Governments plan to cut road deaths by two-thirds

The UK Government has set out a bold new vision for safer roads, placing a strong emphasis on young drivers and motorcyclists—while adopting a comprehensive Safe System approach that aims to tackle road risk at every level.

Published by the Department for Transport, the first full Road Safety Strategy in more than a decade outlines plans to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by nearly two-thirds within the next 10 years.

🎯 Clear targets for the next decade

Launched in January, the strategy commits to:

• A 65% reduction in people killed or seriously injured (KSI) by 2035
• A 70% reduction in child (under 16) KSIs

Both targets are based on a 2022–2024 baseline, highlighting the scale of change the Government is aiming to deliver.

🚗 Focus on high-risk road users

The strategy puts particular focus on those most at risk, including:

• Young and older drivers
• Motorcyclists
• Vulnerable road users more broadly

Ministers say this marks a decisive move away from what they describe as a period of “dangerous complacency”, which has contributed to stalled progress in improving road safety outcomes.

⚠️ A significant challenge ahead

While the ambitions are clear, delivering such substantial reductions will be a major challenge—requiring coordinated action across enforcement, education, infrastructure and vehicle safety.

The strategy signals a renewed commitment to saving lives on UK roads—but its success will depend on how effectively these plans are put into action in the years ahead.