Oxfordshire County Council calls for government action to build on road safety progress
Oxfordshire County Council has called for stronger national support to prevent road casualties after deaths and serious injuries fell on the county’s roads despite an increase across the wider Thames Valley.
Paul Fermer, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director of Environment and Highways, was invited to appear before the Transport Select Committee as part of its inquiry into the government’s road safety strategy and spoke to MPs at their session on Wednesday, 11 November.
Members of the committee heard about the council’s work to introduce lower speed limits such as 20mph zones and create safer streets. The council warned that road safety ambitions would be very difficult, potentially impossible, to achieve without significant additional funding for councils and police, and that any investment in policing must be matched by support for council road safety teams.
Government figures show that the number of people killed or seriously injured on Oxfordshire’s roads in 2025 fell by around 16 per cent compared with the previous year. Over the same period, figures across the Thames Valley increased by 14.5 per cent.
Overall, in 2025 Oxfordshire had lower than average casualty rates as compared to its statistical neighbours and the change in casualty numbers both for those killed and seriously injured and all casualties between 2024 and 2025 was also better than for most of the same statistical neighbour areas.
Councillor Gareth Epps, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, said: “Our latest road safety figures are encouraging and show why we are continuing to invest in safer streets across Oxfordshire. Lower speeds are about protecting lives and helping people feel safer, whether they are walking, wheeling or driving.”
“It was a great opportunity for Paul to be invited to speak at a national level about the success we have seen in Oxfordshire. But local action alone will not get us where we need to be. The government needs to back its road safety ambitions with funding for both councils and police, alongside effective enforcement and stronger national guidance on setting speed limits.”
“Initial council findings suggest that there has been a 30.3 per cent decrease in casualties and a 43.8 per cent decrease in people being killed or seriously injured from before implementation in monitored 20mph zones. Meanwhile some data is suggesting that average speed has come down by 3mph. Our 20mph zones, our Vision Zero programme and LTNs are all making a contribution and we believe school streets and quiet lanes will add to this momentum.
“We are proud of the progress being made in Oxfordshire. With the right national support, we can go further and help more communities benefit from safer roads. We look forward to reading the Transport Select Committee’s recommendations to government in its report on the Road Safety Strategy.”
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