The information requested is not held by the Department for Transport.

National Highways routinely reviews the management of major incidents to identify lessons learned and opportunities for improvement. In relation to the closure of the M25 on 16 July 2026, National Highways will undertake both an internal debrief and contribute to multi-agency review processes involving the emergency services and other partners.

Major incidents on the Strategic Road Network (SRN) are managed through a multi-agency response led by the police. National Highways works in accordance with the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Principles (JESIP) and the Collision, Lead, Evaluate, Act, Reopen (CLEAR) process and supports partners in delivering a coordinated response.

As part of the review process, National Highways will consider the tactical options available and deployed during the incident, including arrangements for traffic management, the release of trapped traffic where appropriate, and support for driver welfare. The review will identify what worked well and any areas where improvements can be made.

National Highways will share relevant lessons learned with operational partners and incorporate any agreed actions into future incident management arrangements. The Government is also supporting work to review local arrangements for driver welfare during major incidents.

There are no current plans to review either the CLEAR or JESIP processes which National Highway works in accordance with to clear incidents on the SRN.

Although there is no obligation to report all animal deaths on roads, drivers should, if possible, make enquiries to ascertain the owner of domestic animals, such as cats, and advise them of the situation.

There are, however, no plans to introduce a legal duty for drivers to report collisions with cats. Cats are much smaller than other specified animals, and often most active at dawn or dusk. In many cases drivers, especially those of larger vehicles, may not be aware they have hit them. As such, it would be difficult to prosecute drivers if the law was changed.

National Highways does not use a standardised definition of a pothole. It inspects the strategic road network in accordance with the relevant part of the Design Manual for Roads & Bridges, which prescribes the regime, frequency, and requirements for inspecting the condition of road surfaces.

The Department has not set out what proportion of the target to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Great Britain’s roads by 65% by 2035 will be delivered by individual measures, including those relating to speeding or drink driving.

Following publication of the road safety strategy, the Government launched five consultations on a range of road safety measures. These consultations all include proposals which, if implemented, are intended to contribute to reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads by 65%. We are currently analysing responses and will publish our decisions on which proposals to take forward in due course.

The Government will then keep the evidence on the effectiveness of potential measures under review. The effectiveness of any measures taken forward will continue to be monitored and evaluated, including through a post-implementation review where appropriate.

There is no national standardised definition of a road surface.

The Department maintains appropriate engagement with National Highways (NH), the delegated authority for the operation of the strategic road network, within the framework of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991 and the Traffic Management Act 2004. National Highways uses signs to ensure safe and suitable movement of traffic around a planned closure. Diversion signs are provided at every decision point along an agreed diversion route. These will usually be temporarily installed metal plate signs which complement diversion symbols on permanent signs to guide traffic. The need for repeater diversion signs is also considered, determined by the risk of drivers deviating from the route.

In the hours of darkness diversion signs are illuminated or reflectorised to help visibility and readability.

For potholes on the English Strategic Road Network which are most likely to cause damage to vehicles, National Highways identifies defects via routine condition surveys, asset inspections, and reports from operational teams and stakeholders using the network. Identified defects are then assessed and categorised using a risk-based approach (assessing likelihood and consequence) to determine the appropriate speed of response.

Potholes most likely to cause serious damage to vehicles are classified into two categories: “Immediate/Go-Now”, requiring attention within two hours for the most severe defects; or “Safety Defect”, typically requiring action within 24 hours.

Alongside reactive repairs, National Highways takes a proactive approach to network renewals, such as resurfacing or reconstruction, to help maintain the resilience and safety of the network.

Local highway authorities are responsible for maintaining their roads under section 41 of the Highways Act 1980. Individual authorities set their own criteria, including the minimum size and depth at which a defect, or pothole, is recorded or repaired, and apply risk‑based assessments that account for local conditions, traffic volumes and safety considerations when making decisions on maintenance programmes. These thresholds therefore vary between areas and are not prescribed by the Department for Transport.

This approach is based on the Well‑managed Highway Infrastructure Code of Practice, which advises that local highway authorities should use a risk‑based approach when assessing and repairing defects, and recommends that each authority determine its own intervention criteria based on local circumstances rather than a single national threshold.

The Government recognises the role that innovation and technology can play in improving road safety outcomes and reducing reoffending, alongside effective enforcement, education and penalties.

As part of the Road Safety Strategy, Government consulted on measures to tackle drink and drug driving, including changes to motoring offences and the potential use of alcohol interlocks for offenders. This built on previous Government commissioned research into their use by the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety. Consultation responses are being analysed.

As with any new technology, there are potential risks with pavement delivery devices and safety remains our priority.

There is currently no specific legislation for delivery robots, but the Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows by creating a ‘Low-speed Zero Emission Vehicle’ category, which could be used to regulate pavement robots in future.

If they were to be regulated, we recognise the need for local leaders to have control over pavement robot deployment. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill introduced in July 2025 includes powers to require licensing of micromobility schemes, and this specifically covers pavement robots in its definition of “non-passenger vehicles”.

E-bikes and e-scooters must comply with the Supply of Machinery (Safety) Regulations 2008 to be placed on the UK market.

While it is not illegal to sell an e-scooter for use on private land, retailers are breaking the law if they knowingly mislead a buyer or do not make the legal restrictions on e-scooter use sufficiently clear. To provide a more proportionate and agile process for regulating e-scooters, the Government has committed to pursuing legislative reform when parliamentary time allows.

Regarding e-bikes, those that do not comply with the Electrically Assisted Pedal Cycle Regulations 1983 are treated as motor vehicles. They cannot therefore be legally used on the road unless they are approved and registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licencing Agency, taxed and insured.

It is for the police to take enforcement action where such vehicles are used on the road illegally, and the Government will continue to support the police to ensure they have the tools needed to enforce road traffic legislation.

As stated in the Road Safety Strategy, the Government has made a commitment to pursue legislative reform for micromobility vehicles when parliamentary time allows.

We understand the importance of now providing a clear legislative timeline and we are working with colleagues across government to deliver this. We will provide an update when a timeline has been agreed.

The Government published a consultation on motoring offences alongside the Road Safety Strategy on 7 January 2026. It is split into four sections, exploring drink and drug driving, non-seatbelt use, failure to stop and report, and introducing new penalties for certain offences and other road traffic matters, including whether the minimum penalties for driving without motor insurance should be increased.

Once the Motoring Offences Consultation concludes, we will confirm any changes to the policy on penalties for driving uninsured.

The timelines for bringing forward any changes, including those relating to uninsured driving, will then depend on legislative time.

Section 41 of the Highways Act 1980 places a statutory duty on highway authorities to maintain public highways.

Dealing with compensation claims due to defects such as potholes on the highway network is entirely the responsibility of the relevant highway authority.

The Department cannot comment on individual claims for vehicle damages arising from alleged defects on the highway. Such matters are for resolution between the claimant and the relevant highway authority.

Where parties cannot agree, it is for the court to determine whether the local highway authority has met its duty under Section 41 and exercised reasonable care in maintaining the highway.

Published data and statistics on road collisions involving injury are based on data reported to the Department by police forces via the STATS19 system, which includes details of factors contributing to collisions as recorded by the attending officer based on their judgement at the time of the collision.

Up to 2023, these contributory factors included ‘vision affected by dazzling headlights’, but following a review of STATS19, in the new specification in place from the start of 2024, a wider category ‘distraction to driver or rider from inside or outside the vehicle’ has been introduced. This is part of a wider change to rationalise the contributory factors into fewer ‘road safety factors’ which aims to make the data easier for officers to report consistently.

Statistics based on both the previous system of contributory factors and the new road safety factors are published on the gov.uk website as soon as they are available. The latest published figures relate to 2024, with 2025 data scheduled for publication in September 2026.

The Department has commissioned ground-breaking research into headlamp glare, and the Department’s road safety strategy includes a commitment to undertake further research aimed at identifying what vehicle design factors may be responsible for increased headlamp glare.

Data on road collisions involving personal injury are reported to the Department by police forces in Great Britain via the STATS19 system. The latest year for which data is available is 2024.

In 2024, 1,353 people were killed in reported road collisions in England. This compares with 1,370 in 2023 and 1,443 in 2022.

The Government recognises the vital role that surface access will play as part of any future expansion of Heathrow Airport. As part of the review of the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), launched on 22 October 2025, we will consider the transport infrastructure required to support a third runway. This will include rail and road connectivity, alongside public transport mode share targets and will consider the impacts for travellers from different regions. While it would not be appropriate to pre-empt the outcome of the ANPS review at this stage, it will be the responsibility of any expansion promoter to set out a surface access strategy demonstrating how they will meet the requirements set out in the ANPS.

My department is currently considering the future ownership structure of the Heathrow Express, and a decision will be announced in due course.

The Road Safety Strategy outlined a new safe system approach to road safety that includes consideration of any post-crash response. We’re continuing to recruit more police, with 3,000 more neighbourhood police officers on our streets by March and we are abolishing Police & Crime Commissioners – so much needed funding can go into frontline policing including post-crash responses. Also £2.7m is allocated to policing under the Roads Policing Innovation Programme this year and the next two. Ultimately however, it is up to local police forces to decide how best to deploy their resources and this funding.

Every road collision resulting in a fatality or serious injury leaves victims devastated so it is important that victims receive the support they need. This government will be increasing funding for victim support services year on year, from 2026 to 2029. In total, government will be investing £550 million in victim support services over the next three years – the biggest investment in victim support services to date.

The Ministry of Justice has committed to reviewing the Victims’ Code, a practical statutory guide for victims of crime, including victims of road traffic offences. Under the Victims’ Code, all victims are entitled to be given information about and be referred to victim support services by the police to help them cope and recover from the impact of a crime. Further, the Office of the Victims’ Commissioner has undertaken work to commission additional research to explore the victim journey for road traffic collisions and support for victims.