WMG Professor welcomes the national road safety strategy

Wednesday 7 January 2026

WMG Professor welcomes the national road safety strategy 

Professor Siddartha Khastgir, Head of Safe Autonomy at WMG, University of Warwick, said, "We are glad to see the UK Government is taking a bold step to improve the safety of the roads by publishing this national road safety strategy.

“While the strategy adopts the globally recognised Safe System approachLink opens in a new window, overcoming siloed implementation will enable the full benefits.

“The Safe System five key elements: Safe roads, safe speeds, safe vehicles, safe road users and post-crash care, are all interconnected. Our road systems are multi-layered with extensive interactions between vehicles, infrastructure, drivers and technology.

“Therefore, I urge the Government to adopt a true systems thinking approach when implementing this strategy, which will allow us to view our road systems as a whole, identify risks emerging from the multiple interactions, and design holistic solutions to reduce road crashes.

“I am pleased to see the mandated adoption of new vehicle technologies, including autonomous emergency braking for the benefits of all drivers. These technologies have been proven to make our roads safer.

“Utilising new vehicle and infrastructure technologies will also enable the Government to analyse road crash data systematically. For example, some local authorities have already been using AI sensors and cameras to detect road crash black spots or unsafe driving behaviours, enabling proactive interventions to prevent road crashes.”

Find out more about WMG’s Safe Autonomy researchLink opens in a new window.