New road safety strategy targets drink-driving and older drivers

7th January 2026

Drivers over 70 will be required to take a mandatory eyesight test and the drink-drive limit in England and Wales will be lowered as part of a new road safety strategy.

The first in over a decade, the new road safety strategy sets out an ambitious plan to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035, with an even more stretching target of 70% for children under 16.

The introduction of targets is something the fleet sector has been calling for since 2015, when Fleet News, the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) and the Association of Fleet Professionals (AFP), which was then ACFO, joined forces to launch the Fleet Manifesto.

Four people are killed, on average, every day on Great Britain’s roads, with more than 70 seriously injured, figures from the Department for Transport (DfT) show.

There were 1,602 fatalities in 2024, a 1% fall compared to 1,624 in 2023, while there was a 4% decline on casualties of all severities.

The Government says it will consult on lowering the drink-drive limit, which has remained unchanged since 1967 and is currently the highest in Europe.

The consultation will explore the use of preventative technology, such as alcohol interlock devices, and new powers to suspend driving licences for those suspected of drink or drug driving offences.

This could mean that, in future, some drink drive offenders might be required to have one of these devices fitted to their vehicle as a condition of being allowed to drive again.

With an estimated one in three road traffic fatalities involve someone driving or riding for work, the Government says it will also launch a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter pilot. This will establish a national standard for employers requiring people to drive or ride for work, covering HGVs, vans, cars, motorcycles, e-cycles and cycles.

It aims to help businesses in both the public and private sectors reduce work-related road risk by promoting good practice, accountability, and compliance with existing legislation.

The Charter will be developed in collaboration with business and industry, and will be informed by existing schemes such as National Highways’ Driving for Better Business programme, Transport for London’s (TfL) Meal and grocery delivery motorcycle road safety charter, DVSA’s (Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency) ‘Earned Recognition’ Scheme and the TyreSafe programme.

It will promote good practice, and accountability of organisations and their workers. Success will initially be measured on organisational engagement, initial safety impacts and culture change.

The pilot will run for two years and will be monitored and fully evaluated. Regulatory measures will be considered if voluntary engagement is insufficient in reducing workrelated road risk.

In addition, it says it will consult on introducing a three or six-month minimum learning period, giving learner drivers more time to develop their skills in varied conditions such as night driving, adverse weather, and heavy traffic.

Drivers aged 17-24 represent just 6% of licence holders but are involved in 24% of fatal and serious collisions.

Furthermore, another consultation on mandatory eyesight testing for those over 70 will be launched, while options for cognitive testing will also be developed to protect all road users.

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 uninsured drivers and vehicles without a valid MOT.

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, from new drivers taking their first lessons to older motorists wanting to maintain their independence. The measures we are announcing today will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.”

Britain has slipped from third to fourth in European road safety rankings, with 22 European countries having made more progress in reducing road fatalities over the past decade.

The new strategy adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, which acknowledges that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not.

Rather than placing responsibility solely on individual drivers, the system ensures that road design, vehicle safety, enforcement, and education work together to protect all road users.

Local transport minister, Lilian Greenwood, said: “Our vision with this ambitious road safety strategy is clear: to ensure that people can travel safely on our roads however they choose.

“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.

“Experts and campaigners have long called for a comprehensive strategy that treats road safety as a shared responsibility – from car manufacturers and town planners to drivers and legislators.

“This strategy, the first in over a decade, shows a Government that is not just listening, but leading, and together, we can build a safer future for all road users.”

The Government has announced that as part of the new strategy, a new Road Safety Investigation Branch will analyse collision patterns and inform prevention strategies, drawing on linked police and healthcare data to identify root causes and target interventions more effectively.

The strategy also mandates 18 new vehicle safety technologies, including autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance.

Edmund King, AA president, said: “This is a positively radical reframing of road safety which is long overdue. We commend the Government for its wide ranging and ambitious strategy and ambitious targets which we hope will save the lives of thousands of people.

“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.”

RAC road safety spokesperson, Rod Dennis, added: “The strategy addresses many areas we know drivers are concerned about, including drink and drug-driving, ‘ghost’ plates and dazzling headlights.

“The inclusion of a commitment to consult on the use of alcohol interlocks for convicted drink-drivers – which are internationally proven to save lives – is particularly encouraging, especially given the extent to which drivers are supportive of their use. It’s also positive to see proposals on the table for both improving young driver safety and tackling the scourge of uninsured drivers who push up motor insurance costs for everyone.”

IAM RoadSmart director of policy and standards, Nicholas Lyes, also welcomed the new stragey. “An emphasis on younger drivers and motorcycle safety is particularly positive, considering these are some of our most vulnerable road users,” he said.

“We’re also pleased to see action being taken on drug driving, which is a growing menace and by giving police additional powers to take action against those caught at the roadside, it will serve notice that such dangerous behaviours will not be tolerated.”

