The IAM is calling on the Labour Party to back targets for reducing injuries and deaths on the road at this year’s party conference.

An IAM survey of local Councillors earlier this year showed that Labour Councillors were the most committed to road safety. Seventy-four per cent said it was a priority for them.  Seventy-eight per cent of labour councillors disagreed with the removal of road safety targets.

Internationally, road safety targets are seen as best practice and are used by most developed and developing countries. 

A target-led approach to road safety would allow the highest risk groups such as cyclists, motorcyclists and drivers on rural roads to be the focus of well-coordinated enforcement, engineering and educational campaigns.

IAM chief executive Simon Best said: “Road safety targets work very effectively. In the past they joined up organisations.

“Local councils, the police, the NHS and safety camera partnerships used common targets to bring their policies together. And where there was a target, they always wanted to exceed it.”