Road Safety Week is an annual campaign organized by the charity Brake, aimed at promoting road safety awareness and reducing traffic-related injuries and fatalities.
Every year, more than 1700 people die on UK roads. Another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries. The numbers are shocking, and there has been no significant reduction for more than a decade. This year the focus will be on vehicle safety. Safe vehicles are designed to prevent road crashes and protect people inside and outside the vehicle if a crash does happen.
Safe vehicles…
- Prevent crashes – Automated driver assistance systems keep vehicles in the right lane and below speed limits, detect hazards and brake in an emergency.
- Protect people inside and outside the vehicle – Seatbelts, airbags and ‘forgiving’ vehicle parts protect people inside and outside the vehicle in a crash. Vehicles must pass stringent crash tests.
- Manage driver safety – Vehicle technology detects unsafe driving behaviour (e.g. due to tiredness) and informs authorities.
- Are roadworthy – Vehicles are maintained to the highest standards and drivers carry out checks before every journey.
- Record crashes – Event data recorders record what happens in a crash and notify emergency services immediately.
Safe vehicles are an important part of the safe systems approach to road safety – a shared approach to prevent death and serious injury from road crashes.
The Blackburn with Darwen, Blackpool and Lancashire Child Death Overview Panel will be supporting Road Safety Week and sharing key messages. You can get involved by helping to spread the word on social media, and raising awareness with the children and families you work with.
