Under the package, drivers will get penalty points on their licence for not wearing a seatbelt or failing to make sure children are and the drink-driving limit could be lowered
Drivers across Britain will face tougher rules on drink driving, seatbelts and eye tests in the biggest shake-up to road safety in decades.
Ministers will today unveil their long-awaited road safety strategy as they vow to cut deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% – and 70% for under 16s – by 2035.
Under the landmark package, drivers will get penalty points on their licence for not wearing a seatbelt or failing to make sure children are, The Mirror has been told. The drink-driving limit could also be lowered, while convicted drink-drivers could be forced to use devices in their car to test their alcohol levels before being able to drive.
The strategy also mandates 18 new vehicle safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and lane-keeping assistance. Road safety campaigner Meera Naran MBE, whose eight-year-old son Dev died in a car crash on a smart motorway in 2018, has long called for Dev’s Law, which would force all vehicles to be fitted with AEB.
“I welcome this much-anticipated road safety strategy and am pleased to see a number of measures set out to reduce road deaths and serious injuries,” she said. “I am especially grateful to the Secretary of State for giving me her word that she would honour Dev and recognise the importance of legislative change to adopt the General Safety Regulations, as Dev’s Law, and for delivering on that commitment.”
Dev was killed after a lorry crashed into his grandfather’s Toyota, which had pulled up on a hard shoulder that had been marked as being used as a lane. After the tragedy, a coroner warned of the dangers of smart motorways and said drivers “may become confused” despite signage.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said: “Every life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities. For too long, progress on road safety has stalled. This strategy marks a turning point. We are taking decisive action to make our roads safer for everyone.”
Data shows drivers aged 17-24 are involved in 24% of fatal and serious collisions despite representing just 6% of licence holders. To tackle the issue, youngsters could be forced to learn to drive for a minimum of three or six months and spend more time driving at night, in adverse weather or in heavy traffic.
Meanwhile, targeted action for the elderly could see drivers aged 70 or over forced to take mandatory eyesight tests and options for cognitive testing will be developed. The Government will consult on lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967 and is currently the highest in Europe.
Plans are expected to look at cutting the limit from 35 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath to 22 micrograms – the current level for Scotland. Just one pint could push some people over the limit. Ministers will also explore the use of an alcohol interlock or ‘alcolock’, a breathalyser device that can be installed in a vehicle to prevent a driver using it if they have consumed alcohol above a set limit. In 2023, one in six road fatalities involved drink driving.
Currently, people can face fines of up to £500 for not wearing a seatbelt but the Government is also looking at handing out penalty points. In 2024, 25% of car occupant fatalities were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the collision. This rose to nearly half (42%) of those under the age of 16.
No new specific action is expected on mobile phone usage or speeding in the strategy. The Government will also publish national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education and training.
New measures will also target the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ plates designed to fool camera systems, while also cracking down on vehicles without a valid MOT. Fines for uninsured drivers are expected to be doubled.
There will also be a focus on vulnerable road users, including motorcyclists, who account for just 1% of motor vehicle traffic but 21% of road deaths, and child pedestrians from the most deprived neighbourhoods, who face a four times higher risk of a traffic-related death or injury.
On Britain’s roads in 2024, 1,633 people were killed and almost 28,000 seriously injured in traffic incidents, and numbers have remained relatively constant following a large fall between 2000 and 2010. If the targets are reached by 2035, the AA said this would mean around 19,000 fewer people dying or suffering serious injuries on our roads every year.
Local Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood said: “One of the hardest parts of my job is speaking to families who have lost loved ones on our roads and this is something we as a Government are taking action to prevent. No family should have to endure that loss, and this strategy sets out how we will work to ensure fewer do.”
AA president Edmund King welcomed the strategy, saying: “This is a positively radical reframing of road safety which is long overdue. Tackling drivers who drive under the influence of drink or drugs, people who don’t wear their seatbelts and those getting behind the wheel without insurance are key to reducing road deaths and serious injuries. We also endorse the mantra of road safety being a life-long education, not just when learning to ride or drive.”
IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Standards Nicholas Lyes said: “After what can be described as a lost decade in terms of reducing the number of killed and seriously injured on the roads, we welcome the Government’s commitment to ambitious targets and robust policies to make our roads safer.
“The strategy focuses on all key aspects including behaviours, training, vehicle technology and enforcement – all of which play a crucial role in keeping us safe on the road. An emphasis on younger drivers and motorcycle safety is particularly positive, considering these are some of our most vulnerable road users.”
