This week is Road Safety Week which was founded by the road safety charity, Brake, “to raise awareness about road safety and promote steps that everyone can take to stop … needless deaths and injuries year-round”.
One of the main killer on our roads is speed. It is the cause of 1 in 4 fatal crashes in the UK. When something unexpected happens the speed we are travelling at determines how long we have to assess the situation and take action. A few mph can make the difference between avoiding a collision or not. Even if you are not able to avoid it travelling at a lower speed reduces the level and severity of impact.
A vehicle travelling at 20mph would brake in time to avoid a child running out three car-lengths in front. The same vehicle travelling 5mph more would not be able to stop in time, and would collide with the child at 18mph, roughly the same impact as a child falling from an upstairs window. That few moments delay on your journey can therefore have a huge, potentially lifesaving, impact.
Particularly in the current weather drivers should take care to drive at a speed appropriate to the road conditions. Skids on ice can be terrifying and can be avoided, or at least lessened, if travelling at a lower speed. Numerous families spend Christmas mourning the death of a relative killed on the winter roads. Think about your speed and sacrifice those few extra minutes so those families don’t sacrifice a loved one.