A new Road Safety Board, chaired by the minister for local transport, will oversee delivery of the strategy, supported by an expert advisory panel drawing membership from local authorities, emergency services, active travel groups, and road safety organisations.

Vulnerable road users remain a key focus. Motorcyclists account for just 1% of motor vehicle traffic but 21% of road deaths, while children from the most deprived neighbourhoods face four times the pedestrian casualty rate of those in the least deprived areas.

To address these disparities, the strategy includes consulting on reforms to motorcycle training, testing and licencing; and supporting trials to improve motorcycle safety on rural roads.

Rebecca Guy, senior policy manager at the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), says that the new strategy represents an important step by the Government at a time when reducing road traffic casualties remains an urgent priority.

“In the last decade, the UK has lost its position as a global leader on road safety, with road deaths decreasing by just 10% between 2014 and 2024,” she added.

“The European Transport Safety Council ranked the UK as the 9th worst out of 32 countries in Europe for reducing road deaths between 2023 and 2024, placing it below countries such as Italy and Portugal.

“This strategy will be essential to reversing that stalled progress and ensuring we do not fall further behind other comparable countries.

“It must now be delivered effectively, with sufficient investment and support, so its measures have real impact on our roads.”

New road safety strategy at a glance

Supporting road users

● Consult on introducing a three or six month minimum learning period for learner drivers.

● Consult on a lower blood alcohol limit for novice drivers.

● Consult on introducing mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over age 70 and develop options for cognitive testing for older drivers.

● Continue to work closely with the National Police Chiefs’ Council to highlight the importance of regular police roadside eyesight tests for all drivers, ensuring that those drivers who fail to meet the minimum eyesight standards required for driving will have their driving licence revoked by DVLA.

● Continue to engage with the relevant regulatory bodies to highlight the importance of healthcare professionals notifying DVLA if their patient is unwilling or unable to notify.

● Consult on reforms for the training, testing and licensing regime for category A motorcycle licences in Great Britain.

● Pilot a National Work-Related Road Safety Charter for businesses that require people to drive or ride for them.

● Publish national guidance on the development and delivery of road safety education, training and publicity.

● Publish a manual to support the implementation of a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

Taking advantage of technology, data and innovation for safer vehicles and post collision care

● Consult on mandating the fitting of 18 new safety technologies for specific vehicle categories produced in unlimited series under the Great Britain type approval scheme.

● Explore the opportunities to join ‘Data for Road Safety’.

● Collaborate with a range of stakeholders to maximise the safety benefits of ADAS technologies.

● Collaborate with industry to ensure provision of clear, accurate information about ADAS functionality, limitations and user responsibilities.

● Establish a data-led Road Safety Investigation Branch for Great Britain.

● Make the secure linkage of police-recorded collision data and healthcare data a shared policy priority between the DfT, NHS England and the DHSC.

● Drive forward amendments to international regulations to ensure equal protection for all vehicle occupants through improved crash testing.

● Undertake further research aimed at identifying what vehicle design factors may be responsible for increased headlamp glare.

● Collaborate with stakeholders and vehicle manufacturers to further understand safety concerns regarding increasing vehicle size.

Ensuring infrastructure is safe

● Publish a new edition of the best practice guidance ‘Setting Local Speed Limits’ and update separate guidance on the use of speed and red-light cameras.

● Explore whether the proposed rural roads categories are appropriate at a local level and assess their potential for national application.

● Support PRIME pilot trials in new regions.

● Publish an updated Manual for Streets and embed it within the planning policy and guidance framework.

Robust enforcement to protect all road users

● Consult on taking tougher action on drink driving by lowering the drink drive limit in England and Wales, including an even lower limit for novice drivers.

● Review the penalties and mandatory training for drink and drug driving offences, including consulting on the use of alcohol interlock devices.

● Consider bringing in new powers to suspend the driving licence for: those suspected of committing a drink and/or drug driving offence until attendance at court or a guilty plea, or if bailed pending forensic analysis being undertaken; and those under investigation for the most serious motoring offences resulting in a fatality or serious injury.

● Consider exploring alternative methods for drug driving evidence collection and processing.

● Gather feedback on introducing penalty points for failure to wear a seat belt, and additional penalty points for drivers who do not ensure child passengers wear seat belts.

● Gather feedback on taking tougher action on those who fail to stop and report collisions, those who choose to drive unlicensed or without insurance, and those with no MOT.

● Consult on addressing the growing problem of illegal number plates, including ‘ghost’ number plates.

● Introduce a new Roads Policing Innovation Programme

● Explore opportunities to further DVSA’s ‘Earned recognition’ scheme.

● Explore the benefits and feasibility of financial incentives for voluntary training, and awareness raising on trailer and towing safety.