The government has published its first comprehensive Road Safety Strategy in more than ten years, setting out proposals intended to improve safety standards for road users across the UK over the long term.
The strategy includes consultations on lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers aged over 70 and tightening requirements for learner drivers. Measures to address illegal number plates also form part of the proposals.
At the centre of the strategy is a target to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035. Government figures indicate that around four people die on UK roads each day, with thousands more sustaining serious or life-changing injuries each year.
The government states that many collisions are preventable and identifies speeding, drink and drug driving, failure to wear seatbelts and mobile phone use as contributing factors. The strategy outlines actions aimed at improving young driver training, introducing new requirements for older motorists and increasing enforcement against uninsured vehicles and those without a valid MOT.
The strategy also includes commentary from road safety organisations. RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said:
“We’ve long said the dial needs to be turned up when it comes to reducing road casualties, so we warmly welcome this strategy – and especially the reintroduction of casualty reduction targets, that were scrapped 16 years ago. The simple truth is that this strategy can’t come soon enough. Britain might have some of the safest roads by international standards, but on average four people are still killed and 76 seriously injured every single day. That’s an unacceptable number of lives being ruined or cut short.
The strategy addresses many areas we know drivers are concerned about, including drink and drug-driving, ‘ghost’ plates and dazzling headlights. The inclusion of a commitment to consult on the use of alcohol interlocks (alcolock) for convicted drink-drivers – which are internationally proven to save lives – is particularly encouraging, especially given the extent to which drivers are supportive of their use.
It’s also positive to see proposals on the table for both improving young driver safety and tackling the scourge of uninsured drivers who push up motor insurance costs for everyone. It’s important to remember the ultimate success of any new or updated penalties or laws will depend on awareness among drivers and enforcement. But undoubtedly this strategy is a real chance to give the whole topic of road safety the focus and public attention it deserves. What we need now is for it to quickly evolve into a set of concrete actions that make the roads safer for everyone.”
Simon Williams, head of policy at the RAC, also commented on uninsured driving, saying:
“Every law-abiding driver pays more for their motor insurance because they end up having to bear the cost of collisions involving uninsured drivers. Given the high cost of motoring, including insurance, it’s positive to see action being taken in this area but police enforcement is also essential to ensure any new penalties are truly effective.”
Drink driving
Ministers plan to consult on lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales. The current limit has remained unchanged since 1967 and is higher than limits in many European countries. In 2023, one in six fatal crashes involved alcohol, according to government data.
The strategy proposes exploring additional preventative measures, including alcohol interlock devices and expanded powers to suspend licences for drivers suspected of drink or drug driving. Under these proposals, some offenders could be required to install an interlock device before being permitted to drive again.
Research from the RAC Report on Motoring 2025 found that rates of self-reported drink driving are close to pre-pandemic levels. The report indicated that 12% of respondents admitted to driving when they believed they were over the limit, either shortly after drinking or the following morning. Among drivers aged 25 to 44, the figure was 14%, rising to 18% for those under 25.
Commenting on these findings, Simon Williams said:
“Drivers tell us they strongly support more being done to cut the harm caused by drink and, increasingly, drug-drivers – and this includes reducing England’s drink-drive limit, with only one-in-five drivers thinking it should remain as it is. But given a lower limit is unlikely to deter those people who are intent on driving while impaired, the commitment to investigate the benefits of alcolocks is an equally significant step forward in making the roads safer. This technology is globally proven to save lives by preventing convicted drink-drivers from getting behind the wheel drunk again. Our research has found it has broad backing from the motoring public.”
Young drivers
Drivers aged 17 to 24 represent around 6% of licence holders but are involved in almost a quarter of fatal and serious collisions. To address this, the government will consult on introducing a minimum learning period of three or six months, allowing learner drivers to gain experience in a wider range of conditions.
Rod Dennis said:
“The tragic statistics speak for themselves – young drivers are involved in a disproportionately high number of fatal and serious collisions. Understandably, families want something done. Passing the practical test is a key milestone and the more preparation new drivers have, the safer they should be when they take to the roads on their own. But there’s an opportunity for the Government go further to ensure the next generation of drivers are the safest they can be as they begin their driving careers. For instance, making black-box telematics insurance mandatory for at least the first year after passing the driving test could be extremely beneficial as it closely monitors behaviour at the wheel. This can even lead to lower motor insurance costs for the safest drivers.”
Illegal number plates
The strategy also addresses the increasing use of illegal number plates, including so-called ghost or stealth plates designed to evade camera detection. A report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Transport Safety highlighted concerns that weaknesses in regulation and enforcement were undermining the UK’s Automatic Number Plate Recognition system.
Evidence presented to the inquiry suggested that as many as one in fifteen vehicles may be using non-compliant plates. National Trading Standards told the inquiry that “ghost plates pose a serious threat to counter-terrorism operations”.
Simon Williams said:
“It’s very positive the Government has recognised the rise in ‘ghost’ or ‘stealth’ plates as an increasingly serious problem as no driver should be able to evade detection from enforcement cameras. But the issue needs to be tackled on multiple fronts. All existing illegal number plates must be identified and replaced as a matter of urgency, and crucially higher security standards must be introduced for all new plates. And all those who produce them should also be under greater scrutiny.”
Wider measures
Over the past decade, 22 European countries have reduced road deaths more effectively than the UK, resulting in Britain falling from third to fourth place in European road safety rankings. The strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, which accepts that human error is inevitable but seeks to prevent fatal and life-changing injuries through safer road design, vehicle standards, enforcement and education.
Proposals include compulsory eyesight tests every three years for drivers aged 70 and over, the introduction of 18 mandatory vehicle safety technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, and the creation of a new Road Safety Investigation Branch to analyse collision data from police and healthcare sources.
The 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 while other countries have moved ahead. 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.”
About Carl Millar
Carl Millar is a highly respected and experienced drink driving solicitor who is the principal of Millars Solicitors.
Carl has been a specialist in road traffic law for many years and represents clients from all walks of life and all over the Country. He is well known for the dogged defending of his clients and robust cross examination of police officers and exert witnesses.
With a wealth of expertise in motoring law Carl is well placed to provide advice over the phone and deal with all road traffic matters in a calm and professional way.
Getting in contact with Carl and Millars Solicitors is really easy. You can call him FREE on 0800 999 5535, or click here to send a confidential message.
