Bringing Communities Together for Safer Roads
Better decisions begin with better conversations.
Supporting Vision Zero and the Safe System by bringing together communities, evidence and experience to help inform safer road decisions.
Welcome to
Voices for Road Safety
Voices for Road Safety (VFRS) is an independent, community-led movement supporting the Vision Zero and Safe System ambitions of local authorities, charities and strategic partners across the UK. We bring together communities, lived experience and evidence to help inform practical decisions that reduce deaths and serious injuries on our roads.
Why we exist
Why Voices for Road Safety?
Britain already has some of the safest roads in the world—but people are still being killed and seriously injured every day.
Our initial focus is rural roads, where around 60% of road fatalities occur. These roads perform many different roles: they move people and goods, connect villages, support farming and businesses, and provide access to the countryside for walking, cycling, horse riding, running and recreation.
VFRS brings those different perspectives together with professional expertise and evidence to help support better-informed road safety decisions.
Our First Focus
Britain's rural roads
where around
60% of all road fatalities occur.
Rural Roads Fact 956 people were killed on rural roads in Great Britain in 2024.
Source: Department for Transport – Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2024
Fact: 43,479 people were injured or killed on rural roads in 2024.
Why this matters
These casualties include people from every community:
- Young drivers
- Experienced drivers
- Motorcyclists
- Cyclists
- Horse riders
- Pedestrians
- Walkers
- Residents
- Farmers
- Families
80
PEOPLE KILLED
EVERY MONTH
3,623
CASUALTIES EVERY MONTH
43,479
DFT 2024 statistics
Better decisions begin with better conversations.
No single organisation, profession or road-user group has every answer. By bringing different perspectives together, we can better understand the problems, examine the evidence and identify practical solutions.
The VFRS Road Assessment Model
Voices for Road Safety encourages a balanced, evidence-led approach to understanding rural roads by considering four key areas:
1. Engineering
What is the road physically like?
Road width, alignment, visibility, junctions, surface condition, road markings and other engineering characteristics.
2. Traffic
How is the road used by vehicles?
Traffic volume, vehicle types, agricultural traffic, seasonal variation, speed profiles and network function.
3. Collision History
What has happened on this road?
Collision patterns, contributory factors, locations, trends and opportunities for improvement.
4. Community Function
Could understanding Community Function help us make even better-informed road safety decisions?
What role does this road play in the daily life, wellbeing and economy of the communities it serves?
Understanding how people use and experience the road for work, education, leisure, recreation and everyday life helps provide a broader perspective when considering road safety.
Bringing Communities Together for Safer Roads
Supporting Vision Zero
Voices for Road Safety supports the ambition that nobody should be killed or seriously injured while using our roads.
We recognise that local authorities, police, road safety partnerships, charities, researchers and many others are already working towards this goal. Our role is to support that work by bringing together evidence, professional expertise and the experiences of the communities who use our roads every day.
We are not here to tell authorities what the answer is. We are here to help ask the right questions, bring different voices together and understand what the evidence tells us.
Professional expertise and evidence
Councils, road safety organisations, charities, police, universities, researchers, insurers and other organisations working together to share knowledge, evidence and best practice.
Experience from the people who use our roads
Drivers, cyclists, horse riders, motorcyclists, walkers, runners, farmers, driving instructors, residents and others sharing their experiences of using Britain's roads.
Learning From What's Already Happening
Case Study 001 — Surrey
Surrey County Council is undertaking an ambitious review of rural speed limits as part of its wider Vision Zero and Safe System approach.
VFRS does not present Surrey's approach as the answer for every authority.
We present it as an important opportunity to learn: What is working? What challenges have arisen? What can other authorities take from Surrey's experience?
Voices for Road Safety Day
The First Wednesday of the Month
Voices for Road Safety Day is a new monthly initiative designed to bring together communities, strategic partners and organisations through a programme of online Teams meetings, supporting collaboration and evidence-led road safety across the UK.
Each month provides an opportunity to share progress, discuss current projects, learn from successful initiatives and strengthen partnerships that help reduce deaths and serious injuries on Britain's roads.
Rural Roads & Country lanes more than just roads
Country lanes are more than just roads—they are shared spaces that connect people with the countryside and give everyone the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. Whether cycling, horse riding, jogging, walking the dog or simply taking a stroll, everyone should be able to use these routes safely and with confidence.
By slowing down, giving others plenty of space and showing patience and respect, we can help keep our country lanes welcoming and safe for everyone.
Many Voices. One Purpose. Safer Roads.
01 — The Voices People with lived experience.
02 — Strategic Partners Organisations and experts with knowledge.
03 — Ambassadors Trusted people who help the message travel further.
Our model
Everyone has a clear role
The Voices
Driving instructors, horse riders, carriage drivers, cyclists, walkers, ramblers, joggers, dog walkers, farmers, residents, young drivers, drivers and motorcyclists.
Strategic Partners
Highway authorities, police, road safety partnerships, charities, universities, professional bodies and national representative organisations.
Ambassadors
Respected professionals and public figures who can build trust, change attitudes and reach wider audiences.
Current direction
From local experience to national learning
Rural road safety Speed management, road function and infrastructure.
Young driver safety Education, technology and evidence-led reform.
Changing attitudes Positive messages that encourage responsible road use.
Sharing good practice Helping authorities learn from successful projects elsewhere.
Join the movement
Bring your voice, expertise or influence
Tell us where you fit and how you would like to contribute.
Contact Voices for Road Safety