The Government’s new Road Safety Strategy: Prevention, policy and the continuing need for justice

Louise Smith was fortunate to catch up with Jane Loney, who provided the following update.

The Government has recently published its new Road Safety Strategy, setting out its intentions to reduce the number of deaths and serious injuries on UK roads. While the UK was once regarded as a global leader in road safety, other nations have made greater progress in recent decades. As a result, the UK now ranks as the fourth safest country in Europe, measured by road deaths per million people.

According to Government statistics on reported road traffic collisions, in 2024 there were 1,602 fatalities and 27,865 people seriously injured. Of those killed or seriously injured, 20% were motorcyclists and 18% were young people aged between 17 and 24. These figures underline both the scale of the problem and the disproportionate impact on certain groups of road users.

The overarching vision of the Strategy is to ensure that everyone can travel safely on UK roads, regardless of their mode of transport. Two specific targets have been set:

• a 65% reduction in the overall number of deaths and serious injuries by 2035; and
• a 70% reduction in deaths and serious injuries involving children under the age of 16.

To deliver these objectives, the Strategy is built around four core themes, each supported by specific proposals and interventions.

This theme includes proposals such as a minimum learning period for learner drivers, a reduction in the blood alcohol limit, mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70, and the development of national guidance on road safety education and training.

Measures include the introduction of new safety technologies for certain vehicle categories, improved road safety data collection, further research into headlamp glare, and enhanced vehicle safety standards and crash testing.

The Strategy proposes updated guidance on local speed limits and the use of speed cameras, as well as a review of road classifications, particularly in relation to rural roads.

Proposals under this theme include a lower blood alcohol limit with a separate threshold for novice drivers, a review of drink- and drug-driving penalties, and wider consideration of enforcement and sanctions for offences such as uninsured driving, hit-and-run incidents, illegal number plates and failure to wear a seatbelt.

To oversee delivery of the Strategy and monitor progress against its targets, the Government will establish a new Road Safety Board, chaired by the Minister for Local Transport. The Board will include representatives from Government departments and delivery bodies, supported by an Expert Advisory Panel comprising organisations such as the emergency services, road safety groups, and motorcycle, professional driver and rider associations.

This governance structure is a welcome development, recognising the importance of drawing on practical experience when shaping and delivering road safety policy.

For those who represent victims of road traffic collisions, prevention is only one part of the picture. Even with improved education, enforcement and vehicle safety, road traffic collisions will continue to occur, and when they do, the consequences for individuals and families can be devastating.

Members of the Motor Accident Solicitors Society (MASS) see these consequences every day. For more than 30 years, MASS has campaigned for effective road safety measures while also working to protect access to justice for accident victims.

The Society has long raised concerns about issues such as uninsured and untraced driving, persistently inadequate penalties for serious road traffic offences, and more recently, the rapid growth of e-scooters and e-bikes without a comprehensive legislative framework. These issues continue to contribute to serious and avoidable injuries.

MASS will continue to support initiatives that aim to make roads safer for all users and will engage constructively with the consultation process arising from this latest Strategy. However, it is vital that policy discussions do not overlook what happens when prevention fails.

It is an unavoidable reality that road traffic collisions will continue to occur. When they do, victims will continue to need, and deserve, access to independent legal advice to guide and support them through a complex legal process designed to compensate them for loss and injury suffered through no fault of their own.

The legal process following a serious road traffic collision is often complex and challenging, particularly for individuals who are simultaneously coping with physical injury, psychological trauma and major life disruption. Against a backdrop of significant reform within the personal injury sector, access to specialist legal advice is more important than ever.

MASS and its expert Members, including firms such as RWK Goodman, play a crucial role in ensuring that accident victims are properly supported, that rehabilitation and care needs are identified at an early stage, and that fair compensation is secured to meet long-term needs. Accident victims must never be marginalised within an increasingly complex and restrictive landscape.

The primary aim of MASS is to bring justice to the victims of road traffic accidents. The Society prides itself on being recognised as an expert voice on all matters involving RTAs, and on ensuring that accident victims remain central to policy development, rule changes and access to justice.

Members of MASS are specialists across the full spectrum of RTA-related personal injury work, from damage-only claims and minor injuries to catastrophic injury and fatal cases. They understand not only the legal challenges involved, but also the profound personal impact that serious accidents can have on individuals and their families.

The human consequences of road traffic collisions cannot be fully understood through statistics alone. This was powerfully illustrated at the MASS annual conference two years ago, when delegates heard from a woman who lost the use of one arm and underwent a below-knee amputation following a motorcycle collision in which her partner was killed.

Telling her subsequent journey of recovery alongside the experts involved was so powerful and poignant that even the many experienced solicitors in the room, many of whom had seen such cases countless times before, were deeply moved and full of admiration for her determination and bravery.

What this real-life example showed is the vital importance of teamwork and collaboration of all the relevant parties in these cases. The lawyers to take care of the legal side and ensure that all the financial, rehabilitation and care needs are appropriate and realised for the long term. The case manager and rehab specialists who not only liaise with the lawyer but work tirelessly with the patient so they can achieve their maximum recovery. The medical experts who undertake the necessary surgery and/or treatment and in this case, the prosthetists who with their specialism helped the amputee to achieve some degree of normality in life.

Such cases also have a profound impact on families and loved ones, who often provide essential support but can themselves be overlooked. This is where charitable organisations play a vital role.

While MASS is a not-for-profit organisation, it has long recognised the importance of supporting charities connected with road traffic accident victims. Each year, the Society supports a charity that plays a meaningful role in helping those affected by serious injury.

For 2026, MASS is proud to support the Limbless Association. The LA provides practical and emotional support to amputees and their families, recognising the devastating impact that limb loss can have. By offering early intervention, guidance and connections to specialist services and peer support, the Limbless Association plays a crucial role in helping individuals navigate life after amputation.

Asked for comment, RWK Goodman Partner, Louise Hart had the following to say about the MASS/Limbless Association Partnership:

“RWK Goodman are delighted that MASS, who represent the interests of road traffic victims across the UK have chosen the Limbless Association as its chosen charity this year. This recognition will enable the Limbless Association to provide further support to those who have suffered limb loss across the country. RWK Goodman is proud to support both organisations and privileged to be on the legal panel for both MASS and the Limbless Association.”

Deborah Bent, CEO at the Limbless Association, comments below:

“We’re delighted to have been selected as MASS’ Charity of the Year. We’re incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to throw a spotlight on the work of the Limbless Association. As well as our support services, the charity has always worked strategically to ensure that we’re influencing prosthetics, rehabilitation and related agendas. We look forward to working with MASS and its members including RWK Goodman, being one of the LA’s extremely valued legal panel members.  We look forward to working collaboratively to raise awareness of the challenges amputees face and improve the lives of those affected.”

While the personal injury system remains inherently adversarial, its underlying purpose must always be to place the accident victim at the centre of the process. Road safety strategies and legal reforms alike must therefore be informed by collaboration, compassion and real-world experience.

Road safety strategies rightly focus on prevention, education and enforcement. These efforts are essential and should be supported. However, no system can eliminate risk entirely. When accidents occur, the response must be just as robust, compassionate and well-resourced as the preventative framework.

We all want to be and feel safer on our roads. But until a world without road traffic collisions exists, those who fight for justice, coordinate rehabilitation and support victims through life-changing injuries are an essential part of the road safety ecosystem. Ensuring their role is recognised and sustained is fundamental to achieving meaningful and lasting improvements in road safety.