a minimum learning period for learner drivers 

• Introducing mandatory eyesight tests for drivers over 70 

• Reforming motorcycle training and licensing 

• Publishing national guidance on road safety education and a Lifelong Learning manual 

Harnessing technology and innovation by: 

• Mandating new vehicle safety technologies 

• Establishing a Road Safety Investigation Branch 

• Linking collision and healthcare data for better prevention 

Ensuring infrastructure is safe by: 

• Updating the Manual for Streets 

• Supporting rural road safety pilots and PRIME trials for motorcyclists 

• Investing £24 billion to maintain and improve roads 

Robust enforcement by: 

• Consulting on lowering drink-drive limits 

• Introducing penalty points for not wearing seat belts 

• Tackling illegal number plates and uninsured driving 

• Launching a new Roads Policing Innovation Programme