New UK Road Safety Strategy: How Technology Will Shape Safer Roads

Over the past decade, progress in UK road safety has slowed drastically when compared to other countries on the continent. Twenty-two European countries have reduced road fatalities more successfully than Great Britain in this timeframe, and a look at the statistics only highlights the problem. 4 to 5 people are killed on Great Britain's roads every day and 27,865 people were seriously injured in road collisions during 2024. It is this backdrop that prompted the government to introduce the new UK Road Safety Strategy, setting out an ambitious plan to reverse this trend. The strategy aims for a 65% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads by 2035.

The Safe System Approach

The government’s new strategy aligns with the ‘safe system’, an evidence-based road safety approach developed in Sweden during the 1980s. The approach acknowledges that human error is inevitable; however, it proposes that death and serious injury are not. The Safe System details five pillars as the framework for road safety:

Safe roads and roadsides - Road safety is embedded through people-focused design and continued government investment across road networks.
Safe road users - All road users share responsibility for safe, lawful behaviour and lifelong learning.
Safe speeds - Safe speeds are vital to reducing collision likelihood and severity.
Safe vehicles – Intelligent vehicle design and technology should reduce collision risk and injury severity.
Post-crash response - Swift post-crash response and data improve emergency care and future safety.

The Road Strategy Themes

The Government’s new Strategy is built around four themes that reflect the Safe System approach. Together, they outline how the UK will support road users, use technology and data more effectively, create safer road environments, and strengthen enforcement to reduce high-risk behaviours. Each theme includes proposed interventions to improve road safety and progress towards the governments target by 2035.

Supporting Road Users
• Consult on a 3–6 month minimum learning period for new drivers.
• Propose a lower alcohol limit for novice drivers.
• Consult on mandatory eyesight tests for drivers over 70.
• Explore cognitive testing options for older drivers.
• Pilot a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter.
• Publish a manual to support a Lifelong Learning approach.

Ensuring Infrastructure Is Safe
• Embed Safe System principles in road design and operation.
• Target investment in high-risk routes.
• Support local authorities with guidance and capability-building.
• Ensure speed limits reflect road environments.
• Improve protection for pedestrians, cyclists and riders.

Robust Enforcement
• Review penalties for drug driving, speeding and mobile phone use.
• Improve detection of offences, including illegal number plates.
• Explore technology-supported enforcement tools.
• Strengthen collaboration between police and local authorities.

Technology, Innovation and Data
• Establish the Road Safety Investigation Branch.
• Improve and modernise STATS19 collision data.
• Link collision data with NHS injury datasets.
• Explore the use of connected vehicle data and telematics.
• Improve awareness of driver-assistance technologies.

One takeaway from the new road safety strategy is the governments focus and reliance on vehicle technology to reshape the safety of our roads. More specifically, the new strategy recognises that meaningful progress relies on high-quality driver data and integrating advanced safety technologies. The strategy highlights how technology can identify risky behaviours earlier, reduce incident severity, and give organisations the insight needed to prevent collisions rather than simply respond to them.

In this context, video telematics offers a significant opportunity to enhance road safety by providing clear behavioural insights and incident context, enabling earlier and more informed interventions. Likewise, blind-spot detection technology can highlight hazards that drivers might otherwise miss, improving protection for vulnerable road users. Together, these tools illustrate the strategy’s shift towards a proactive, data-driven approach that focuses on preventing harm rather than simply responding to it.