The Government’s Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026, sets a target of reducing deaths and serious injuries on Great Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035.

That ambition is welcome. For motorcyclists, the question is whether the measures will make a meaningful difference to the risks we face every time we ride.

We spoke to Fergus Dalgarno, Head of The Biker Lawyers team, about the headline proposals and where he believes more work is needed.

Why this matters for motorcyclists

In 2024, 1,602 people were killed on Great Britain’s roads. Behind that number are families, friends and communities whose lives have changed permanently.

The strategy highlights the disproportionate risk faced by riders: motorcycles account for around 1% of motor vehicle traffic, while motorcyclists made up approximately 20% of those killed or seriously injured in 2024.

For us, success must mean safer journeys for people on two wheels. Better driver awareness, effective training and roads designed with riders in mind all need to be part of the answer.

The proposals: what could change?

The strategy includes proposals for changes to driver training, eyesight checks and enforcement. These should be understood as proposals, rather than assumed to be rules already in force.

Eyesight tests for older drivers

The Government has proposed mandatory eyesight tests for older drivers as part of the licence renewal process from age 70.

Good eyesight matters. But Fergus’s concern is that being able to see a motorcycle and actively looking for one are different things.

Riders are all too familiar with hearing “I didn’t see them” after a collision. Eyesight checks need to sit alongside better training in observation, hazard awareness and recognising motorcycles at junctions. Those skills matter at every age.

A lower drink-driving limit

The Government has proposed lowering the drink-driving limit in England and Wales. The current breath-alcohol limit is 35 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath, compared with 22 in Scotland.

We welcome efforts to tackle drink-driving. A lower limit could reinforce a clear message about the risks of drinking before driving, but it needs effective enforcement and education alongside it.

For riders and drivers alike, the safest choice is to avoid alcohol before getting on the road.

More time to learn before the driving test

The strategy proposes a minimum learning period of three or six months between passing the theory test and taking the practical car-driving test. The consultation also considered supervised driving hours and a required learning syllabus.

Fergus supports the aim of improving training, but questions how much a waiting period would achieve without meaningful practice.

“Proper training, similar to motorcycle training, would be a better starting place.”

— Fergus Dalgarno

The priority should be practical experience: learning to spot hazards, judge other road users’ movements and drive safely in different conditions.

Tougher action on motoring offences

The Government has also considered changes to penalties for driving without insurance or a current MOT, alongside action on illegal number plates.

Fergus questions how far these measures will address the causes of collisions on their own. Enforcement has a role, but the wider aim must be to prevent dangerous driving and improve the behaviour that puts riders at risk.

Training, awareness and safer roads

The strategy goes beyond those headline proposals. It also addresses road infrastructure and vehicle safety, and includes a review of motorcycle training, testing and licensing.

Our view is that the real test will be how those commitments are delivered. For riders, the priorities include:

• Better observation: drivers who actively look for motorcycles and understand how easily they can be overlooked.

• Practical training: experience that develops judgement and hazard awareness before and after passing a test.

• Safer roads: well-maintained surfaces, clear sightlines and junctions that account for people on two wheels.

• Appropriate speeds: decisions that reflect the road layout and the people using it.

There are lessons to learn from Norway’s Vision Zero approach. It recognises that people make mistakes and that the transport system should be designed to prevent those mistakes from leading to death or serious injury.

That means looking at roads, vehicles, behaviour and enforcement together. The Government’s own strategy adopts a similar Safe System approach; the challenge is turning that principle into improvements riders can see and feel.

Our view: riders need results

We welcome the ambition to reduce deaths and serious injuries. A strategy with a clear target gives road safety the attention it deserves.

But a target is only the beginning. Progress will depend on sustained action, effective training and a better understanding of the risks faced by motorcyclists.

The question is whether this strategy will help prevent the collisions that leave riders injured and families grieving. That is the measure by which it should be judged.