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Roads: Safety

Asked by Dr Al PinkertonLiberal DemocratDepartment for TransportTabled Answered 20 January 2026UIN 105066

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions her Department has had with Surrey County Council on embedding safety into road design in (a) Surrey and (b) Surrey Heath constituency.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood

The Department has held no such discussions. Local traffic authorities are responsible for making decisions about their own roads, based on their knowledge of the area and taking into account local needs and circumstances. It is for them to ensure roads are designed in a way that helps fulfil their road safety duties.

Good design can have a significant impact on road safety. The Department has long advocated street design that improves safety through guidance and good practice advice, in particular the Manual for Streets. As set out in the Road Safety Strategy, an update of the Manual is underway to ensure it continues to provide advice that enables authorities to deliver safer streets.

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