1.10 To improve road safety, there needs to be effective cross-governmental thinking and action. A pan-Government strategy to tackle alcohol misuse in England is also being developed. A priority area for that strategy is likely to be addressing issues concerned with all aspects of improving community safety, including road safety. It is planned to publish the new strategy early in 2000. The Scottish Executive has established a committee to develop a new national alcohol misuse strategy for Scotland.
Deprived areas have relatively poor road safety records.
Britain's good road safety record means that we can offer other countries our expertise on road design and vehicle safety and road safety policies. The rest of this document sets out the Government's framework for improving road safety. The strategy contains many specific recommendations, but these should not be seen as strict guidelines for the future. Inevitably in the course of 10 years, new ideas and technology will emerge which will help to achieve the target. We must be alive to new thinking and fresh ideas and not be afraid to challenge conventional wisdom.