What is Road Safety Week?
Road Safety Week is the UK's biggest annual campaign promoted by Brake, the road safety charity and its aim is to promote and raise awareness for road safety. This year, Road Safety Week will take place from 16 November to 22 November. Throughout the week, thousands of organisations, schools and communities across the UK will be carrying out events to support road safety.
This year, the theme of Road Safety Week is safe vehicles, one of the five key pillars of the Safe System Approach. Each year, more than 1,700 people die on roads in the UK, with a further 30,000 suffering life-changing injuries. Brake advocates that every road traffic collision is preventable and that safe vehicles would significantly reduce these figures.
What is the Safe System Approach?
In our Road Safety Week series, we will explain what the Safe System Approach is and examine in further detail the five key pillars.
The Safe System Approach is a best practice model, adopted in numerous countries across the globe. It was first adopted in Sweden and the Netherlands. It is an approach to road safety management based on the simple principle that our need to travel should not compromise our lives or health. The system is designed to shift responsibility from individual road users to create a system which prevents crashes when possible, or when they do occur, they are less likely to result in fatal or life-altering injuries. It does this by creating a road network which can accommodate human error and vulnerability, designing more effective road infrastructure, managing speed, developing safe vehicles, promoting safe road user behaviours and improving post-crash response. The Safe System Approach is considered to be international best practice in road safety by the World Health Organization (WHO).
At the heart of the Safe System Approach is a shift in responsibility for road safety being with the individual road user to a shared responsibility. This includes policymakers, road planners, vehicle manufacturers, engineers, educators and the media, to name a few. Whilst individual road users also bear responsibility for compliance with the rules, the approach is also based upon an acknowledgement that people make mistakes and the system should accommodate these inevitable human errors. A further key principle is that people are vulnerable to being killed or seriously injured when travelling at certain speeds and certainly those in excess of 30mph.
Essentially, the approach is designed with the aim of ensuring that all aspects of the road structure work together to minimise the chances of a crash and, if a crash does occur, to prevent serious injuries or death occurring.
What are the five key pillars of the Safe System Approach?
The Safe System Approach is built on five key pillars: Safe Roads, Safe Speeds, Safe Vehicles, Safe Road Users and Post-Crash Care. Each week, we’ll explore one of these pillars in more detail as we count down to Road Safety Week 2025, which runs from 16 November to 22 November.
Safe Roads is the first of the five key pillars of the Safe System Approach. Its purpose is to design infrastructure that protects all road users. Safe Roads requires roads to be designed to reduce the risk of crashes occurring or if a crash does occur, to minimise the severity of any injuries.
How do we create safe roads?
There are a number of ways to create safe roads, as set out below:
1. Segregating vulnerable road users: One of the most prevalent dangers is different types of road users sharing the same space. In 2023, Transport Scotland reported that 3,385 casualties involved car users, 939 involved pedestrians and 473 involved motorcyclists. To protect all road users, the Safe System Approach requires the development of safer routes for vulnerable users, such as pedestrians and cyclists.
Examples of further protection for cyclists include segregated cycle lanes, clear signage, road markings and traffic calming measures. These reduce the number of vehicles on the roads and make them safer. Regular maintenance of bike lanes is also essential.
To protect pedestrians, safer pedestrian crossings should be developed. Road layouts should be designed to reduce risks in the event of a collision. This may include constructing and maintaining footways and working with schools to develop safer walking routes for children. It also involves ensuring sufficient lighting in areas used by pedestrians and improving visibility in dangerous areas, including hidden corners and blind spots.
2. Segregating vehicles: Traffic moving in different directions and at varying speeds should be segregated. It is not surprising that vehicles travelling in opposite directions pose a serious risk and by limiting this where possible, the risk can be reduced. An example would be installing crash barriers to separate opposing lanes of traffic. Ensuring infrastructure and road markings are well maintained also plays an important role.
3. Self-explaining roads: Self-explaining roads are designed to ensure that the driver is aware of what is expected of them through the road layout, rather than relying solely on signage. This causes the driver to act appropriately in response.
Each class of road is instantly unique, with its own carriageway width, road markings, signing and use of street lighting. The purpose of this design is to decrease driver stress and minimise driver error. The layout of these roads aims to reduce the impact of errors when they occur, through wider hard shoulders and clearer sightlines. Many roads in the UK follow this approach already. Ensuring every road meets this standard will help improve safety.
4. Proactive approach: A proactive approach to roads is required to ensure improvements are constantly being made to enhance both the actual and perceived risks of road safety. This includes additional engineering measures being implemented to remedy risks, such as improving road surfaces, swiftly dealing with potholes, removing obstacles that restrict vision and installing traffic lights.
