Everyone, however they choose to travel, should be able to feel safe on our roads.
Hitting the ground running after the New Year, the UK Labour Government has already published its new Road Safety Strategy.
It’s the first one covering Great Britain for over a decade and sets out ambitious changes, aiming to reduce deaths and serious injuries by 65% by 2035.
It delivers on our 2024 General Election manifesto, cracking down on drink and drug driving, mandating advanced safety technologies and investing in smarter, safer infrastructure.
Proposals include a minimum learning period between passing a theory test and taking a practical test to give learners time to build essential skills in varied conditions – like night driving, adverse weather and heavy traffic.
Mandatory eyesight testing for drivers over 70 is on the agenda too as well as updating motorcycle training and licensing to reduce risks for riders, who are 40 times more likely than car users to be killed or seriously injured on our roads.
New safety technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance, are to be compulsory in new vehicles which on its own has the potential to prevent more than 14,000 deaths and serious injuries over 15 years.
Lowering drink-drive limits (unchanged since 1967), bringing in alcohol interlocks for those convicted of drink driving and penalty points for failing to wear seat belts or ensuring children are strapped in will also be considered as will stronger penalties for uninsured drivers.
Every single life lost on our roads is a tragedy that devastates families and communities.
This is a strategy for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, and families across Llanelli and the rest of the country and a once in a generation opportunity to create a transport system where every journey starts and ends safely.