Seat belts

Wearing a seat belt can reduce the risk of death in a serious crash by up to 50%.

Reference: McCarthy, M. & Seidl, M. (2014), CLIENT PROJECT REPORT CPR1818: Benefit assessment for fitment of Seat Belt Reminder (SBR) systems to M1 passenger seat positions and to other vehicle types, TRL for European Commission

On average more than a fifth of car occupants killed in road crashes in Britain are not wearing a seat belt.

Reference: Department for Transport (2018) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report 2017, table ras41001

Half of young drivers aged 18–24 admit being in a car with someone who wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

Reference: Brake (2019) Half of young drivers admit to being in a car with someone not belted up

Wearing a seat belt is a legal requirement for all drivers and passengers. Drivers are responsible for making sure children under 14 wear a seat belt. Passengers aged 14 and above are responsible for their own belts. Children must use a child car seat until they are 12 years old, or 135cm tall, whichever comes first.

www.gov.uk/seat-belts-law

Only 91% of back-seat passengers in England and Scotland wear seat belts, compared with 98% of drivers and 97% of passengers in the front seat.

Reference: Department for Transport (2015) Seat belt and mobile phone use surveys: England and Scotland, 2014

Turn your phone off

A fifth of drivers aged 18-24 regularly read or send texts while driving. 16% also admit surfing the internet while driving at least several times a week.

Reference: Brake and Direct Line (2016) Smartphones

After using your phone, it can take a minute for you to start paying full attention to the road again.

Reference: AAA Foundation (2015) Measuring cognitive distraction in the automobile III: A comparison of 10 in-vehicle information systems

If you text and drive, your reaction times can slow by 35%.

Reference: Transport Research Laboratory (2008), The effect of text messaging on driver behaviour: A simulator study

You’re four times more likely to be involved in a serious crash if you’re on your phone while driving.

Reference: McEvoy, S.P. et al (2005), Role of mobile phones in motor vehicle crashes resulting in hospital attendance: A case-crossover study, BMJ 331 (428)

Drivers using a phone contributed to 103 crashes where someone was killed or seriously injured in 2019.

Reference: Department for Transport (2020) Reported Road Casualties Great Britain 2019, table RAS50001.

Drink and drug driving

Around 230 people die in drink-drive crashes every year.

Reference: Department for Transport (2018) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report 2017, table ras51001

More than 1,640 fatal and serious crashes each year are linked to drugs (illegal and legal).

Reference: Department for Transport (2018) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report 2017, table ras51001

19% of people admit driving under the influence of alcohol.

Reference: RAC (2018) RAC report on motoring

Drink and drug driving law

The legal limit for drivers is a blood alcohol level of 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood. In most other European countries, including Scotland, the limit is around 50mg of alcohol per 100ml.

Police can stop and test any driver they suspect is impaired by drink or drugs, and may also test a driver if they are stopped for another offence or involved in a crash.

It’s ILLEGAL in England and Wales to drive with LEGAL drugs (medicines) in your body if it impairs your driving.

Drivers over the limit can get six months in prison, a serious fine and a driving ban. The sentences are much harsher for those who cause death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs.

Reference: www.gov.uk/drink-driving-penalties

Reference: www.gov.uk/drug-driving-law

Speeding

Each year, driver speed contributes to more than 105,000 crashes, around 1,580 deaths, and almost 20,000 serious injuries.

Department for Transport (2018), Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report 2017, table ras50008

At 18mph, the impact is equivalent to falling from the first floor.

Tefft, B.C. (2011), Impact speed and a pedestrian’s risk of severe injury or death, AAA Foundation

Four in 10 drivers admit to sometimes driving at 30mph in a 20mph zone.

Brake and Direct Line (2017), Report on safe driving: Speed

More than two-thirds of people (69%) support 20mph zones in places where people live.

Department for Transport (2017), British social attitudes survey 2016: Public attitudes towards transport

The majority (60%) of road deaths occur on rural roads.