This month the UK Government has launched the country’s first ever investigation branch focused on road safety. This announcement will create an independent branch to investigate the causes of road collisions, reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads and work to improve road safety generally.

In the UK road collisions lead to significantly more deaths than any other mode of transport, but until now there has been no independent body to investigate road incidents. The move will mean road safety will now be examined in similar ways to air, maritime and rail accidents.

It’s been announced that they will recruit a specialised team of inspectors to join the country’s first ever Road Safety Investigation Branch. The job description includes reviewing road accidents, discovering why they’ve happened and what could be done to reduce the risk of it happening again. They will also look ahead to the future and put forward suggestions on topics such as speed limits and general road safety. The focus for the branch is very much pointed towards making the road a safer place for all, and to ensure greener journeys for all across the country.

The team will also consider safety trends related to new and evolving technologies which may include self-driving vehicles, e-scooters and electric vehicles. The aim is to ensure the country maintains its high road safety standards, whilst deploying any new technology safely.

Roads Minister Baroness Vere said: “The UK may have some of the safest roads in the world, but tragedies still happen and any injury or death on our road network is one too many. That’s why we’re establishing the road safety investigation branch, so we can boost safety for road users even further and also bring safety measures in line with other modes of transport and the future of travel.”