‘These reforms will save lives’: Spen Valley MP welcomes Government’s recently published Road Safety Strategy
The MP for Spen Valley, Kim Leadbeater, has welcomed the first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade.
The government launched the new Road Safety Strategy earlier in January to cut deaths and serious injuries on the country’s roads, with the plans including tougher enforcement, safer vehicles, and improved infrastructure, as well as a 65 per cent target reduction in people being killed or seriously injured by 2035.
Last year alone, four people on average died every day on England’s roads, with thousands more seriously injured each year, and the new strategy sets out bold measures to tackle the root causes of road collisions, harness new technology, and ensure enforcement keeps pace with modern risks.
The reforms will introduce tougher action on drink and drug driving, including consulting on lowering the drink-drive limit; mandate cutting-edge safety technologies in new vehicles; improve driver training and testing, including a proposed minimum learning period for learner drivers; update speed limit guidance and invest in safer road design; and establish a new Road Safety Investigation Branch to learn from collisions and prevent future harm.
Kim said: “I’m proud to welcome the government’s new Road Safety Strategy, which reflects the concerns I hear repeatedly from people across Spen Valley about speeding and dangerous driving on our local roads.
“I’ve been campaigning on this issue since I was first elected because it affects everyday life and, too often, puts people at serious risk.
“These reforms will save lives, better protect vulnerable road users, and help ensure the high standards of road safety that local people rightly expect.”
Secretary of State for Transport, 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 will save thousands of lives over the coming decade.”
The government will work with local authorities, police, and industry to deliver these reforms by 2035.