The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) has coordinated a 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, the manifesto outlines four strategic priorities aimed at revolutionising road safety and significantly reducing fatalities and serious injuries on UK roads.
The manifesto reports that 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. These amount to a societal and economic cost of approximately £43.5 billion each year.
The priorities detailed in the manifesto are:
1. Developing a National Road Safety Strategy - Implement a Safe System 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 - An independent body modelled after existing transportation safety branches to analyse road incidents and provide actionable insights for preventing future tragedies.
3. Introducing Graduated Driver Licensing - A progressive licensing system 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.
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.
