Grant Shapps – 2022 Statement on the Road Safety Investigation Branch

The statement made by Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport, in the House of Commons on 29 June 2022.

I wish to inform the House that my Department has today published its response to the Government consultation on establishing a Road Collision Investigation Branch.

This Government are committed to improving road safety and reducing the number of people who are killed or seriously injured on our roads each year. I am pleased to announce that the Government intend to bring forward new measures to enable the creation of the branch, which, following discussions with stakeholders, will be named the Road Safety Investigation Branch.

This independent, safety-focused branch will learn the lessons from road collisions and other incidents, including those involving self-driving vehicles, by carrying out independent investigations and making recommendations to prevent future incidents, make our roads even safer and save lives across the country. The branch will also provide vital insight into safety trends related to new and evolving technologies, which will help to ensure road safety policy keeps pace with new developments.

We expect to include measures to enable creation of the branch in the forthcoming Transport Bill.