7 May 2019
4 Mins read

Drivers encouraged to consider risks on daily journeys

Drivers encouraged to consider risks on daily journeys

Drivers have been urged to do all they can to make Britain's roads safer and more enjoyable places to be during the fifth annual UN Global Road Safety Week – and beyond.

The United Nations' event takes place this week and aims to mobilise action among road users that will lead to safer journeys across the globe.

GEM Motoring Assist is supporting the event and said it wants to see motorists taking this as an opportunity to carefully consider the risks they both face and pose on their daily journeys.

Road safety officer for the organisation Neil Worth said it is common to underestimate the dangers we face on the roads, as well as overestimating our ability to deal with them, which can make everyone vulnerable.

However, he pointed out that everyone has a chance to make a difference by committing to safety and not viewing it as another person's problem.

"Let's stop criticising others and instead see what we could be doing to improve safety on our road journeys – safety for ourselves and for those who share the roads with us. The good news is that we can all start with our very next journey," Mr Worth added.

The latest figures from the World Health Organization make for fairly sombre reading, showing that road traffic injuries are now the number one killer of people aged five to 29 years. Pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are particularly badly affected.

Of course, these statistics do take into account worldwide figures and so will include countries that have especially poor road safety records.

However, Britain certainly has room for improvement, with Brake stating that 1,793 people were killed on its roads in 2017, the highest annual total since 2011.

This amounts to five people dying every day and shows how the UK's road safety record has stagnated lately. Perhaps now is the time to take on board GEM Motoring Assist's comments and really commit to safer, more considerate driving.