Lawford Kidd's Blog

The number of road deaths and serious injuries involving at-work drivers and riders in the United Kingdom shows that improving occupational road safety should be priority.

These were the findings of a recently compiled strategic review into the management of occupational road risk, which was undertaken by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) together with the Centre for Transport Studies at University College London (UCL).

The review, commissioned by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA), aims to help employers prepare their staff for the risks on the road, but also to educate the public on the risks that at-work drivers pose to other road users.  

Roads in Scotland are becoming safer, according to recently released statistics from Transport Scotland.

The statistics cover reported road accidents where one or more people were killed or injured in 2013. Although the figured are only provisional (final figures are due to be published later in the year), the majority of the findings are encouraging for Scottish road users.

Having falling by 10% to 11,493 between 2012 and 2013, the number of road casualties are now at their lowest recovered level. Of these 11,493 reported road casualties, the number of fatalities dropped by 3% from 178 to 172, serious injuries by 16% to 1,667 and minor injures by 9% to 9,654.

The number of people dying in road traffic accidents across Europe fell by 9% in 2012, according to new figures released by the European Commission (EC).

This drop means that the number of road traffic fatalities is now at its lowest level since the data was first collected.

A landmark year for road safety

Vice-President Siim Kallas, Commissioner for Transport, has described 2012 as a “landmark year” for road safety in Europe, highlighting that a 9% decrease means that 3,000 lives were saved.

A campaign launched at the start of Road Safety Week is appealing to drivers and authorities in Scotland to GO 20, to bring about a 2012 legacy of safe walking and cycling.

Brake, the road safety charity, is appealing to drivers to slow down to 20mph or below in communities, and calling for widespread 20mph limits in built up areas.

According to Brake, children are affected by danger from fast traffic in a number of ways, including:

A recent report commissioned by insurer RSA has found that road crashes caused by poor driver vision result in an estimated 2,900 casualties and cost £33 million per year.

Brake and RSA are calling for the numberplate test to be replaced with a requirement for drivers to have a proper vision test with a qualified professional at the start of their driving career, and mandatory re-testing every ten years thereafter linked to driving licence photocard renewal. Drivers should also be encouraged to voluntarily have their eyes tested every two years in line with NHS recommendations.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, the road safety charity, said: