IAM RoadSmart has issued a call to the government to take stronger action to improve levels of road safety across the UK in the wake of a "stagnation" in positive developments in recent years.

Following the publication of new data earlier this month from the Department for Transport, the organisation has claimed more needs to be done to ensure the nation's roads become safer year-on-year.

Overall, the figures showed there was no significant change in 2015 in the number of alcohol-related deaths on the UK's roads in comparison to 2010, while the total number of fatalities in road traffic accidents had also remained the same.

Tim Shallcross, head of technical policy at IAM RoadSmart, commented: "Road deaths are a serious issue; 35 people a week die in crashes throughout the country. In any other sphere, 35 deaths would provoke national outrage, rule the headlines for months and provoke urgent government action. It happens week in, week out on our roads and it merits barely a mention.

"More action on drink-driving, more on-road enforcement of driving standards and more publicity and education are urgently needed if we are to return to the gains made before 2010."

He added that the government should therefore now shoulder the responsibility of driving improvements in UK road safety, with increased levels of investment in road safety schemes a must for the coming years.

Credible plans to address this vital issue are now being called for, with the IAM warning that failure to deliver could result in the loss of decades-worth of progress in UK road safety.