The New Road Safety Strategy – key points for employers and a new investigation branch

What the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy might mean for employers

January 2026 saw the Government publishing its first Road Safety Strategy in over a decade. It introduces new strategies aiming to tackle risk associated with work-related driving, fatigue management, driver competency, technological development (including automated vehicles), fleet/vehicle design, modification and manufacturing. Bus safety receives specific attention with local authorities obtaining the ability to impose greater safety requirements. Finally, there is an overarching move towards increased regulation and closer scrutiny, most notably with the creation of the Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB) to sit alongside equivalent branches in Rail, Aviation and Marine amongst others.

Key Overview 

• The Road Safety Strategy does not impose immediate new obligations on employers; but it clearly signals a change in direction. 

• Work‑related driving is moving closer to the core of the road safety agenda, with stronger expectations around prevention, accountability, and learning from incidents.

• Employers should consider reviewing their existing road safety arrangements and internal policies, particularly where driving is integral to business operations. 

• There is a shift towards closer scrutiny and regulation. The emphasis is shifting from individual blame towards systemic responsibility, with employers’ compliance with safety responsibilities  a core part of that system.

• The creation of the Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB) which will have a similar mandate to equivalent organisations in rail, aviation and marine

A Closer Look

Work-related driving under increased focus

For employers whose staff drive or ride for work, the strategy signals a potential shift towards greater expectations, scrutiny and, over time, formal regulation of work‑related road risk. Employers operating fleets, designing or maintaining infrastructure, or managing transport operations may therefore wish to consider the implications at an early stage.

The strategy estimates that around one in three road deaths in Great Britain involves someone driving or riding for work, underlining the scale of work‑related road risk. 

The Government has committed to piloting a National Work‑Related Road Safety Charter for organisations that require people to drive or ride as part of their work. The Charter is expected to apply across a broad range of activities, covering HGVs and vans as well as cars, motorcycles, e‑cycles and cycles. Although participation will initially be voluntary, the strategy makes clear that regulatory measures will be considered if voluntary engagement does not deliver sufficient safety improvements.

Key Point: For employers, this raises familiar health and safety considerations: how driving risks are assessed, how competence is assured, and whether expectations currently embedded in internal policies may evolve into externally defined and monitored standards.

A pathway towards formal regulation of work-related road safety?

While the strategy does not introduce new legal duties for employers, it does point towards a more structured and consistent regulatory framework for work‑related driving.

Driving for work is already captured under existing health and safety legislation.  The proposed Charter, together with enhanced data collection on collisions involving work‑related driving, may provide the foundation for more consistent regulatory oversight. 

Key Point: Employers may wish to anticipate closer alignment between road safety management and established health and safety governance, including clearer expectations around training, monitoring, vehicle standards and incident reporting.

Fleet modifications and mandatory vehicle safety technologies

The strategy is mandating 18 new vehicle safety technologies for certain vehicle categories under the Great Britain type approval scheme. These include systems such as emergency braking, blind spot information, drowsiness and attention warnings, and intelligent speed assistance. 

Although these requirements will apply primarily at the manufacturing and approval stages, they are likely to shape employer fleet decisions. Organisations with large or frequently renewed fleets may come under increasing pressure to:

• accelerate fleet renewal programmes;

• retrofit enhanced safety technology where feasible; or

• reassess procurement standards to prioritise vehicles with higher safety specifications.

Key Point: Fleet safety may attract closer scrutiny following serious incidents, particularly where commercially operated vehicles are involved.

Vehicle design, manufacture and automated vehicles

The strategy places significant emphasis on vehicle design and automation, recognising that human error contributes to approximately nine in ten road collisions.

Implementation of the Automated Vehicles Act 2024, alongside pilots of commercial self‑driving passenger services, indicates a clear direction of travel towards greater automation. Vehicles will be required to demonstrate robust safety cases before deployment, with manufacturers and operators subject to detailed regulatory oversight.

Key Point: For employers, particularly those involved in transport, logistics or mobility technology, this raises important questions around:

• liability following collisions involving automated systems;

• the interface between human operators and automated functions; and

• the allocation of responsibility between employers, drivers and technology providers.

As levels of automation increase, employers may find themselves operating within a more complex risk and compliance landscape, particularly when managing mixed fleets of autonomous and conventional vehicles. 

Bus safety and higher contractual standards

Bus safety receives specific attention in the strategy, reflecting both the high volume of bus travel and the potential severity of incidents. The Government highlights the Bus Services Act 2025, which gives local authorities greater ability to impose safety requirements through franchising schemes, strengthened Enhanced Partnerships, or the creation of a new Local Authority Bus Company (LABCo). 

Transport for London’s existing Bus Safety Standard, which contractually mandates enhanced safety standards and technology on buses operating in London, is referenced as a model of best practice. 

Key Point: Similar standards may be reflected in procurement processes, concessions and operating contracts outside London. For bus operators and their supply chains, this suggests that rising safety expectations may be driven as much by commercial arrangements as by statutory regulation.

Increased scrutiny following accidents: the role of the RSIB

Perhaps the most significant  development for employers is the creation of the Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB).

The RSIB will have a similar mandate to equivalent organisations in rail, aviation and marine . While it will not investigate every incident, it will examine patterns, systemic failures and high‑risk scenarios, including those involving commercial vehicles and work‑related journeys. The RSIB will enable more detailed analysis of collisions, and its findings will inform national policy, regulatory and enforcement priorities.

Key Point: Serious road traffic incidents involving employees or fleet vehicles may attract greater post‑incident scrutiny, with employers expected to demonstrate robust systems, training, and governance arrangements around road safety.

If you would like to discuss the implications of any matters discussed in this article, please contact Charlotte Whitaker - Burges Salmon or Ben Davies - Burges Salmon in Burges Salmon’s Corporate Crime & Investigations team. 

This article was written by Lowri Scott.