National Road Safety Week

Today marks the start of National Road Safety Week. The motoring charity Brake founded Road Safety Week in 1997 as an annual event to raise awareness about road safety and promote steps that everyone can take to stop needless deaths and injuries. This year’s theme is, ‘Look out for Each Other’ and we are asked to consider the impact our actions have on other road users.

When we think of dangers of the road, we usually think of other motorists’ misdemeanours rather than our own offending behaviour. It is easy to think of road safety being a problem caused by those who have no regard to the law. Approximately 143,000 speeding offences were listed in the latest government statistics. 9,930 casualties were attributed to 6,630 drink-drive accidents in 2012.

The thing is, road safety is not just about condemning anyone who drinks or speeds behind the wheel. These are the obvious extremes. There are many other seemingly acceptable habits that can cause a risk to the safety of you and other road users.

Mobile phones are everywhere. They are undoubtedly one of most revolutionary inventions of the 20th century but if not handled correctly their use can be tragic. More than 500 people are estimated to be killed or seriously injured every year in crashes caused by car or lorry drivers texting, sending emails or updating Facebook. Drivers should only use their mobile phones at appropriate times, especially as police will seize mobile devices at the scene of an accident as part of their investigations. Despite a Government crackdown collisions from mobile phone use continue to be a danger. The Department of Transport increased the criminal fine for using a mobile phone to £100 last August but it is currently “reviewing the effectiveness” of that policy in light of continued offending.

Rarely a day goes by when we hear another story of a sat-nav gone wrong. Often the problem is little more than an unscheduled detour, but navigational errors have resulted in serious injury and even death. In 2012, twenty-one year old Stephanie Greenacre was found guilty of careless driving after her sat-nav guided her into the path of a pensioner. Seventy-seven year old Irene Curran was emerging from her Norfolk driveway when Miss Greenacre collided with her vehicle, forcing it into the path of an oncoming van. The elderly lady suffered extensive spinal injuries and died at the scene. Miss Greenacre was later banned from the road for 12 months and ordered to carry out 140 hours community service.

Researchers at Leeds University proved that eating at the wheel is actually more dangerous than using a mobile phone. Their study revealed a 44% reduction in response time compared to 37.4% to a texter. Eating or drinking while driving is in itself not illegal but drivers can be charged with careless driving if police believe they are not in control of their vehicle as a result. The research also uncovered that two million motorists have had an accident or a near miss after driving with one hand on the wheel. If you are feeling peckish, pull over and stop. An encounter with the courts will not do your appetite any good whatsoever.

It is a common misconception that motor vehicles are the sole cause of accidents on UK roads. Last year London Mayor Boris Johnson made the headlines by stating that risk-taking cyclists are often to blame for accidents on the road. His view was met with much criticism, but sometimes the cyclist is at fault. That year 109 cyclists were killed in Britain with 3143 others seriously injured. It is true that all drivers should take extra care around those on bikes and as Road Safety Week reminds us, we must remain conscious of how our actions affect others us. This includes cyclists who can assist fellow road users by wearing appropriate clothing, having good lighting on their bikes and by using appropriate lanes when navigating about our towns and cities.

It’s not just other vehicles you need to be aware of – your biggest distraction could be sitting right next to you! 1 in 7 motorists have blamed a backseat driver for distracting their attention from the road. A survey of more than 1,000 motorists revealed 60% increase in probability of having a serious crash when driving with passengers on board. Young motorists were found to be the most hot-headed when passengers commented on their driving, with nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) getting angry behind the wheel and one in seven (14 per cent) being reduced to tears. Your car can often feel like a pressure cooker. Choose your passengers carefully, keep an eye on the road, and also your temper.

If our road safety advice is too late for you and you are already facing prosecution for a motoring offence, please get in touch with our expert legal team to discuss your options free of charge on Freephone 0800 1389 123.