- 56 per cent of the public supports a national target to
eliminate road deaths and serious injuries by 2040
- 87 per cent of daily drivers would accept a journey delay if
it made roads safer
- IPPR calls for a national ‘Vision Zero' strategy, backed by
investment in local transport and a comprehensive ‘safe system'
approach
New research from the Institute for
Public Policy Research (IPPR) and More in Common finds strong
public backing for a bold national road safety target – and a
willingness to make real changes to achieve
it.
The findings highlight that safety is
a top public concern, ranking ahead of speed or convenience, and
second only to cost as a factor in people's daily journeys. The
public supports a broad ‘safe system' approach to road danger,
including better crossings, safer school streets, and reduced
speed limits.
A clear majority want the government
to act: 56 per cent support a 'Vision Zero' target to eliminate
deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads by 2040, with just
13 per cent opposed. This is true across supporters of all
political parties, including Conservatives and Reform.
Support is even higher in
London - one of the first cities in Britain to introduce a
reduction strategy, and where TfL has introduced an extensive
network of 20mph roads.
The public is ready to back meaningful
policy changes - and even make trade-offs - to make roads safer.
Some 87 per cent of
daily drivers say they would accept some form of delay to their
typical journeys to make roads safer,
challenging the assumption that safety
measures will be unpopular with
motorists.
The research also reveals a wider
public appetite for serious, people-first transport
investment:
-
People are more annoyed at
shortcomings in public transport than at
potholes: Among
those who said they were dissatisfied with transport in their
local area, more selected the poor availability of buses (53
per cent) and poor reliability of public transport (39 per
cent) as a top reason for this dissatisfaction than selected
the poor conditions of roads, including potholes, (33 per
cent). a.
-
Buses matter most
locally: Good bus
services are the top reason for local satisfaction in
transport; lack of buses is the main reason for
dissatisfaction.
-
Better buses beat new
roads: All income
groups prioritise improving public transport quality and
affordability; new roads are seen as having low importance for
those on low incomes, and are only seen as being of similar
importance to public transport improvements among the highest
earners.
Stephen Frost, head of
transport policy at IPPR,
said:
“People want the government to
take the lead on making our roads safer. They're ready for bold
action to stop deaths and serious injuries, and they're willing
to make trade-offs to get there. This is a real opportunity for
ministers to match public ambition with delivery. We can cut road
deaths, boost public confidence, and improve everyday journeys –
but only if government listens to what people are actually asking
for.”
, associate at More in Common,
said:
“This research demonstrates that Britons take a practical,
not political approach to their views on
transport.
Focused on their concerns over
their everyday journeys and local communities, rather than their
political outlooks, Britons of all stripes are more supportive of
bold and substantive policies to improve road safety than many in
Westminster give them credit
for.”
ENDS
Stephen Frost, the report's author,
and Sam Alvis, associate director for environment, energy
security and nature and head of IPPR's Fair Transition Unit, are
available for interview
NOTES TO
EDITORS
-
1. The IPPR research,
Everyday concerns: What people
want from transport, by
Stephen Frost, will be published at 0001 on Wednesday August
13. It will be available for download at: https://www.ippr.org/articles/everyday-concerns-what-people-want-from-transport
-
2. Advance copies of the research
and full opinion polling slide deck are available under embargo
on request
-
3. Polling was undertaken by More in
Common using an online panel. Fieldwork was carried out between
01-04 April, 11-14 April and 10-12 May 2025. The sample sizes
for each round of polling were over 2,000 (2,071, 2,277 and
2,094 respectively). Respondents have been weighted according
to age/sex interlocked, region, and ethnicity, education and
GE2024 vote. Results can be considered representative of GB
adults.
-
Alongside standard
socio-demographics this briefing also refers to seven British segments based on More in Common's core beliefs
model.
