Global Road Safety Push: UK Transport Committee Calls for Mandatory Workplace Crash Reporting
Published on 07/20/2026 at 16:38 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
The UK's Transport Committee has heard calls for work-related road collisions to be made formally reportable under health and safety law, as part of a broader push to tackle a global crisis that kills nearly 1.2 million people annually. The hearing, held on July 20 in London, coincided with a UN High-Level Meeting on road safety in New York, where international leaders committed to halving road deaths by 2030.
Workplace Road Risk "Falling Through the Cracks"
Safety experts from the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) told the committee that the current system fails to capture a significant portion of occupational road risk. They urged ministers to make work-related road collisions reportable under the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR).
The push follows a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) consultation on RIDDOR definitions that closed on June 30. The committee also discussed plans for a new Road Safety Investigatory Branch, designed to analyse traffic incidents with greater precision.
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Speed Limiters and Safer Streets
In a separate session on speed management, experts argued that vehicles should be physically prevented from exceeding speed limits. Testimony focused on mandatory, non-overridable Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA). Lilli Matson of Transport for London (TfL) told the committee that 3,000 London buses already operate with mandatory ISA fitted.
Witnesses also highlighted the effectiveness of 20mph defaults on residential roads. The committee is due to resume its inquiry in the autumn.
UN Summit Secures Global Commitments
The UN High-Level Meeting in New York, held over July 20–21, aimed to scale up national pledges to cut road fatalities by half this decade. Delegates adopted a Progress Declaration, building on earlier agreements from Marrakech and a 2022 political declaration. Road deaths disproportionately affect people aged 5 to 29, who account for a significant share of the global toll.
Ireland Considers E-Scooter Ban
In Ireland, government leaders and the Garda Commissioner met on July 20 to discuss a potential ban on e-scooters. The move follows reports from Children's Health Ireland (CHI) of a 50% increase in paediatric e-scooter injuries. Retailers including Amazon and AliExpress have already removed non-compliant models — those capable of exceeding 20km/h — from Irish sales.
Enforcement Actions Worldwide
Other enforcement and legislative developments reported this week include:
- Barcelona: City Police launched a week-long enforcement campaign on July 20 targeting motorcycles and mopeds, after an 8.6% rise in accidents involving victims compared to June 2024.
- Malaysia: The cabinet agreed in principle on July 15 to amend the Road Transport Act 1987. Proposed changes would allow courts to determine compensation for accident victims and strengthen the Kejara demerit system.
- Nigeria: The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) launched 12 intelligence-driven operations on July 20, code-named "Fushin Zuma" and "Ride Safe", targeting dangerous driving and overloading.
Rising Fatality Rates Demand Action
Data from South Australia underscores the urgency. The state recorded 60 road fatalities in the first half of 2026 — a 58% year-on-year increase and 69% of the total deaths recorded in 2025. While crash frequency remained relatively stable, insurers noted that accident severity had increased, particularly on regional roads, which accounted for 63% of fatalities.
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In Victoria, the advocacy group Victoria Walks has requested $150 million over four years to improve pedestrian crossings following a rise in deaths. The state government currently has a $1.4 billion road safety investment programme underway.
"Complete Streets" Mandated in Gujarat
To address safety through urban design, the Gujarat Urban Development Department in India issued unified road design guidelines on July 20. The "Complete Streets" approach is now mandatory for all urban local bodies in the state, prioritising pedestrians, cyclists and public transport users through dedicated utility corridors and specialised parking standards.
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