The work between policy and practice
Road safety progress depends on more than commitments. It requires sustained action, strong partnerships, and accountability to ensure that policies…
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A truly effective road transport network depends on safety, as the efficient movement of goods and people is undermined by road trauma. Yet road crashes continue to cause profound personal tragedy and economic loss, with over 1,600 deaths and 30,000 serious injuries annually, costing society £55 billion, 2% of the UK’s GDP. These collisions are not inevitable; they can be prevented through bold, coordinated action.
The Government’s commitment to a new road safety strategy presents a vital opportunity to position the UK as a global leader in harm reduction. Achieving this requires a human-centred approach that acknowledges every road traffic victim as one too many and confronts the inequalities that make our roads less safe for some.
PACTS has produced a new Promoting road harm reduction based on the Safe System report calling for the government to take a bold, human-centred approach to road harm reduction, based on internationally recognised Safe System principles. The result would be safe, efficient transport for all. Evidence-based recommendations include cross-government collaboration, adoption of a Safe System strategy, and enabling innovation in safety measures.
PACTS makes the following recommendations to restore UK leadership in road safety:
- Ally across Government to address road harm reduction and build governance and accountability
- Develop a road harm reduction strategy which is based on the Safe System
- Create an enabling environment for the innovation of safety measures, beginning with the foundations on which to build further actions.