It is evident that identifying and implementing these measures will improve road safety and reduce hazards and the risks of crashes occurring, meaning safe roads for all road users.
Safe Speeds is the second of the five key pillars of the Safe System approach. Safe Speeds encourages adherence to national speed limits to promote both crash avoidance and the body's limit for physical trauma.
Speed limits are not a target to reach – they represent the maximum allowable speed and should not be exceeded. In reality, a safe speed is usually below the set limit.
In the UK, the national speed limits for cars and motorcycles are 30 mph in built-up areas, 60 mph on single carriageways and 70 mph on dual carriageways and motorways.
Why must we adhere to safe speeds?
Speeding is often associated with avoidable road deaths and life-changing injuries. According to Road Safety Scotland, speeding contributes to 1 in 5 deaths on Scotland's roads. Moreover, fatal collisions caused by drivers going at 65 mph could be halved if the drivers slowed down by just 5 mph.
These harrowing statistics highlight the need for robust speed management and the setting of appropriate speed limits to prevent injury and death on Scotland's roads.
What are the safe speed aims under the Safe System approach?
- Establish: The Safe System approach aims to establish suitable speed limits, which are set depending on the type of road. This is exemplified by the rolling out of the 20 mph speed limit in built-up areas across Scotland.
- Enforce: The Safe System approach aims to enforce existing speed limits by co-operation between police, transport authorities and community groups, working together to develop and evaluate speed enforcement. An example of this is Community Speedwatch, which is locally driven and utilises speed detection devices to monitor speed, with support from police.
- Educate: The Safe System approach seeks to educate, encouraging authorities to run speed enforcement campaigns and work directly with fleet drivers and taxi companies to promote education to road users.
What is being done to support safe speed aims?
The Scottish Government published the Road Safety Framework in 2021, setting a target to reduce the number of people killed or injured on Scotland's roads by 2030. Speed management is one of the key priorities of this framework.
20 mph Speed Limits:
The Scottish Government is committed to implementing 20 mph speed limits on appropriate roads by the end of 2025. Transport Scotland published its implementation guide on 20 mph speed limits in October 2024 in support of this target.
It is suggested that lowering the speed limit will result in fewer collisions and reduce the severity of collisions which do occur. If someone is hit by a vehicle at 30 mph, it is seven times more likely that they will be fatally injured than if they were hit by a vehicle travelling 20 mph.
As a result, the Scottish Government is actively working with local authorities to reduce the speed limit in towns, cities and villages to improve safety for all road users. The 20 mph speed limit has already been widely implemented in various council areas, including Edinburgh and Aberdeenshire.
National Speed Management Review:
The National Speed Management Review commenced in November 2024 and aims to ensure speed limits are suitable and effective in reducing deaths and injuries in Scotland. The review found that higher traffic speeds increase both the likelihood and severity of collisions and that lowering speeds could significantly reduce casualties. Research found that for every 1 km/h reduction in vehicle speed there was an 8% reduction in fatalities and 6% reduction in overall casualties.
The review made various proposals on speed limits, including lowering the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph. The consultation period has ended and Transport Scotland is assessing the responses to determine the next steps.
In 2024, 29,537 people were seriously injured or killed on UK roads. While safe driving habits are essential to road safety, safer vehicles are also important. There are two main elements to creating safer vehicles: (1) Technology; and (2) Roadworthiness.
1. Technology
In recent years, advances in vehicle safety technology have helped prevent collisions and reduce the severity of injuries when collisions do occur. These advances can be categorised as 'active' and 'passive' safety systems, as set out below. However, we can only take advantage of these technologies by choosing vehicles equipped with safety features and keeping those features enabled.
What are 'active' safety systems and how do they prevent collisions?
'Active Safety' systems are designed to prevent collisions before they happen, by alerting drivers of potential hazards or automatically intervening when danger arises. Many active safety systems are now standard in new vehicles, including, but not limited to, the following:
Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB): Sensors are used to detect potential collisions. The system alerts the driver to an imminent collision and, if no action is taken, automatically applies the brakes to help prevent or reduce the impact. A recent study by AAA has found that AEB can reduce collisions at speeds up to 35 mph by 100%.
Lane Assist: Cameras monitor road markings to detect if the vehicle begins to drift out of its lane. The system alerts the driver through sounds or vibrations, and if no corrective action is taken, it can gently steer the vehicle back into the lane or apply the brakes to prevent further drifting. The feature is particularly useful on motorways and during long journeys, when driver tiredness and lapses in concentration are more likely.
Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA): GPS and cameras detect local speed limits and either alert the driver or automatically limit the vehicle's speed. According to Gov.uk, excessive speed contributed to 40% of all road traffic collisions in 2024, making ISA one of the most effective ways to improve road safety.
Tiredness Detection: This system monitors driver behaviour, including steering patterns and signs of tiredness such as yawning or eye closure. If the driver shows signs of tiredness, the system alerts the driver and recommends taking a break. This helps to prevent road traffic collisions caused by drivers falling asleep behind the wheel.
What are 'passive' safety systems and how do they protect you in a collision?
Active safety systems are designed to prevent collisions, whereas passive safety features protect you if a collision occurs. These systems minimise injury by absorbing impact and keeping occupants securely inside the vehicle.
Seatbelts remain the most effective passive safety measure, preventing occupants from being thrown forward or ejected from the vehicle during a collision. According to the road safety charity Brake, you are twice as likely to be killed in a road traffic collision if you are not wearing a seatbelt. Despite decades of awareness campaigns, failure to use a seatbelt remains a major factor in road traffic fatalities.
Padded dashboards and airbags further reduce injuries by cushioning occupants and protecting their heads, necks and chests. Airbags typically deploy within 20 to 30 milliseconds of a collision being detected, ensuring protection at the moment it is needed most.
How can we encourage drivers to keep safety systems activated?
Despite the benefits of modern vehicle safety technology, many drivers choose not to use these features. According to Brake, 41% of drivers reported turning off vehicle safety systems in 2023. Common reasons include finding alerts intrusive or distracting, or simply not understanding how the systems work. However, disabling these features removes an important safety barrier and significantly increases the risk of collisions. Ensuring drivers understand and trust these technologies is essential to making our roads safer.
Public awareness campaigns are key to encouraging drivers to choose safer vehicles and keep all safety systems activated. Just as decades of campaigns have promoted the use of seatbelts, it's now time to educate drivers on the benefits of modern safety features such as AEB and ISA. By highlighting both the life-saving advantages of these systems and the potential consequences of switching them off, campaigns can help instil safer driving habits and reduce collisions on our roads.
2. Roadworthiness
Individuals and businesses that operate vehicles have a duty to ensure their vehicles are safe for use on our roads. The risk of road traffic collisions can be reduced by choosing reliable vehicles with high crash test ratings and integrated safety systems. Regular servicing, timely MOTs and prompt repairs are also essential for keeping vehicles safe and reliable. By maintaining our vehicles to the highest safety standards, we protect not only ourselves but also others from harm. For businesses, properly maintaining fleets not only protects the health and safety of employees but also improves public safety. If we fail to properly maintain our vehicles, we increase the likelihood that they will not perform as they should, increasing the risk of collisions.
What can road users do to contribute to safer roads?
Every road user has a role to play in keeping our streets safe. By choosing reliable vehicles equipped with safety systems and, crucially, keeping those features activated, as well as maintaining their vehicle to the highest safety standards, drivers can help reduce collisions. While safety systems cannot eliminate all risks, when combined with safe driver behaviour, they become one of the most effective tools for preventing avoidable injuries and fatalities on our roads.
Governments and local authorities are responsible for promoting road safety through effective policies and well-designed infrastructure. However, their responsibility doesn’t end there. Every road user, including pedestrians, cyclists and drivers, has a role to play. Following road safety rules reduces the risk of collisions, while breaking them increases the risk of preventable injuries and fatalities.
One of the most effective ways to improve road safety is by increasing the number of safe road users. We can do this by reducing traffic, educating users, measuring road safety in new ways, introducing school travel planning initiatives and rethinking the use of our streets.
How does less traffic make roads safer?
In recent years, increasing concern for the environment has encouraged more people to walk, cycle and use public transport. According to Transport Scotland, public transport journeys increased by 15% in 2023-2024. With fewer cars on the road, streets are quieter and the risk of collisions is reduced. Reduced traffic allows for safer interactions between vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, creating a more enjoyable environment for everyone.
How does education make roads safer?
Education is a fundamental part of creating safer roads. By educating children from a young age, we equip them with the skills they need to navigate traffic safely and understand the risks involved. These skills help keep both themselves and others safe on the road. Initiatives such as Brake’s “Beep Beep! Day” and road safety programmes in schools are key to raising awareness and encouraging safe behaviour.
But road safety education isn't just for children. Many road traffic collisions are caused by unsafe driver behaviour. Examples of unsafe behaviours include speeding, using mobile phones at the wheel and not giving other road users enough space. Public campaigns and driver awareness courses help to remind drivers of their responsibilities and encourage better driving habits. Drivers who fail to follow road safety rules may be required to attend further training, such as the National Driver Offender Retraining Scheme (NDORS) course, which offers an opportunity to learn from mistakes and reduce the risk of reoffending.
