The UK government is being urged to follow the EU’s lead and implement national road safety targets as latest figures show it’s one of the EU countries making the slowest progress on reducing road deaths.

Brake has urged the Government to follow the EU in implementing national road safety targets

The call comes from Brake as a new report by the European Transport Safety Council shows the number of deaths on UK roads fell by just 6.4% between 2010 and 2017, contributing little towards the collective EU target of a 50% reduction in road deaths by 2020.

Brake acknowledged that the UK does have a strong road safety record but said the only other EU countries making slower progress on road safety were Sweden, the Netherlands and Malta.

The report also highlights how the UK is one of the few EU countries to see the number of serious Injuries from crashes on the roads increase since 2010, with a 5.8% rise.

Joshua Harris, director of campaigns for Brake, said: “We take for granted that the UK has some of the safest roads in the EU but this report should act as a wake-up call to the Government. Progress on road safety in the UK has stagnated in recent years and urgent action is required to remedy this.”

Harris welcomed the UK government’s recent move to improve road collision investigation as well as the EU Commission’s announcement of a new target for a 50% reduction in EU road deaths and serious injuries between 2020 and 2030, but added: “We urge the UK to follow the EU’s lead and implement national road safety targets, to reignite progress on road safety and strive towards a vision of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”