Road safety
Although Great Britain has the best road safety record in Europe apart from Sweden, 10 people are killed and 110 seriously injured every day on the roads. This amounts to around 3,500 who are killed each year and 40,000 who are seriously injured.
Each of these accidents causes immense human suffering but they also present a serious economic burden on the UK; the direct cost of road accidents involving deaths or injuries is thought to be in the region of £3billion a year.
Government target to reduce casualties
The government has set a ‘Safer Roads Target’ that by 2010 the country will achieve, compared with the average for 1994-98:
- a 40% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents
- a 50% reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured
- a 10% reduction in the slight casualty rate, expressed as the number of people slightly injured per 100 million vehicle kilometres.
The fire and rescue service aims to achieve this target in several ways.
Choices and Consequences road safety package
We visit schools to deliver this hard-hitting educational presentation and DVD to Key Stage 4 pupils (14-16-year-olds). The DVD shows graphic pictures of a young girl who was physically disfigured in an accident caused by a drink driver and the lasting physical and emotional effects on her and on the drink driver.
We have received very positive feedback from schools across Oxfordshire about the safety educational benefits of this presentation.
New Driver Initiative
This scheme targets 17-25-year-olds who are about to take their driving test. We work with local driving instructors who provide learner drivers for the initiative.
The new drivers visit one of our fire stations and are shown a presentation that illustrates what can happen when drivers don’t wear a seatbelt, speed or drive when under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
They are also given a tour of the fire engines and shown the type of equipment that is used to free motorists from vehicles that have been involved in a collision.
Safe Drive Stay Alive
This is an innovative theatre education project, exploring the circumstances and consequences of a road traffic collision. It is aimed at 16-18-year-olds in the Thames Valley area and involves all the emergency services.
Visit www.safedrive.org.uk
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service works closely with organisations such as Thames Valley Police and the county council’s road safety team to try to reduce the number of people who die or are seriously injured on Oxfordshire’s roads.
Related links
365alive Pledge
I pledge to do my part to reduce the risk in my life by taking the following steps:
- Check my smoke alarm once a week
- Wear a seat belt in a moving vehicle
- Have a fire escape plan
Contact details
Road safety
Risk Reduction Team
Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue
Rewley Rd Fire Station
Oxford OX1 2EH
Phone 08000 325999
Email the team
Community Safety Helpline
