Driving in the UK is set to change - inside the new road safety strategy

The government has published its first national road safety strategy in over a decade, setting out how driving, vehicles and roads in the UK could change over the coming years.

What is the road safety strategy?

The Road Safety Strategy is the government’s long-term plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on roads.

The UK still has some of the safest roads in the world, but progress has slowed in recent years. Around 4 to 5 people are killed on Britain’s roads every day, with thousands more seriously injured.

Rather than focusing only on driver behaviour, the strategy takes a wider view. It looks at how roads are designed, how vehicles are built, how people learn to drive, and how the rules are enforced - all with the aim of making mistakes less likely to lead to serious harm.

How the government plans to achieve its road safety vision

The strategy is built around 4 themes. Each one focuses on a different part of the road system, but they’re designed to work together.

Theme 1 – Supporting road users

This theme puts people at the centre of the strategy.

The government’s view is that road safety shouldn’t rely on drivers getting everything right all the time. Instead, people should be supported throughout their lives on the road, from learning to drive through to older age.

It also recognises that different road users face different risks. Young drivers, older drivers, motorcyclists and people who drive for work are all given particular attention.

What this means for drivers

• Learner drivers could face a minimum learning period of 3 or 6 months before taking their test, giving them more time to build experience.
• New drivers may be subject to a lower drink-drive limit, reflecting higher risk in the early years of driving.
• Older drivers aged 70 and over could be required to take eyesight tests, with options for cognitive checks being explored.
• Motorcyclists may see changes to training, testing and licensing to make the system simpler and safer.
• Drivers who use the road for work could be affected by a new national road safety charter for employers.

Alongside this, the government plans to strengthen road safety education and promote a lifelong learning approach, backed by national guidance and THINK! campaigns.

Theme 2 – Using technology, innovation and data to make vehicles safer

This theme focuses on the role vehicles themselves can play in preventing collisions and reducing harm.

Modern cars already use technology to assist drivers, but the strategy aims to make these systems more common, better understood and more effective. It also looks at how data can improve emergency response and help prevent future collisions.

What this means for drivers

• New cars could be required to include more safety features as standard, such as intelligent speed assistance and advanced emergency braking.
• Clearer information on driver-assistance systems, including what they can and can’t do.
• Faster emergency response after serious collisions, using connected vehicle data.
• A new Road Safety Investigation Branch to analyse collisions and recommend safety improvements.

The strategy also looks ahead to automated vehicles, setting out plans to introduce them cautiously, with safety and public trust as priorities.

Theme 3 – Making roads and infrastructure safer

This theme focuses on the roads themselves, especially places where serious collisions are more likely to happen.

Rural roads, high-speed routes and busy urban areas all feature heavily, with an emphasis on design, speed management and local decision-making.

What this means for drivers

• Updated national guidance on setting local speed limits.
• More targeted use of speed and red-light cameras where risk is highest.
• Changes to road layouts to reduce speeds and limit the impact of collisions.
• New approaches to improving safety on rural roads, including pilot schemes for motorcyclists.

Most changes here will be led by local authorities, so what drivers notice may vary depending on where they live.

Theme 4 – Stronger enforcement to protect everyone on the road

This theme looks at how road laws are enforced and whether penalties still reflect the risks involved.

The focus is on behaviours that cause the most harm, alongside improving consistency and fairness in enforcement.

What this means for drivers

• Possible changes to drink-drive limits, including a lower limit for new drivers.
• Tougher penalties for not wearing seatbelts or failing to ensure children are properly restrained.
• More action against uninsured driving, driving without an MOT and illegal number plates.
• Greater use of roadside checks and modern policing tools.

The aim isn’t to catch people out, but to make expectations clearer and reduce the most dangerous behaviour on the road.

What happens next and when drivers might notice changes

Many of the proposals in the strategy are still at the consultation or trial stage.

That means that not all ideas will become law. Some changes will take years to roll out. Local councils will lead many decisions, so changes won’t look the same everywhere.

Rather than a sudden shift, the strategy is designed to guide how driving, vehicles and roads evolve over the next decade.

What this strategy means for everyday driving

If it delivers on its aims, the strategy should lead to fewer serious collisions and safer journeys overall.

Safer roads, better enforcement and cars that help prevent crashes all reduce risk. Over time, that can mean fewer claims for insurers, which can ease pressure on car insurance prices.

But there’s another side to it. Many of the safety features being encouraged, such as sensors, cameras and driver-assistance systems, can make cars more expensive to repair when something does go wrong.

So while fewer crashes are good news for drivers, the cost of fixing newer, tech-heavy cars still plays a part in how insurance prices are set.

If safer systems lead to fewer collisions, that’s a win for everyone.