The Road to Zero Harm
- Wednesday October 18, 2023
National Highways is championing a road safety initiative to realise their vision that no-one should be killed or seriously injured on the strategic road network. Achieving this vision will benefit the country as a whole, and the families and individuals whose lives continue to be affected by collisions on our roads.
The Road to Zero Harm
In the post-Covid environment, road deaths and serious injuries are rising in many developed countries. To understand and address the challenges faced in England, National Highways commissioned independent research through the Road to Zero Harm project to assess and prioritise the safety measures that could best help us achieve our vision.
The project reviewed potential safety countermeasures from across the Safe System approach to road safety. The Safe System, which underpins National Highways’ approach to road safety, emphasises the shared responsibility between organisations who design, build, and manage roads, vehicle designers and manufacturers, individuals who use roads and vehicles, and people and organisations who provide post-crash care. By strengthening all parts of the system, we can multiply their effects to retain safety if one or more parts of the system fail.
Each countermeasure identified by the independent research was assessed for the strength of the evidence that the measure would reduce killed and serious injury (KSI) incidents, as well as for its cost, deliverability and acceptability. The recommended safety countermeasures have also been reviewed and prioritised by National Highways experts.
Getting there together
The Road to Zero Harm project highlighted that National Highways has varying levels of control and influence over the extent to which the recommended countermeasures can be implemented. It also outlines how stakeholders across the sector have a vital role in supporting and delivering this ambitious long-term target. This is why we are reaching out to you.
How you can be involved
If you have comments you would like to add to the initiative please email them to steve.spender@theihe.org by 25th October.