Speed contributes to 1 in 5 fatal crashes in the UK and when it comes to road safety, it’s simple: speed matters!
The annual Road Safety Week is taking place this year between 16th - 22nd November, co-ordinated by Brake, the road safety charity. Brake work to prevent devastating road deaths and injuries, make our communities safer and support suffering crash victims.
Each year Brake seek to raise public awareness around road safety. This year, Brake are sharing the what, the why and the where of speed, because no matter where you are or what road you are on, the speed of traffic matters for everyone’s safety.
Why is speed important?
Unfortunately someone is injured on a UK road every 4 minutes. The speed you are travelling can literally be the difference between life and death if you are involved in a crash, just 1mph could change things entirely and that is why it is time for us to come together to say that there is No Need to Speed.
Drivers are all taught about speed and stopping distances in their theory tests but it is also something most people forget about soon after they starting driving. A stopping distance is made up of thinking distance + braking distance. Unsurprisingly, the faster a car is travelling, the longer it takes to stop, the harder the crash and the greater risk of death or injury. Travelling at 40mph rather than 30mph means it will take an extra 13 metres (more than 3 car lengths) to come to a stop. No Need to Speed is a reminder to everyone of how the speed they travel affects other people.
When driving, you should leave enough clear distance in front of you to be able to stop safely in case traffic suddenly slows. Stopping distances vary depending on factors like weather as well as speed. If the road is wet or icy then this will significantly increase braking distances.
Stopping distances at different speeds
Speed | Thinking + braking distance | Stopping distance |
20mph | 6m + 6m | 12m (40 feet) |
30mph | 9m + 14m | 23m (75 feet) |
40mph | 12m + 24m | 36m (118 feet) |
50mph | 15m + 38m | 53m (174 feet) |
60mph | 18m + 55m | 73m (240 feet) |
70mph | 21m + 75m | 96m (315 feet) |
No Need to Speed
This year we are supporting Brake’s No Need to Speed campaign by helping the charity to raise awareness on road safety. Our personal injury team regularly work with people who have been injured on the roads and understand the devastating impact these injuries can have on victims and their families.
Support Brake
Every 20 minutes, someone is killed or seriously injured on a British road. Each crash is a tragedy, each crash is preventable.
Brake's vision is a world with zero road deaths and serious injuries where everyone moves in a safe and healthy way, as part of our normal day. You can help them achieve this goal by donating today.
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