Slowing down to speed up road safety

In August 2020, the UN General Assembly launched a second Decade of Action for Road Safety, with the adoption of resolution 74/299, "Improving global road safety". The aim is to prevent 50% of road traffic deaths and injuries by 2030 through enhanced legislation, improved vehicle design and the provision of lifesaving emergency care. In January 2022, the UK government introduced sweeping changes to the Highway Code, with the aim to create safer roads for all users – whether they are driving, walking, cycling or even horse riding. These changes, along with the increased number of electric vehicles and the introduction of semi-autonomous vehicles, mean that UK road users are seeing the biggest changes to the rules of the road since the transition from horses to motor vehicles. It is clear to see that governments, charities and individuals are focused on improving road safety. The question is, how will this be accomplished?

Besides changes to road positioning, giving way and overtaking, the new Highway Code also highlights the dangers of speeding: it is intimidating, deters people from walking or cycling, and increases the risk of collisions. Research by Brake, the road safety charity, indicates that three in four drivers admit to breaking the speed limit. Speeding remains a critical road safety issue; it is an active choice to engage in risky and illegal behaviour.

Driving behaviour

Last year saw the launch of the #Love30 campaign, a global initiative focused on urban speed limits. Research by the Department for Transport indicates that 54% of drivers exceed the speed limit on 30mph roads, despite research proving that a pedestrian hit by a car travelling at speeds between 30 mph and 40 mph is 3.5 to 5.5 times more likely to be killed, than if they were hit by a car travelling at below 30 mph. It is clear that driving at, or below, the speed limit will contribute to safer roads for all users.

More than half of the fatal collisions in Britain occur on the rural roads, which make up 57% of road length in England and a huge 77% of road length in Wales. There is a perception that on rural roads, drivers can break the speed limit with little to no consequences. However, the same risks to speeding apply. Most road collisions involve a loss of control, usually on a bend, the lack of safety infrastructure and design of rural, single carriage roads often means that travelling higher than the speed limit of 60mph is just not safe.

Public policing

Thankfully, many road users are keen to help the police enforce speed limits and are using the tools that they have at their disposal, such as the National Dash Cam Safety Portal, to do so. Since its inception in 2018, more than 32,000 submissions have been made – enabling the police to issue warnings, Fixed Penalty Notices (FPN) and even prosecute reckless drivers. It is clear that individual action is having a positive impact on road safety in the UK.

Individual action

While securing legislative change is an important step in improving road safety, our individual actions will enforce the updates and drive behavioural changes that are necessary to improve road safety. This is why it is so important for parents educate their children about road safety from a young age. We cannot escape the fact that the dangers on the road are changing; young people are facing new and evolving challenges when it comes to staying safe on the roads, especially with the introduction of e-scooters. With this in mind, parents have a responsibility to model positive behaviour so it becomes second nature when our children are cycling or driving as adults. From teaching children the Highway Code to driving at the speed limit or calling out dangerous driving, we can all embed road safety into the minds of the next generation.

Public perception

We also need to focus our efforts on changing the perception of road traffic injuries and deaths as unfortunate accidents to change motorists’ behaviour on the roads. The word ‘accident’ is misleading, and contributes to the social acceptance of road traffic incidents as unavoidable. Drivers who break the speed limit are making a conscious decision to do so, and should be held accountable for the consequences of their decisions.

Stiffer penalties for causing serious injury or death by dangerous driving will go a long way toward halving the number of road traffic deaths and injuries on our roads by 2030. By making it socially unacceptable for individuals to make careless, or reckless, driving choices, we will be able to collectively work towards the goal of Vision Zero – a future free from serious injury or death on the roads.