Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will take steps to ensure safety improvements are prioritised during decision making about road investments.

The Government is investing £24 billion on the Strategic Road Network during the second Road Investment Strategy (RIS2 - 2020-2025) to fund the operation, maintenance, renewal and enhancement of the network. Safety is a key consideration National Highways takes into account across all its activity and much of this investment aims to improve safety across the network for all road users. A specific Safety and Congestion Fund is in place as part of National Highways’ Designated Funds programme, this delivers safety improvements on specific high-risk roads, accident-cluster locations and potential suicide-cluster areas.

National Highways also has a Key Performance Indicator for RIS2 with a target of reducing those killed or seriously injured on the Strategic Road Network by 50% compared to the 2005-2009 baseline average. The Department for Transport and the Office of Rail and Road, in its capacity of Highways Monitor, hold National Highways to account for delivery against this performance indicator and work collectively to ensure appropriate action plans are in place to maximise safety on the network.

Improving road safety is one of six key objectives in developing the third Road Investment Strategy (RIS3). The level of ambition within the Performance Specification and focus of the Investment Plan are the key levers through which this objective will be supported.