UK ministers push ahead on road safety overhaul

Motoring groups welcome planned safety measures but push for tighter rules for young drivers and more support for enforcement.

UK ministers urged to do more to protect new drivers in road safety overhaul

Ministers are weighing a broader set of road safety changes, including lowering the England and Wales drink-drive limit to 22 micrograms of alcohol per 100 milliliters of breath and introducing mandatory eye tests for drivers over 70. The package would also tighten penalties for uninsured driving and failing to wear a seatbelt. However, reports say it does not include limits on peer-age passengers for new drivers during their first six months behind the wheel. Last year on Great Britain’s roads, 1,633 people were killed and almost 28,000 seriously injured, with the figures largely flat after a marked drop from 2000 to 2010.

The plan signals a shift toward modernizing road safety rules, but its political and budgeting implications loom large. Advocates say the reforms could reduce preventable harm, yet critics warn that enforcement resources will be stretched and that neglecting the specific risks faced by new drivers could blunt the impact. The autumn publication and consultation will test not only public support but the ability of police and local authorities to enforce tougher rules.

Highlights

The coming months will reveal how far safety priorities can bend political calculus.