General Advice
As a road user (motorist or pedestrian), you have a responsibility to yourself, your passengers and other road users. Here are some suggestions could help you to ensure a safer journey.

If your journey is necessary:

• Obtain the latest weather information
• Plan your journey (route and timing), allowing yourself extra time
• If your journey is a long one, fatigue is a problem for drivers. Plan scheduled breaks at regular intervals. Remember …. Tiredness can kill!
• Tell someone of your plans
• Consider joining a recognised breakdown/recovery service
• When driving, travel slowly, at a safe distance from the vehicle in front. This should avoid instances of harsh braking or steering

Remember, speed limits are recommended maximum speeds. It may be necessary to drive more slowly at times due to local conditions.

Before starting a journey check:

• Your tyre pressures are at the recommended level and that the tread depth is correct. Don't forget to check your spare!
• Your vehicle's lights are clean and in working order
• Your wiper system is working effectively and your washer bottles are full
• Your battery is in good condition, topped up (if necessary) and fully charged
• Make sure that all your windows and mirrors are clean and completely clear of condensation

General Facts

1. The first ever pedestrian killed by a motor car was hit at only 4mph. She was Bridget Driscoll who died on 17 August 1896 at Crystal Palace, London.
2. An average family car travelling at 35mph will need an extra 21 feet to stop than one travelling at 30mph.
3. It is not safer to drive faster at night. Casualty rates are double that during daylight hours due to higher speeds because of less traffic, higher alcohol consumption, tiredness and darkness.
4. If you hit a cyclist or pedestrian at 35mph rather than 30mph, the force of the impact increases by more than a third.
5. Traffic is the biggest single killer of 12-16 year olds. In 2002, 35 teenagers aged 12-15 were killed as pedestrians on the roads and statistics show that they are twice as likely to be knocked down as toddlers.
6. Motorcyclists represent 1% of traffic but suffer 19% of deaths and serious injuries.
7. Pedestrians represent 13% of all road casualties and 23% of all road deaths. 40% who are struck at speeds below 20 mph sustain serious injuries, but this rises to 90% at speeds up to 30 mph.
8. A change in the mean speed of traffic will affect collision risk and each reduction in mean speed of 1mph will reduce collision frequency by about 5%
9. Seven out of 10 drivers admit to regularly breaking the 30mph speed limit.
10. Around two thirds of all accidents in which people are killed or seriously injured happen on roads where the speed limit is 40mph or less.
11. If a driver hits a pedestrian at 20 mph, the pedestrian has a 95% chance of survival. At 30 mph the survival chance is 80% and if a driver hits a pedestrian at 40 mph, the pedestrian's survival chances fall to just 10%
12. In 2003, 37,215 people were killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions in Great Britain, of which 4,100 were children under 15 years of age.

Source: Department for Transport - Think website - www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk

• Excess speed (above the speed limit) is a frequent contributory factor, but inappropriate speed (too fast for the local road conditions) is just as important. Tackling the issue of excess speed is only part of the problem. Fatigue, lack of attention (driving whilst using a mobile ‘phone, poor driving conditions, adverse weather conditions and failure to wear seats belts all play their part in keeping the annual casualty figures at an unacceptably high level and a wide range of agencies are working to address those issues.
• If you hit a cyclist or pedestrian at 35mph rather than 30mph, the force of the impact increases by more than a third.
• Injury frequency also rises disproportionately with speed. At 30 mph a belted front seat passenger is 3 times more likely to suffer serious injury on impact than at 20 mph. At 40 mph the likelihood is 5 times greater.
• Every driver can make a difference just by slowing down a few miles per hour and observing speed limits.
• Safety cameras are not of use where the problem is one of inappropriate speed rather than speed in excess of the limit.