On average, five people die every day on the road in the UK and 82 are seriously injured.

We have personally witnessed the devastating effects of poor driving. Friends and acquaintances have suffered serious injuries due to reckless drivers, and we have had far too many close calls as pedestrians and cyclists on UK roads. Over the past year, it seems that these incidents are on the rise, with drivers unaware of recent changes to the highway code that prioritize pedestrians at junctions, and drivers not knowing how to safely accommodate for the increasing number of people choosing to cycle for daily journeys. 

The normalization of injuries or deaths caused by road traffic incidents is a tragic reality in our society - one we should no longer accept. Every death and serious injury on the road is a preventable tragedy and yet, on average, five people die every day on the road in the UK and 82 are seriously injured (10-year average from 2013-2022). This alarming statistic underscores an urgent need for change. 

In 2022, 1,766 people were killed, and 28,941 people were seriously injured on UK roads. Over 6,000 of these casualties were on foot at the time of the incident, just going about their business, and over 1,400 of those were under 16, not even old enough to drive a car. 

The impact that incompetent, ignorant and reckless drivers have on our society is devastating. Not just for the families and friends of those who die or end up with life changing injuries, but the ripple effect this has on our public services - the NHS treating injuries,  and accompanying support services for follow on care. Time and cost to emergency service response teams, police and judiciary time and cost to investigate not just incidents with casualties, but all driving offences, all put increased pressure on overstretched services and public resources.  

People in control of heavy, fast and potentially dangerous machinery (i.e. cars) have a responsibility to ensure that they: 

• are up-to-date with current rules and regulations designed to keep us safe on our roads,
• follow these rules, and
• are fit to continue driving. 

We propose:

- Mandatory refresher tests for all individuals every 10 years when their driver's license is up for renewal. These tests would not only assess basic driving skills but also ensure knowledge of any updates made to the highway code since their last test.

- 'Close Pass' training and testing to be included in all standard driver training and tests. to ensure new drivers are aware of the dangers they pose to cyclists, teach them how to pass safely, and ensure they are aware of the rights of cyclists as road users. 

By implementing these measures, we can ensure that people in control of vehicles are aware of their responsibilities, that bad habits are picked up and corrected on an ongoing basis, and that as people age they are safe to continue driving. 

Please join us in calling for this crucial change in licencing legislation by signing this petition today - Let's make our roads safer together!

Further statistics and sources of road casualty information from 2022: 

• 1,766 people were killed (1,711 in Britain, 55 in NI).
• 28,941 were seriously injured (28,031 in Britain, 910 in NI).
• Road deaths have increased by 10% since 2021, close to pre-pandemic levels.
• Serious injuries are up by 8% since 2021.
• Aside from during the pandemic, there has been little change in the number of people killed and injured on our roads in the last decade (1,770 road deaths in 2013).

Source: Department for Transport (2023) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2022 and supporting data sets.

Road deaths and serious injuries by age and how we were moving, GB 2022

Pedestrian deaths / serious injuries

Children (0-15) = 17 / 1,401
Young people (16-24) = 31 / 744
Adults (25-59) = 165 / 2,257
Adults (60+) = 172 / 1,460

Cyclist deaths / serious injuries

Children (0-15) = 4 / 325
Young people (16-24) = 3 / 526
Adults (25-59) = 45 / 2,581
Adults (60+) = 39 / 571

Car occupant deaths / serious injuries

Children (0-15) = 20 / 452
Young people (16-24) = 182 / 2,398
Adults (25-59) = 306 / 5,261
Adults (60+) = 280 / 2,520

Motorcyclist occupant deaths / serious injuries

Children (0-15) = 4 / 88
Young people (16-24) = 63 / 1,535
Adults (25-59) = 223 / 3,320
Adults (60+) = 60 / 635

Bus, truck, van and unknown vehicle occupant deaths / serious injuries

Children (0-15) = 4 / 135
Young people (16-24) = 14 / 271
Adults (25-59) = 56 / 959
Adults (60+) = 23 / 351

Note: Data on victim age is not recorded for all casualties. Therefore, totals may not add up to total casualty statistics.

Source: RAS0202: Reported road casualties by road user type, sex and age, Great Britain, 10 years up to 2022 [3]

Source link: https://www.brake.org.uk/get-involved/take-action/mybrake/knowledge-centre/uk-road-safety