Britons back tougher road safety measures finds road safety p ...

New findings from The Road Safety Trust’s collaboration with More in Common show that public appetite for stronger deterrents and stricter road safety measures is at an all-time high, with the vast majority of Britons calling for change to protect vulnerable road users.

The findings were unveiled at the annual UKROEd/NPCC Roads Policing Conference (Thursday 15 October).

A significant majority of motorists and the wider public are backing tougher penalties for dangerous driving, according to a major new report released by The Road Safety Trust.

The research highlights a growing public consensus: people want to see safer roads, stricter enforcement, and a renewed focus on driver accountability.

Key findings

Four in five (81 per cent) support eyesight tests every three years for drivers aged 70 and over, including 85 per cent of over-75s.
73 per cent support suspending a driver’s licence before conviction after a failed roadside drink or drug test. Just six per cent are opposed.
45 per cent say too little is being done to reduce the risks for young drivers, broadly in line with last year (48 per cent).
Half of Britons think road deaths have risen over the last five years. Only seven per cent think they have fallen, though official figures show deaths have dropped slightly each year since 2022.

Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “Progress on reducing the number of those killed or seriously injured on our roads has plateaued for too long, and the introduction of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy has been a welcome and important step towards a renewed focus on road safety at national level.

“These findings indicate an appetite for bold action and robust road safety measures which have the potential to save many lives on our roads. I hope it gives leaders the confidence that their decisions will be supported by a willing public.”

Louis O’Geran, External Affairs Manager at More in Common, said: “This research shows that the public are attuned to the dangers of driving on our roads – three in five correctly identified that drug-driving deaths have risen in recent years – and there’s an appetite for tough measures to improve road safety.

“Often, interventions on road safety risk being framed as a divisive ‘war on motorists’, and it’s too early to say how the government’s Road Safety Strategy will land with the public when it is implemented. But it’s clear from the data that a bold policy package on road safety could appeal across voter groups and age groups.”

To read the full research report, visit The Road Safety Trust website.