Road Safety Week takes action to save lives on UK roads
This week it’s Road Safety Week an annual campaign organised by Brake, the road safety charity whose vision is a world with zero road deaths and injury, where we can all move in a safe and healthy way.
Road Safety Week officially launches a week of campaigning on Sunday 16th November, the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.
The harsh reality of the importance of Road Safety Week is demonstrated in the release of the latest road casualty statistics by the Government on 25th September which stated that in 2024 1,671 people died on the UK roads with 28,804 suffering serious, life-changing injuries. With figures remaining high in recent years, road safety is still a key topic for discussion.
An easy way to support Road Safety Week is to check your vehicle is safe to use. Whether it’s a personally owned car or a company vehicle, carrying out essential checks is your responsibility to help us all increase safety on our roads.
Here is a simple guide to check your vehicle is safe to use:
1. Walk-round checks – what to look for.
A simple walk-round check to your vehicle once a week and before any long journey could save lives. Check you have enough fuel for your journey and all lights on your car are in a good working condition. This includes headlights, brake lights and indicators.
Always check your oil levels when the engine is cold, as well as the water, lubricants, coolants and washer fluid are at their optimal level. Ensure the battery is present, secure and not faulty and a critical check on your tyres is a must. Checking your vehicle’s tyre pressure, uneven wear, side wall damage and tread all help to save lives on our roads. If you’re in any doubt, take it to your local garage immediately – putting it off could cost you money, resulting in a breakdown or worse, leading to a serious crash.
2. MOTs and the law around vehicle maintenance
If you fail to keep your vehicle roadworthy and well-maintained, you can be fined up to £2,500, be banned from driving and get three penalty points for driving a vehicle in a dangerous condition. If safety critical elements in a vehicle such as brakes and wheels are not maintained or fail to respond in time in an emergency, this could result in a fatal road accident.
In the UK, all cars, motorcycles and light passenger vehicles must pass an annual MOT test once they are three years old. The MOT test checks that your vehicle meets road safety and environmental standards. Professional servicing can not only aid the overall condition of your vehicle – it also helps maintain the value of your vehicle plus supports the MOT process so that it’s more likely to pass the test. Always remember that you should never try to fix safety-critical components on your vehicle and parts such as brake pads could wear out in between routine services. Therefore, take guidance from a trained and experienced mechanic on the level of wear on brake pads and tyres, or other issues that may arise so that you know if an additional visit is needed in a 12-month timeframe.
3. How can vehicle technology make journeys safer?
One of Brakes campaigns to improve road safety is for all new vehicles to have life-saving technology fitted as standard. Advances in technology in vehicles play a big role in safety on our roads including technology which protects you in a crash (passive safety) and technology which works to prevent a crash from happening (active safety). Passive safety systems are widely used such as seat belts, airbags and crumple zones but active safety systems are less common. Active safety systems include anti-lock braking (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) as well as newer innovations like autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and intelligent speed assistance (ISA).
The latest technology is centred around Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) which are active safety systems on a vehicle that can identify safety-critical situations and take action, either automatically or by sending a warning to the driver.
New sensing technology: cameras, radar and laser technology referred to as lidar, have all aided innovations in ADAS. These technologies is also helping the development of automated and driverless vehicles. The ultimate removal of human error would be the introduction of driverless vehicles although this is some way off yet as the complexities of roads and environmental factors still challenge technology.
How you can get involved
If you would like to support Road Safety Week, visit their website to find out more and you can also access their toolkit of resources here too.
For more information about vehicle safety and fleet insurance, call Sutcliffe & Co Insurance Brokers on 01905 21681 or email enquiries@sutcliffeinsurance.co.uk
