Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will make it his policy to undertake a review of road traffic offences and penalties to improve road safety.

First, on 5 December 2016 the Government launched a consultation on driving offences and penalties relating to causing death and serious injury. This ran until 1 February 2017. The Government response to the consultation was published on 16 October 2017, and confirmed proposals to increase the maximum penalty for causing death by dangerous driving and for causing death by careless driving whilst under the influence of drink or drugs from 14 years to life; and to create a new offence of causing serious injury by careless driving. These are still under review by the ministry of justice.

Secondly, on 9 March 2018, the Department for Transport published an independent legal report which considers the case for a change in law for cycling, equivalent to causing death or serious injury by dangerous or careless driving. The Department is considering the report and will publish a response shortly. This work is part of an open and comprehensive review TO improve safety for all road users and encourage more people to walk and cycle. The Government intends to bring forward proposals for changes in the law as and when parliamentary time allows.

Finally, on 13 June the Department for Transport published a progress report to the 2015 Road Safety Statement, which announced that it would be refreshing the Statement and developing a two year action plan for road safety. There are four priority user groups to be addressed in this plan: young people, rural road users, motorcyclists and older vulnerable users.