Mayor: Government strategy will make roads safer and save lives

Mayor Richard Parker has hailed the first national road safety strategy in more than a decade as a vital step towards making the region’s roads safe.

The National Road Safety Strategy, launched by the Department for Transport today (Wednesday, January 7), sets out to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads by 65% by 2035.

And the strategy includes a pledge to reduce child casualties by 70% over the same period.

It includes plans to introduce lower alcohol limits and the suspension of licences for those accused of drink and drug offences. Further measures include compulsory eye tests for older drivers and penalty points for failure to wear a seatbelt.

Mayor Richard Parker and Mat MacDonald, West Midlands Road Safety Commissioner

The government’s plans also support the West Midlands Regional Road Safety Strategy and action plan, launched in 2024, in which the Mayor, working with police, councils and a range of partners, has set out clear plans to tackle the road safety emergency on our streets.

This includes reduced speed limits and increased enforcement of speeding, action against dangerous driving and uninsured drivers, more education in schools and colleges and more funding for safer pedestrian crossings and cycle routes.

The Mayor said: “This is the first national road safety strategy in over a decade, and it’s a clear sign the government is taking road safety seriously again.

“In the West Midlands, we’re determined to play our part. We’ve got the UK’s only Road Safety Commissioner, we’re backing tougher speed enforcement, safer street design and new technology to cut deaths and serious injuries - and that work is already making a difference on our roads.

“I’ve met families who have lost loved ones in road collisions, and the impact stays with you. Their stories are devastating, and they’re a powerful reminder that every statistic is a person, a family and a life changed forever.

“No one should have to go through that. That’s why we’re committed to Vision Zero - a clear mission to prevent deaths and serious injuries on our roads, and to make sure everyone can travel safely, no matter how they get around. I really welcome today’s strategy and will continue to work with the government to go even further.”

So far measures taken have seen a slight reduction in the numbers of people killed or seriously injured on the region’s road, but the West Midlands Road Safety Partnership agrees that more work needs to be done.

To drive this the Mayor last year appointed Mat MacDonald as Regional Road Safety Commissioner to work with partner organisations and communities.

Mat said: “The trauma of losing a loved one unexpectedly to the violence of a road traffic collision is simply unimaginable. But the lack of a coherent plan from national government for tackling traffic deaths and serious injuries on our streets up until now has only worsened such anguish.

“This is why the new National Road Safety Strategy is so important. By accepting that every death on our road network is preventable, and outlining steps to reduce the numbers of people killed and seriously injured in collisions, the government is showing long overdue leadership on this issue.

“We look forward to working with partners across the region and beyond to put these ideas into action, preventing collisions, saving lives, and giving our children the futures they deserve.”

The West Midlands Road Safety Partnership has adopted the Vision Zero policy of eliminating deaths and serious injury on our roads. The regional strategy and action plan has been working towards the target of reducing that number by 50% by 2030.

The government’s road safety strategy has been drawn up as latest figures show four people die every day on UK roads.