Road safety driven forward as West Yorkshire Vision Zero marks two years

Safety on the region’s roads is improving two years on from the launch of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Strategy.

The anniversary is being marked with a free, community fun day event at People’s Park, Halifax on Thursday 13th August. The event includes activities and crafts for young people, access to emergency service vehicles, interactive stalls as well as bike safety checks and marking.

Launched in Bradford in 2024, the Vision Zero Strategy aims to reduce all road deaths and serious injuries to zero by 2040. 

It brings together the work and resources of emergency services, local authorities, victim support services, road safety campaigners and National Highways.

Communities in the county also play a vital role. 

Op Snap submissions, where members of the public can send in video footage of bad driving to the police, have risen by 10% over the last year. Around 7,500 drivers were held to account for their unsafe behaviour because of that work. 

A new video of some of these incidents has been released today including dangerous overtaking, a very near miss of a cyclist and a bizarre case of pavement driving.

Members of the public have also been reporting their concerns on speeding leading to a rise of community concern site enforcement. These additional safety camera deployments have captured nearly 65,000 offences over the last year with behaviour change often seen in the area as a result.

Everyone can help end road death and serious injury. A great first step is to sign the Vision Zero Pledge and make a commitment to keeping our roads safe. Pledges can be dedicated in someone’s memory which will be added to a memorial webpage.

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“Everyone deserves a safer West Yorkshire and it’s great we’re making progress.

“A big thank you to all the members of the public who are supporting this work and helping to bring about change.

“There is plenty left to do and we’re under no illusion at the size of the task, but we stand firm that no-one should die or be seriously injured on our roads.” 

Alison Lowe OBE, Chair of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Board and Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime, said:

“One thousand two hundred and ten people were seriously injured and 51 people were killed on West Yorkshire’s roads in 2025.

“This marks a total reduction in serious collisions and those severely injured as result. However sadly we saw a rise in deaths from the year before, highlighting the need for sustained and coordinated action.

“So far this year the numbers are lower than in 2025 which is good news, but we need everyone’s help so please do your bit for road safety.”

West Yorkshire Vision Zero focuses on the safe system approach - safe roads, behaviours, speeds, vehicles and an effective post collision response.

Nationally, the amount of people killed or seriously injured on the roads rose by 4% last year, but locally West Yorkshire is bucking that trend with a reduction of 4%.

Further highlights from partnership over the last year include:

• 18,000 Year 7 students, across 90 schools in the region receiving a theatre in education road safety input.
• Over 1,000 child car seats checked for safety at a host of events across the county.
• Over the last year, 83 individuals received support from the Vision Zero funded Independent Road Victim Advocate service run by Brake. 85% of referrals came directly from the West Yorkshire Police, significantly higher than the national average of 56%.
• Roads Policing officers dealt with nearly 20,000 offences relating to the Fatal 5 risk factors over the last year, a 14% increase on the year before.
• Police Officers dealt with a nearly 29,000 road traffic offences over the last year, a further 14% increase on the year before.

Find out more about West Yorkshire Vision Zero. 

Partnership comments

Paul Jeffrey, West Yorkshire Police lead for the West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership, said: “West Yorkshire Police remain committed to making the road network safer for everyone. We aim to improve road user behaviour through a visible presence and safety camera enforcement that is focussed on the ‘Fatal 5’ risk factors associated with many collisions. 

“The West Yorkshire Safety Camera Partnership can now respond directly to your local speeding concerns and Operation SNAP provides a valuable opportunity for the public to work with the police to improve the behaviour of road users. 

“Our focus remains on improving driver behaviour through education for eligible offenders, with fines and court action reserved for more serious or repeat offending.  By working together with the police, communities can support our Vision Zero ambition and help prevent road casualties.”

Councillor Andrew Judson, Bradford Council’s Executive Member for Economy, Regeneration and Planning, said: “Road deaths and injuries are devastating for families.  We must do all we can to prevent such incidents.  Bradford is pleased to have adopted the principles for Vision Zero and to have worked together with West Yorkshire Combined Authority during the last two years seeking out areas of high risk and using all available resources both in the council and with our partner agencies to remove death and serious injury on Bradford district’s network.”

Councillor Darren Commons, Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “Helping people to feel safe in our communities is a priority for the Council, and reducing crime is a key focus. 

“Behind every road death statistic is a life lost and a devastating impact on a family and a community. 

“Speeding and other dangerous driving will not be tolerated. Work continues across Calderdale, where the Vision Zero anniversary event is being held, to help tackle the issue. But every one of us has a responsibility to keep people safe on our roads.”

David Shepherd, Executive Director for Place at Kirklees Council, said: "We are committed to our role of improving road safety across the district through a range of measures, including investment in highways improvements and educational work in schools, as part of the wider West Yorkshire Vision Zero programme.
 
"Later this year, Kirklees Council will establish its first Vision Zero Board. The board will bring together key partners and local expertise to support a coordinated approach to road safety, helping to focus efforts on the issues that matter most to local communities and contribute to making Kirklees's roads safer for everyone."

Councillor Peter Carlill, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Transport and Planning, said: "Two years on from the launch of the West Yorkshire Vision Zero Strategy, and four years on from Leeds committing to its own Vision Zero ambition, we can see the positive impact of partners, organisations and communities working together to make our roads safer.

"While it is encouraging to see reductions in serious injuries, every death and serious injury on our roads is one too many. Behind every statistic is a person, a family and a community affected by a tragedy that could potentially have been prevented.

"That is why Leeds City Council remains fully committed to the Vision Zero ambition of eliminating road deaths and serious injuries by 2040. Through safer road design, lower speeds, improved enforcement and supporting more people to walk, wheel and cycle safely, we will continue to play our part in creating a transport network where everyone can travel safely and confidently.

"Road safety is everyone's responsibility, and I would encourage residents to support the Vision Zero pledge and help us build a future where nobody is killed or seriously injured on our roads."

Councillor Keith Anderson, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Planning at Wakefield Council, said: “We welcome the continued improvement in road safety across the region. But we also recognise that there is still a lot more to do. 

“We want our streets to be as safe as they can be. Which is why we’re working with partners to deliver a range of things to improve safety. 

“Improving our roads has already been identified as one of our main priorities.  More resurfacing and improvements to existing road surfaces, timely and better pothole repairs, and improved road markings will create safer roads for everyone.

“We are also heavily focussed on delivering road safety education programmes for school children, improving our bus network to get more people using buses, and taking robust action to tackle car cruising and vehicle-related anti-social behaviour through our district-wide Public Spaces Protection Order.  Collectively, these will all help to make our roads safer for everyone”.

Sheena Hague, Director of Road Safety at National Highways, said: "Road safety is our number one priority, and our long-term ambition remains that no-one should be harmed while travelling or working on our roads. 
 
"As road safety is a shared responsibility, it’s important we all recognise the part we can play and so we’re pleased to be working with local authorities and partner agencies to help us collectively achieve this ambition."

Road Safety Lead at West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service, Andy Shaw, said: “Two years on from the launch of Vision Zero in West Yorkshire, we are proud to stand alongside our partners to work together to prevent all deaths and serious injuries on our roads.

“As a fire and rescue service we see first-hand the devastating impact on families and communities, and we know that most collisions are preventable. We have long been committed as a Service to preventing road traffic collisions through education and community work, and we are proud to focus this further with Vision Zero to create safer roads for everyone who lives, works and travels across West Yorkshire. 

“The progress made over the past two years demonstrates what can be achieved when organisations come together with a common purpose.”