Let’s talk about speed: Road Safety Week 2023

Authored by QBE

Five people die on UK roads every day, so why do we still think it’s OK to speed? Brake’s national campaign gets under way 19-25 November

As part of Brake’s biggest road safety campaign, thousands of schools, organisations, and communities get involved to share important road safety messages every year. For 2023, the focus is on speed, and sharing the message:

Whoever you are, however you travel, We need to talk about SPEED.

Five people die every day on UK roads – and 82 are seriously injured (10-year average from 2013-22). Police records show that exceeding the speed limit was a contributory factor in 20% of deaths, and speeding was a contributory factor in 25% of deaths.

Driving at an inappropriate speed isn’t just when a driver breaks the speed limit for a given stretch of road. It includes ‘excessive speed’ but also when driving too fast for the prevailing conditions (i.e., inclement weather, reduced visibility or high vulnerable road user activity).

Education and raising awareness is essential to reduce speed related accidents. Studies have shown that it is easier to encourage drivers to drive at safer speeds when they understand that excessive and inappropriate speed greatly increases the risk of being involved in a serious or fatal accident.

Download QBE’s guidance note on Inappropriate Speed here

Winter Driving Advice

Preparation is the key to safe driving in winter, including being ready for adverse weather or driving conditions, maintain your vehicle, and knowing your breakdown and insurance cover.

As we enter the winter months, general driving advice for cold weather includes defrosting your windscreen, clearing off any snow from your vehicle and keeping to a maintenance schedule (including tyre pressure and service checks). It’s also advisable to carry a charged phone, portable battery, and personal supplies in your vehicle, especially on long journeys or on rural routes.

For more general winter driving advice, download QBE’s Guidance for Drivers here

Electric vehicles

For those driving electric vehicles (EVs), additional recommendations include keeping the battery charged above 20%, route planning to allow for reduced range in cold weather and engaging eco-mode to extend the battery charge. EV owners can also modify driving behaviour to avoid sudden acceleration or braking and driving under 60mph where possible, to conserve battery power.

Join hundreds of people in signing up to take the #Brake5 Challenge to remember road victims and fundraise to support families affected by road crashes. You can run, walk, wheel or swim for 5 days or for 5 miles to fundraise £55 to £5,555 for Brake’s National Road Victim Service.

For more information on Road Safety Week and to sign up to the #Brake5 Challenge, visit www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week/fundraise