Safer Roads Fund forecast to deliver £1.25bn in benefits by preventing thousands of serious collisions

A flagship road safety programme is expected to prevent around 2,700 deaths and serious injuries over the next two decades, generating an estimated £1.25 billion in social and economic benefits from a £195 million government investment, according to a new report.

The findings highlight the impact of the Department for Transport's Safer Roads Fund, which was established in 2016 to improve safety on some of England's highest-risk local authority A roads.

Rather than relying solely on historic collision data, the programme uses International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) star ratings to identify roads with the greatest inherent safety risks, enabling improvements to be targeted before serious collisions occur.

Strong return on investment

The report estimates that the programme will deliver a benefit-cost ratio of 5.3, meaning every £1 invested is expected to generate approximately £5.30 in benefits through fewer fatalities and serious injuries.

The investment has supported safety improvements on 100 high-risk routes, addressing issues such as hazardous junction layouts, roadside hazards and other infrastructure features linked to collision risk.

By focusing on road design rather than simply responding to previous incidents, the programme aims to prevent crashes before they happen.

Moving towards proactive road safety

Beyond physical improvements, the report concludes that the Safer Roads Fund has helped reshape how local highway authorities approach road safety.

The programme has supported wider adoption of the Safe System approach, equipping councils with new skills, analytical tools and methodologies to identify and reduce risk proactively instead of relying primarily on post-collision interventions.

Dr Suzy Charman OBE, Executive Director of the Road Safety Foundation, said the programme demonstrates the value of evidence-led investment.

"The Safer Roads Fund shows that targeted, evidence-led investment can make a real difference—saving lives while delivering excellent value for money. By focusing on the roads where risk is highest, the programme is helping to prevent serious harm and create safer journeys across the country."

She said the programme's influence extended well beyond the schemes themselves.

"This has been a truly transformative programme—not just for the 100 high-risk routes improved, but for the way road safety is delivered.

"The Safer Roads Fund has helped build Safe System skills, tools and confidence within road authorities, shifting practice from reacting to crashes to proactively designing risk out of the network. That change in capability is one of the programme's most important long-term benefits."

Focus on higher-risk rural roads

Much of the investment has been directed towards rural A roads, where higher vehicle speeds, limited alternative routes and challenging road layouts can contribute to increased collision severity.

The report suggests the programme's use of iRAP star ratings is now influencing broader national thinking around road safety and infrastructure investment.

Supporting the next road safety strategy

The report concludes that continued investment in proactive, risk-based road safety programmes will be essential if the Government is to achieve its long-term ambition of reducing deaths and serious injuries across England's road network.

It argues that evidence-led interventions, combined with improved understanding of infrastructure risk, should remain central to the forthcoming national road safety strategy.

Councils recognised for outstanding schemes

Alongside the publication of the report, two local authority projects have been recognised for delivering significant safety improvements.

The Urban Safer Roads Fund Scheme Award was presented to Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council for improvements on the A4030, a scheme expected to prevent 24 deaths and serious injuries over the next 20 years.

The Rural Safer Roads Fund Scheme Award was jointly awarded to Derbyshire County Council and Sheffield City Council for safety enhancements on the A57, which are forecast to prevent 93 deaths and serious injuries during the same period.

The findings reinforce the growing emphasis on designing risk out of the road network before collisions occur, demonstrating how targeted infrastructure investment can improve safety while delivering substantial long-term economic and societal benefits.