The 17 August 2025 is the 129 year anniversary of the first road death in Britain.
Bridget Driscoll was killed by the driver of a motor vehicle in 1896.
Since that date, there have been more than half a million fatalities on British roads.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) is calling for immediate government action to address the ongoing crisis of road deaths and serious injuries in England.
Rebecca Guy, Senior Policy Manager at RoSPA said:
“For the past few years, England has remained the only UK nation without a refreshed national road safety strategy in place.
“The news that Labour will be publishing its own in the Autumn is a welcome move, but it is vital that it is a coordinated framework with clear targets and accountability to reduce fatalities and serious injuries.
“Secondly, unlike aviation and rail, road collisions are not routinely investigated by an independent authority. RoSPA supports the creation of a specialist body to examine serious and fatal incidents, identify systemic risks, and prevent future tragedies.
“Bridget Driscoll’s death was the first recorded road fatality in the UK. More than a century later, lives are still being lost unnecessarily. These reforms are essential if we are serious about saving lives.”
The recommendations are drawn from RoSPA’s recent National Accident Prevention Strategy report, titled Safer Lives, Stronger Nation – a cross-sector initiative aimed at reducing accidental harm across the UK.
The strategy outlines a clear roadmap for improving road safety, including additional measures such as Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) to protect young drivers.
What changes are Labour proposing?
It has been suggested that Labour are considering the following changes:
- Reduce the drink-drive limit from 35 micrograms per 100ml of breath to just 22 micrograms
- Punish drivers with penalty points if their passengers fail to wear seatbelts
- Banning over-70s from driving if they fail mandatory eye tests, conducted every three years when they renew their licence
- Medical tests for conditions such as dementia for older drivers
- Make it easier for police to bring prosecutions for drug-driving by having roadside saliva tests be permissible as evidence rather than blood tests
- Criminal penalties for driving without insurance
- Measures to tackle so-called ghost plates, which cannot be read by automatic number-plate recognition cameras
While many are looking forward to a shift towards safer roads, there are concerns that the measures may not reach far enough.
Some critics highlight the needless way in which only over-70s are mandated to have eye tests and automatic disqualification for poor vision, when anyone could be a danger without adequate eyesight.
We expect this to be an ongoing discussion, and we will ensure that you are kept up to date as soon as more information comes to light.
Our specialist team can support you with compliance awareness so that you do not get caught out by changes. Contact Jared Dunbar today for help.