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Pledge to do 6 simple
things to save lives this Road Safety Week
5 people are killed every single
day by something we already know how to cure. If people change their driving
behaviour, the UK can prevent the 470 deaths and serious injuries that happen on
our roads every week.
The Road Safety Week 2016, which is coordinated by Brake, the road
safety charity, supported by Specsavers will focus on the 6 elements of the
charities:- 'Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharp and Sustainable.'
The date for the UK's 'Road Safety Week' will be from 21
November to 27 November 2016 and Brake will be asking
everyone to show their commitment to saving lives and road safety by making
and sharing:- 'Pledge' online. Non drivers can also take the pledge to
make sure the driver of any car they are a passenger in sticks to the 6
pledge points.
Brake believes that good road safety is made up of these core strands, and a
safe driver will adopt each 1, as part of his or her daily driving routine.
The consequences of not driving safely can be catastrophic.
Road safety is more than 1 part of what a driver does on the road; it is
every action that can change the outcome of a journey and the future of
individuals, communities and our planet.
► Slow:- Trying to make up time when running late could be the
difference between a safe journey and one that ends in a fatality. Breaking
the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions is recorded by
police at crash scenes as a contributory factor in 27% of fatal crashes in
Great Britain.
► Sober:- That 1 drink a driver has before getting behind the wheel
could affect their ability to make a split second decision, a decision that
might prevent them from killing either themselves or another road user. In
2013 11% of drivers/motorcycle riders killed had alcohol present in their
body even though they weren't over the limit. 1 in 7 road deaths are at the
hands of someone who got behind the wheel over the limit.
► Secure:- Despite their huge impact on road safety, seat belts are
still seen as an inconvenience by a minority of drivers, yet using a 3 point
belt reduces the chance of dying in a crash by 50%. 21% of car occupants
killed in crashes were not wearing a seat belt.
► Silent:- That phone call a driver thinks simply cannot wait could cost
them or another road user their life. Drivers who perform a complex
secondary task at the wheel, like using a mobile, are three times more
likely to crash than non distracted drivers.
► Sharp:- Booking in for a regular eye test should be at the top of any
driver's to-do list, as a skipped test may cost someone their life. Road
crashes caused by poor driver vision are estimated to cause 2,900 casualties
and cost £33 million in the UK per year.
► Sustainable:- By minimising the amount we drive, or not driving at
all, and walking, cycling or using public transport instead we are removing
the potential for many crashes to happen in the first place and doing the
best we can for the environment and our individual health. Air pollution is
a major killer; there are an estimated 29,000 deaths from particulate matter
pollution in the UK, 5,000 of which are attributable to road transport.
This year's Road Safety Week theme partly builds on the successful 2015
theme, which saw us call on people to:- 'drive less, live more' as
Brake focused on the:- 'Sustainable' element of road safety. The Road
Safety Week 2015 Evaluation Report found that Road Safety Week reached more
people than ever before, thanks to traditional media coverage throughout the
Week and an improved social media presence overall.
Gary Rae, Director of Communications and Campaigns for Brake, said:-
"We've designed this year's theme to be action orientated. Anyone can make
and share the Pledge; individuals, businesses and community organisations.
It's practical, and if every driver vowed to, slow down, never drink or take
drugs when driving or use their mobiles, always wear a seat belt and make
sure children ae safely restrained, get their eyesight regularly tested, and
minimise the amount they drive, then our roads would be safer places for
everyone."
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