Safe System Fatal Review Panels are multidisciplinary groups that examine road traffic fatalities (and sometimes serious or high-potential collisions) in a structured, evidence-based way. Their focus is on identifying system failures and actions to prevent future deaths, rather than assigning blame. Bringing together professionals from highways, maintenance, road safety, emergency services, public health and behaviour change, the panels review each case in detail to identify systemic weaknesses and make targeted recommendations. This ongoing learning process helps create a more forgiving road system that anticipates human error and reduces the severity of outcomes.
The approach was pioneered by the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Road Safety Partnership, with early adoption by organisations including Warwickshire, Vision Zero South West, Kent and Medway, Humberside, West Midlands Combined Authority, and Safer Roads Greater Manchester. These areas have begun embedding the process into local governance, demonstrating the value of collaborative review and shared learning. As momentum grows, more authorities are adopting this model to support Safe System and Vision Zero ambitions.
This report provides an overview of work so far:
- Section 2 provides information about interviews that have been held to establish best practice, and key findings and recommendations that followed.
- Section 3 provides a model Terms of Reference that could be adapted by road safety partnerships for use locally.
- Section 4 provides information about the training that was delivered in February and March 2025 to three road safety partnerships plus observers.
- Section 5 provides our work to establish a reporting proforma for the partnerships to utilise.
- Section 6 describes the progress three road safety partnerships have made with establishing their local Safe System Fatal Review Panel (SSFRP).
For information on training or establishing a local panel, please get in touch at:
