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The APCC’s Joint Leads on Roads Policing and Transport, Joy Allen and Philip Seccombe respond to the following publication of the government’s Road Safety Strategy 

“This long overdue Road Safety Strategy is welcome and reflects the tireless campaigning of bereaved families and road safety advocates who have made it clear that deaths on our roads are not inevitable. Their lived experience, alongside the growing body of evidence must continue to shape delivery if these ambitious targets are to be met.

“As APCC joint road safety leads, speaking on behalf of Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and Deputy Mayors across England and Wales, we see first-hand the devastating impact of dangerous driving on families and communities, and the vital role local leaders play in turning national ambition into action.

“While we welcome today’s proposals which will improve the safety of young and new drivers, we believe the government can and must go further to implement comprehensive progressive driver licences for young drivers, including time-limited measures such as nighttime curfews and restrictions on the number of young passengers. Similar approaches have successfully saved lives in other countries and will contribute to the government’s objective of reducing deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035.

“We back government plans for new powers to temporarily disqualify from driving those who are awaiting trial for serious offences, tougher penalties for those who put others at risk by getting behind the wheel of a vehicle without a licence, and mandatory eye tests for drivers over the age of 70.

“The growth in drug-driving concerns us greatly, so we look forward to more information on how the government plans to improve and speed up the process of testing drivers for drugs.

“Every death and serious injury on our roads is preventable. Delivering this strategy will require ministers to continue listening to bereaved families, practitioners and campaigners, to follow the evidence, and to back these commitments with sustained investment and decisive action.”

Notes

• Joy Allen is PCC for Durham
• Philip Seccombe is PCC for Warwickshire