Safety groups left ‘in the dark’ on new body to improve road safety

Announced by the Government in June 2022, the RSIB would investigate how and why road collisions happen and make recommendations to organisations, such as the Government and the police, to prevent future incidents.

Last year, 1,700 people died in the UK as a result of road collisions and a further 23,000 sustained serious injuries. Many were the subject of a criminal investigation and resulted in criminal charges being brought against the culpable party, said Baroness Newlove.

The introduction of a RSIB would bring road safety into line with similar independent bodies that already exist for air, maritime and rail collisions.

However, the branch has yet to be launched and “interested parties have been left in the dark”, said Baroness Newlove.

She said the initiative was initially welcomed by road safety groups but following conversations with these bodies, added: “They have heard nothing more since that time.”

Now she has written to the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, to ask for a progress update on the creation of a RSIB.

In her letter, the Victims’ Commissioner has requested more detail on when the RSIB will be launched, what plans are there to ensure that road safety groups are being kept appraised of the work of the branch, and how will these groups be able to feed in their views.

Baroness Newlove said the personal, emotional, psychological, social and economic impact of road collisions is “profound, far reaching and everlasting for many road victims”.

The letter from the Victims’ Commissioner follows a written question, on similar lines, submitted by Labour MP Gill Furniss to Department for Transport in March this year.

Roads Minister Richard Holden MP answered, saying: “The Government intends to bring forward measures to enable the creation of a RSIB as soon as Parliamentary time allows.”