NFCC calls for greater action to tackle road deaths and injuries

• National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) calls for further action to tackle road deaths and injuries.

• Fire and rescue services (FRSs) attended over 31,000 road traffic collisions last year.

• In a new road safety policy position statement, NFCC calls on the UK Government to consult on expanding FRS statutory duties regarding road safety to reflect FRS prevention activities. Says changes must be underpinned with sustained funding.

• UK and devolved governments called upon to advance road safety strategies, develop consistent standards for Road Safety Partnerships, include road safety in curriculums, and consult on introducing graduated driver licensing (GDL) to protect young and novice drivers.

The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) has today (Monday 16^th December) called for further action, including clearer strategies and a consultation on expanded statutory duties, to tackle road deaths and injuries across the UK.

Fire and rescue services (FRSs) already play a vital role in road safety, responding to over 31,000 road traffic collisions (RTCs) in 2023 alone, an increase of over 10% (from 27,930) in 2012/13, according to Home Office data. However, FRSs’ statutory responsibilities are limited to preparing for and responding to RTCs and NFCC is calling on the Government to consult on expanding these legal duties to reflect the wide-ranging prevention activities FRSs deliver. These include educational campaigns and programmes encouraging people to become safer road users.

NFCC is also urging the UK Government to follow Scotland’s lead and develop a new national road safety strategy for England. It says the strategy should include evidence-based targets for reducing road deaths and serious injuries. It also called on the Welsh Government to expedite its ongoing work on a new road safety strategy.

FRSs work alongside local authorities, and other emergency services and key stakeholders, as part of Road Safety Partnerships to reduce traffic incidents and promote safer travel. But NFCC says that the UK and Welsh governments should consult on establishing standards for those bodies to drive consistency and promote best practice.

Meanwhile, NFCC is adding to the growing chorus of organisations calling for greater intervention to protect high-risk road users with the introduction of graduated driver licensing for those aged 17 to 24. This demographic accounts for a disproportionately high number of road traffic collision fatalities, with around a fifth of collisions involving a car in which someone was killed or seriously injured in 2022 involving a young car driver. International evidence, including that from Australia and Canada, has shown the success of these systems in reducing crashes and fatalities among young and novice drivers.

NFCC is also calling for road safety themes to be embedded into school curriculums across the UK and Wales, ensuring future generations understand and prioritise safe driving behaviours.

National Fire Chiefs Council Road Safety and Road Rescue Lead, and Chief Fire Officer for Surrey Fire and Rescue Service, Dan Quin, said:

“Road safety is a public health priority that requires bold action and coordinated efforts. Fire and rescue services already play a crucial role in keeping people safe on the roads, but we need the Government to consider whether our statutory duties should more accurately reflect the full breadth of the work we do and look to support this with adequate funding. Without this our ability to prevent harm is limited.

“As our roads become busier and with technologies such as e-scooters and e-bikes changing the way we travel, fire and rescue services are also facing a changing risk landscape. The rise in lithium-ion battery fires poses new challenges for prevention and response, which means that the right training and equipment needs to be in place.

“Fire and rescue services are only one piece of the puzzle, and we want to see governments play a leading role in driving improvements in road safety at a national level through enhanced legislation, regulation, standards, and education.”

Executive Director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS), Jamie Hassall, said: 

“We welcome the calls from NFCC to formalise the role of fire and rescue services in preventing road traffic collisions from occurring rather than just focusing on preparing and responding to these incidents – bringing things in line with a Safe System approach. I support the recommendations in the policy position statement and hope to see the Government and devolved administrations take them forwards.”

Director of the RAC Foundation, Steve Gooding, said:

“Fire and rescue services bring invaluable knowledge and experience to road safety, from responding to collisions to supporting the delivery of evidence-based initiatives. Their trusted role in communities makes them key partners in facilitating a safer road environment.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

• A copy of NFCC’s Road Safety Position Statement can be found here;
• Home Office data showing the number of road traffic incidents FRSs responded to in 2023 and in 2012/13 can be found here;
• Road safety is a key part of the Community Risk Management Plans that all FRSs maintain and a core element of the prevention work FRSs undertake in their local communities. Yet FRSs currently have no statutory duties for various vital areas of FRSs’ prevention work, including road safety. This impacts funding for prevention activities.
• The UK is one of only three International Traffic Safety Data and Analysis (IRTAD) group countries to not have defined targets on road deaths and serious injuries according to the International Transport Forum’s Road Safety Annual Report 2023, found here. There are currently no national road safety targets in England, with the last formal period of target setting ending in 2010. Instead, individual road safety authorities (for example, local authorities) can set targets.
• Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030can be found here;
• International examples show that graduated driving licensing reduces collisions and fatalities.
• In the UK young drivers aged 17–24 are at increased risk of being involved in a road traffic collision. Department for Transport stats, found here, show that in 2022, around a fifth of all killed or seriously injured casualties from collisions involving cars involved a young car driver. In 2022, 19% of all car driver fatalities were younger car drivers and 24% of fatalities from collisions involving a car driver involved at least one young car driver. Young male car drivers aged 17–24 are four times as likely to be killed or seriously injured compared with all car drivers aged 25 or over. Information from the Department for Transport, found here, also shows that young car drivers aged 17–24 make up around 7% of the total driving population.
• Graduated driver licensing encourages greater and more varied driving practice during the learning phase and limits driving in the riskiest situations for young and novice drivers, in particular driving in the dark and carrying peer-age passengers.
• International research demonstrates that the introduction of graduated driver licensing leads to a decrease in RTCs, casualties, and fatalities among young drivers. In Victoria, Australia, 42.5% fewer drivers aged 18–23 were involved in fatal or serious injury crashes following the introduction of graduated driver licensing. This information can be found here. In Ontario, Canada the introduction of a scheme with a minimum learning period and restrictions on night driving saw a 42% reduction in vehicle crashes among people aged 20–24. This information can be found here. Further international examples are referenced in the position statement.
• The National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) is an independent membership association and the professional voice of the UK Fire and Rescue Service. NFCC supports fire and rescue services to continually improve, helping them to save lives and keep their local communities safe. NFCC is a charity and a membership association supporting and representing the UK Fire and Rescue Service. Founded in 1941, NFCC was established as a company and charity in 1998 as The Chief Fire Officers’ Association, transforming into the NFCC in 2017.