Each year, Road Safety Week takes place in late November. Running from the 20th to the 26th of November in 2017, the road safety initiative is meant to shed light on the growing problems faced by road users, not only drivers but pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists as well. Brake, the UK’s leading charitable organisation focused on road safety coordinates Road Safety Week, and it has been utilising its resources to further the discussion around road safety concerns since 1997. This year, Road Safety Week has directed its campaign for fundraising and community education on the most common plight threatening the lives of drivers and other road users in the UK: speeding.
According to recent reports, nearly 90% of all drivers on UK roads admit to breaking the speed limit at least once in the past twelve months. Speeding, no matter how fast over the speed limit, is one of the most prevalent causes of serious and fatal accidents to drivers and non-driving road users alike. Research shows that 20% of serious injuries and 29% of fatalities that are the result of vehicle accidents are correlated to driving over the speed limit. This is due to the fact that drivers have less time to react appropriately to hazards in the road when they are driving too fast, leaving themselves, their passengers, and other unknowing road users at a great risk. Road Safety Week is meant to showcase these dangers to residents of the UK so that more attention is paid to speed limits and education is provided about what responsible driving looks like.
A team of injury lawyers in the UK, Fletchers Solicitors, is taking part in Road Safety Week along with several other schools, employers, companies, and community organisations. The firm has a unique perspective on road safety issues and the need for greater awareness given its work with individuals who have been negatively impacted by a road incident. A representative from Fletchers explains that vulnerable road users are those who use UK roads to walk, bike, or ride a motorcycle, and they are at far more risk than drivers for a myriad of reasons. Without adequate protection of airbags or a heavy vehicle surrounding them, vulnerable road users are more likely to be seriously injured when struck by a driver. The results of a road incident can lead to life-altering circumstances for a pedestrian, cyclist, or motorcyclist, drastically reducing their quality of life and their confidence in using the roads moving forward.
Participating in Road Safety week is a necessary step in educating the masses as to what can be done to safeguard vulnerable road users, such as maintain the speed limit as a driver and being on the lookout for non-drivers on the road.
The tagline for this year’s Road Safety Week is Speed Down, Save Lives, intended to focus on the problems breaking the speed limit causes on the road for all road users. Several organisations are promoting the messaging for the campaign through social media stories and articles, and educators, parents, along with charities and employers are giving detailed resources to educate individuals about the dangers of road accidents. Through the Road Safety Week website, anyone has the opportunity to download free tools to boost their understanding of road safety issues or to share with those close to them. Downloadable lessons, activity sheets, and posters are available at no cost, and listings of community awareness and fundraising events are listed directly on the site. All individuals who use UK roads, either as drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, or motorcyclists, should be aware of what it means to be a smart, responsible road user, and Road Safety Week promotes this cause to the fullest.