Slow down!

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.

Blog by Alan Calderwood, Solicitor