How local authorities can turn policy into safer streets

Citisense welcomes the publication of the UK’s first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade, a long-awaited and ambitious plan to reduce road deaths and serious injuries across Great Britain. With targets to cut fatalities by 65% by 2035, and by 70% for children under 16, the strategy sets a clear national direction.

For local authorities, the challenge now is clear: how to translate national ambition into meaningful, on-the-ground delivery.

Delivering on these targets requires evidence-led action across street design, active travel, enforcement, education and monitoring. With Citisense’s unique combination of professional services and road monitoring technology, we can support local authorities across the entire process, from engagement and design through to implementation and measurement, helping to turn the Road Safety Strategy into tangible, measurable improvements for safer streets in every community.

A renewed national focus on road safety

The strategy responds to a decade of stalled progress, recognising that, despite relatively safe roads by international standards, an average of 4 people still lose their lives every day.

Importantly, it moves beyond individual behaviour alone and adopts the internationally recognised Safe System approach, acknowledging that while human error is inevitable, deaths and serious injuries are not.

This approach places shared responsibility across:

• Road and street design
• Vehicle safety and technology
• Education and behaviour change
• Enforcement and regulation
• Data, monitoring and evaluation

For local authorities, this marks a shift from isolated interventions to integrated, system-wide delivery.

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What the strategy means in practice for local authorities

The strategy is structured around four core themes:

• Supporting road users, through improved education, training, licensing and medical fitness
• Technology, data and innovation, including enhanced monitoring, research and vehicle safety standards
• Safe infrastructure, with updated design guidance and continued investment in active travel
• Robust enforcement, tackling dangerous behaviours, uninsured driving and illegal vehicles

While priorities are set nationally, success will depend on local delivery, often across complex urban environments and constrained budgets. Prioritisation, targeting and evaluation are therefore critical.

Tackling inequality and protecting vulnerable road users

A key strength of the strategy is its recognition of inequality in road safety outcomes. Pedestrians and cyclists account for a significant proportion of fatalities, while children in the most deprived areas are four times more likely to be injured than those in the least deprived.

Addressing these disparities requires a people-focused approach, combining:

• Inclusive street and junction design
• School-focused interventions such as School Streets and 20mph limits
• Safer routes for walking, cycling and micromobility
• Engagement with communities to reflect lived experience

When delivered together, these measures reduce danger at source while supporting healthier, more sustainable travel choices.

Why data-led delivery is essential

The return of national casualty reduction targets brings renewed accountability. High-quality data and monitoring will be critical to demonstrating progress.

A data-led approach enables local authorities to:

• Identify high-risk locations and behaviours
• Understand near-misses as well as recorded collisions
• Target design, enforcement and behaviour change interventions effectively
• Measure impact over time and adapt strategies accordingly

This represents a shift from reactive responses to proactive, evidence-led prevention.

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End-to-end delivery: integrating consultancy and technology

Delivering the Road Safety Strategy requires more than short-term programmes. It calls for end-to-end delivery, bringing together strategy, design, engagement, enforcement and ongoing evaluation.

Citisense uniquely combines professional services consultancy with in-house AI monitoring technology, enabling local authorities to move seamlessly from insight to implementation and long-term impact measurement.

By integrating street design, active travel planning, parking and kerbside management with data-driven monitoring through platforms such as SmartLenz, authorities can:

• Target interventions where they are most needed
• Support safer behaviours through evidence
• Demonstrate progress against national and local objectives
• Continuously refine approaches as conditions change

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Closing words from our Founders, and Technical Director.

Christian Constantinides & Dan Hashaw, Founders, Citisense

We welcome the return of national targets and the adoption of the Safe System approach, which recognises that while human error is inevitable, serious injuries and deaths are not. The new Road Safety Strategy provides an important national framework, but the real challenge lies in turning policy ambition into on-the-ground delivery. Citisense are committed to supporting this strategy, helping local authorities and communities move closer to the long-term goal of zero deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

Nick Ruxton Boyle, Technical Director, Citisense

Delivering meaningful improvements in road safety depends on robust data, monitoring, and evaluation. Understanding not just collisions but near-misses, behavioural patterns, and local context is essential to targeting interventions effectively. By combining professional consultancy with advanced monitoring technology, Citisense enables local authorities to make informed decisions, measure outcomes, and continuously refine strategies. We understand the practical challenges authorities face, from budget constraints to diverse communities. Our evidence-led approach ensures that resources are focused where they will have the greatest impact on safer streets.

Click here to be contacted by our team to learn more about how we can support you.