On 19th July The Department for Transport published its Road Safety Statement and supporting action plan. The action plan includes 74 actions the Government is either currently or is intending to take to improve road safety. Many of the actions involve supporting specific road safety campaigns, information, education and research programmes.
Some of the other actions are:
- Research into the effectiveness of alcolocks (devices that measure the alcohol in a driver’s breath and can prohibit the ignition activation if the alcohol level is too high) can reduce drink-driving re offending and whether they should be introduced in the UK.
- Increasing penalties for not wearing a seatbelt to include points on licences as well as a fine.
- Consulting on legislative changes regarding HGV sideguards. Most new HGVs are required to be fitted with sideguards, however exemptions in current regulations permit their removal from certain vehicle types such as tippers, car transporters and refuse vehicles. The proposed legislative changes are intended to ensure that sideguards fitted as part of the new vehicle approval process remain fitted to the vehicle.
- Looking at whether there should be mandatory testing and/or registration of trailers over 750 kilograms.
- Introducing a new traffic sign to alert motorists to the presence of small wild animals in the road and to drive carefully.
Full details of the plan can be found on the Gov.UK website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/road-safety-statement-2019-a-lifetime-of-road-safety