The UK government has announced the launch of the country’s first-ever investigation branch focused on road safety.
The Road Safety Investigation Branch (RSIB) will comprise road safety specialists working independently to make specialist recommendations.
It is the first independent body of its kind in the UK, despite road collisions resulting in significantly more deaths than those caused by other modes of transport.
The branch was formed after a public consultation revealed strong public support for the initiative.
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UK roads minister Baroness Vere said: “The UK may have some of the safest roads in the world, but tragedies still happen and any injury or death on our road network is one too many.
“That’s why we’re establishing the road safety investigation branch, so we can boost safety for road users even further and also bring safety measures in line with other modes of transport and the future of travel.”
The body will investigate collisions and incidents to determine the changes that need to be made to improve UK road safety.
It will also advise on the deployment of new technology that might impact road safety, such as self-driving cars, EVs or smart motorways.
Currently, data is collected using study programmes such as the Collision Reporting and Sharing System (CRASH), Forensic Collision Investigation reports and Prevention of Future Death reports.
The RSIB is expected to use this information in addition to that from insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, the emergency services and the NHS.
It is hoped that this will broaden the body of evidence on incident causes and improve road safety interventions.
The branch will not identify blame, nor will it replace police investigation. It will instead draw on evidence to make recommendations designed to prevent future incidents.
