UK Unveils Road Safety Strategy Aiming for 65% Cut by 2035

The UK government has unveiled its first comprehensive road safety strategy in more than a decade, aiming to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads by 65 percent by 2035, with a 70 percent target for children under 16. The plan, announced this week by the Department for Transport, addresses longstanding issues like stalled progress in reducing fatalities, which currently average four deaths per day in England and thousands of serious injuries annually.

The strategy introduces a range of measures to tackle root causes of collisions, including consultations on lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales, which has remained unchanged since 1967, and implementing alcohol interlock devices to prevent convicted offenders from starting vehicles if they register above the limit. It also proposes mandatory eyesight tests for drivers over 70 and options for cognitive testing across all road users. To address inexperience among new drivers, the government will consult on requiring a minimum learning period of three or six months before learners can take their practical test, alongside reforms to motorcycle training and licensing.

Vehicle safety features will see...