Public backing is high for a range of tougher road safety measures, according to polling commissioned by The Road Safety Trust and conducted by More in Common.
The findings, published on 15 October 2026 at the annual UKROEd/NPCC Roads Policing Conference, show that 81% support eyesight tests every three years for drivers aged 70 and over. Support rises to 85% among respondents aged 75 and above.
Some 73% back the suspension of a driving licence before conviction following a failed roadside drink or drug test, with 6% opposed. The survey also found that 71% support a phased licensing system for new drivers, including possible restrictions on late-night driving or carrying young passengers.
Support for measures in national strategy
Two-thirds of respondents support a minimum learning period of between three and six months between theory and practical driving tests. Around six in ten back requiring safety technology, such as intelligent speed assistance, in all new cars, lowering the drink-drive limit in England and Wales from 80mg to 50mg, and adopting a national Vision Zero target for no deaths or serious injuries on Britain’s roads.
The Road Safety Trust said support for the measures extended across voter groups, with none of the policies tested receiving less than 57% support among any group of 2024 voters.
However, 45% of those surveyed said too little was being done to reduce risks for young drivers, broadly unchanged from 48% in the previous year’s poll. Half of respondents also believed road deaths had risen over the last five years, while 7% thought they had fallen. The Trust noted that official figures show deaths have decreased slightly each year since 2022.
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “Progress on reducing the number of those killed or seriously injured on our roads has plateaued for too long, and the introduction of the Government’s Road Safety Strategy has been a welcome and important step towards a renewed focus on road safety at national level.
“These findings indicate an appetite for bold action and robust road safety measures which have the potential to save many lives on our roads. I hope it gives leaders the confidence that their decisions will be supported by a willing public.”