UK Govt Road Safety Strategy: Comment and Analysis

Last week the UK government issued some ideas on road safety including lowering the alcohol limit, longer waits to actually obtain a full licence, plus mandatory eye tests for the over 70s. But will these measures make any difference to the hardcore 2 million or so uninsured, no licence, banned, on drugs/booze or those driving an Audi S3 on their grandma’s insurance?

Here’s some industry comment;

AXA RETAIL

Marco Distefano, Managing Director, AXA Retail;

AXA has been calling for the publication of the Road Safety Strategy as part of our commitment to championing road safety, throughout 2026 we will be continuing to engage with schools across the country to raise awareness and support education on this important topic.

“We’re pleased to see the Government has published the long-awaited road safety strategy. The range of safety measures, including targeted action on speeding and mobile phone use, along with clamping down on uninsured drivers, should go a long way in helping to reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

“We recently conducted a survey of 2,000 motorists which found that half of drivers (53%) admitted to knowingly breaking a driving law and over a quarter (26%) admitting they drive above the legal speed limit on a regular basis. This highlights why it is so crucial to increase awareness about safer road behaviours, and we welcome the Government’s commitment to publish national guidance on road safety education and a manual for implementing a Lifelong Learning approach for road safety.

“At AXA, we’re championing road safety and focused on finding solutions. That’s why we’re educating children about road safety in schools across the country and encouraging them to discuss safer driving habits at home with their families.

”As a motor insurer, we understand the impact a collision can have on someone’s life, so we are pleased to the see the establishment of the data-led Road Safety Investigation Branch and believe it is vital for the Government to work with the insurance industry to gather data as part of this work.”

THINGCO

Alex Brockman, Operations Director at telematics insurtech, ThingCo, has welcomed the intent of the government’s new road safety strategy. But he urges the government to also address the period immediately after a new driver has passed their test.

“ThingCo, of course, welcomes any initiatives that will reduce road traffic accidents. But we hope the government isn’t just going for easy headlines.

“Extending the wait to take a practical test after the theory test doesn’t address the reality that the riskiest time for any driver is the first 3 months after passing their practical test, no matter how long they were learning. This is when they are suddenly driving alone.

“The aim of the government’s proposal is to reduce road deaths. However, the policymakers need to understand the different driving forces between both frequency and severity. The most serious crashes are usually driven by:

• High speed at night
• Peer pressure from young passengers/friends
• Sometimes alcohol

“Of course, a lower alcohol limit is a welcome step. But if the goal is to cut serious injuries and fatalities, there needs to be a focus on post-driving test pass exposure, not just pre-test time.”

ThingCo will be responding to the consultation where it will be highlighting the need to:

• Promote properly implemented telematics products for young drivers
• Limit young passengers for new drivers to reduce exposure to peer pressure
• Consider graduated speed limits for newly qualified drivers (like they do in Northern Ireland)

HOWDEN

In response to the government’s newly released UK Road Safety Report, Howden Driving Data calls on the UK Government to make telematics an essential component of young driver safety programmes. 

“Telematics can reduce accident frequencies for thousands of young drivers,” said Robert Kennedy, CEO of Howden UK & Ireland. “When used effectively, telematics transforms driver behaviour. The UK now has a critical opportunity to scale this technology and deliver a genuine step change in young driver road safety as telematics provide detailed insights into behaviours such as speeding, harsh braking, rapid acceleration, late-night driving, and distracted driving.”

Data from telematics enables:

• Behaviour Change Through Real-Time Feedback: Young drivers receive alerts or app-based coaching to help correct unsafe habits – providing the type of guidance many lack immediately after passing their test.

• Safer Driving Incentivised Through Insurance Pricing: Usage-based insurance (UBI) models reward newly qualified drivers for safe behaviour, creating a positive feedback loop that encourages ongoing improvement rather than penalising inexperience.

• Supportive, Not Punitive, Intervention for Parents and Guardians: Telematics allows families to understand driving patterns and provide supportive guidance, creating safer driving environments without limiting independence.

• Data-Driven Policy and Risk Identification: Aggregated telematics data helps identify the situations and times of day where young drivers are most at risk – enabling insurers, educators, and policymakers to design more effective interventions.

Howden Driving Data: The only large-scale end-to-end telematics solution created from over a decade of in-house broking experience and billions of miles of live data. Providing best-in-class use of data to reduce loss ratio, obtain unique rates from capacity, and provide a return on the data invested. Driving Data | Howden UK