Many modern vehicles now have technology that gives drivers feedback on how safely they are driving. These systems track things like speed; seatbelt use and how often a driver brakes or accelerates suddenly. This helps drivers spot unsafe driving habits and make changes to their behaviour. By increasing awareness of their own driving, drivers can reduce the risk of collisions.
How can measuring road safety in new ways make our roads safer?
Road safety has traditionally been measured using casualty statistics, focusing on injuries and fatalities after collisions occur. While this data is important, it only captures incidents once they have happened, leaving 'near misses' unaccounted for. Organisations are now exploring new ways of measuring risk, such as assessing the public's perception of road danger. By identifying areas where near misses occur or where people feel unsafe, local authorities can redesign streets, introduce traffic calming measures and run targeted road safety education, helping to prevent collisions before they happen.
How can school travel planning initiatives make our roads safer?
Travel planning initiatives, such as safe walking routes and patrolled school crossings, are key to making our streets safer. By managing traffic flow and providing supervised crossing points for children, these measures reduce the risk of collisions. They also encourage children and drivers to develop safer habits, creating safer roads for everyone.
How can rethinking road use make roads safer?
Traditionally, roads have been designed with vehicles in mind. But now, across Scotland, communities are beginning to reclaim streets as spaces for people. An example is a "play out" where typically once a month, a street is temporarily closed to create a safe space for children to play and an opportunity for the community to come together. These events raise awareness among drivers about the importance of driving safely in residential areas, helping to reduce road collisions.
So, how can road users help make our streets safer?
While policy and planning are important, real change happens when individuals make safer choices.
We can start by:
- Slowing down and following speed limits.
- Staying focused.
- Giving space to cyclists and pedestrians.
- Using public transport where possible.
- Supporting road safety initiatives.
By adopting safe road behaviours, we can work towards a future where no one falls victim to an avoidable road traffic collision.
The fifth and final pillar of the Safe System Approach is Post-crash care. The aim of this pillar is to limit the severity of the impact and injury by ensuring a robust emergency response along with the provision of long-term support and care.
To achieve this, the focus of this element is to improve emergency response systems and access to trauma care with a view to minimising the long-term impact of road traffic injuries. This includes improving access to emergency medical care immediately following a collision, while also preventing secondary crashes through road traffic incident management practices. While efforts can be made to reduce the risk of a road traffic collision occurring, in situations where a crash does take place, it's important that those impacted receive appropriate care.
What are the various elements of Post-crash care?
- Emergency Services Response:
One of the most important elements of post-crash care is ensuring that emergency services are immediately available to provide prompt treatment in the aftermath of a road traffic collision. This includes police, ambulance and fire and rescue services. - Incident Management Practices:
When a collision does occur, it is vital that the incident site be secured promptly. Ensuring that the crash area is properly cordoned off reduces the risk of further crashes and allows emergency services to provide care without unnecessary interruptions. This also includes data collection, which can inform continuous improvement to road safety measures. - Hospitalisation and Rehabilitation:
Those impacted by a road traffic collision should be provided with appropriate hospital treatment and rehabilitation services where needed. This requires hospitals and care centres to be staffed with skilled personnel who are able to provide comprehensive treatment. - Long-term Support:
It is common that various legal procedures will follow a road traffic collision. There may be a criminal prosecution, a Fatal Accident Inquiry or a civil claim for damages. It is important to be informed of what those procedures are and be advised on their implications. In cases where an individual has suffered injuries, a claim for damages may be necessary to allow them to access the medical treatment and rehabilitation required to support their recovery. For those who have lost loved ones, a claim can be an important step to seek justice and enforce their rights. It is important to seek legal advice from a trauma-informed lawyer to understand your rights whilst preventing any further trauma through the legal processes.
How is the Safe System Approach used in Scotland?
In February 2021, the Scottish Government published The Road Safety Framework to 2030, setting targets to reduce road deaths and serious injuries by 2030. To achieve this, the Framework aims to deliver a road safety environment based upon the five pillars of the Safe System Approach. The Government considers it necessary to embed this approach to achieve its long-term vision of zero fatalities and serious injuries on Scotland's roads by 2050.
MFMac and Brake
MFMac is proud to be on Brake's Scottish legal panel and support their aim of providing excellent post-crash care by taking a trauma-informed approach to advising individuals of their rights to make a claim for compensation, whilst assisting and supporting them throughout the legal process.
