DfT road safety action plan

The Government has announced a two-year review of roads policing and traffic enforcement, as part of a wider road safety action plan.

The review will be jointly funded by the DfT and Highways England, and conducted with the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council. A call for evidence will be issued later this year. A programme of pilot initiatives could take place next year.   

The action plan lists a wide range of other proposals.

Researchers will examine if mobile phone use among young pedestrians leads to an increased risk of road collisions.

A rural road users advisory panel will explore how to improve road safety in rural areas, particularly improving roads and traffic signs, and issues around speed limits and enforcement.

Research will look further at the benefits of introducing graduated driving licensing, whereby newly qualified drivers could face restrictions such as being prohibited from driving at night. 

Steve Gooding, director of the RAC Foundation, said: “Graduated driver licensing is not a single, fixed concept, rather it comprises a menu of options more or less suited to the circumstances that apply in different countries, including the varying ages at which people can take their driving test. 

“This study should swiftly identify those elements that best fit the framework that applies here, including exemptions for people driving to work.”

A Road Collision Investigation project, with the RAC Foundation, is ongoing. It is examining the cause of crashes and if there is a business case for a Road Collision Investigation Branch, which would specialise in learning lessons from serious road accidents.