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18-24 November 2019
Road Safety Week is coordinated annually by the charity Brake. It involves millions of people around the UK taking action for safer roads.
- Every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on a British road and each of these tragedies is preventable.
Everyone has the right to safe and healthy journeys.
- More than 1.3 million people die on roads every year.
- Many road deaths involve a vehicle being driven for work.
- Vehicles used for work cause extensive pollution.
- Everyone can Step up for Safe Streets and be a leader for safe and healthy journeys.
More than half (51%) of fatal crashes in Britain occur on country roads per mile travelled, country roads are the most dangerous roads for all kinds of road user:
- Car occupants are twice as likely to be killed on a country road than an urban road.
- Motorcyclists are more than twice as likely to be killed on a country road than an urban road.
- Cyclists are almost three times more likely to be killed on a country road than an urban road.
As an industry most of our journeys take place on rural road and through small villages. Whether it be the operators and management teams going to or from forests or new planting sites, or indeed for the collection of timber by haulage operators. Cars and haulage wagons aren’t the only ones driving on rural roads, and you will have to expect to share the road with others. This can include tractors, animals and pedestrians.
Many country roads are narrow, with blind bends, and no pavements or cycle paths. They frequently have potholes and debris such as fallen branches, and suffer from wet and icy conditions, meaning it takes far longer to stop. These factors mean that if a driver is going too fast, they won’t be able to react in time to people or hazards to prevent a crash. They also mean that if a driver is going too fast, they may lose control and end up in the path of an oncoming vehicle or running off the road.
Remember to:
- Plan your journey
- Keep a check on your speed
Look out for:
- cyclists
- motorcyclists
- walkers
- horse riders
- agricultural vehicles
- wildlife
All can be just round the corner and unpredictable.
