‘Talk about speed’ urges charity, as road death figures rise

The data has been released just weeks after calls were made for speed cameras to be installed on the A650 Aire Valley trunk road between the Crossflatts and Marley roundabouts. Road safety charity Brake says that across Yorkshire and the Humber, the number of deaths and serious injuries rose from 2,793 in 2021 to 3,153 last year - an increase of 13 per cent. And the number of fatalities nationally caused by drivers exceeding the speed limit jumped by 20 per cent.

In a survey carried out by Brake, involving more than 2,000 motorists, 92 per cent considered speed limits "essential" for road safety, and two-fifths agreed that the default limit in built-up areas should be lowered from 30 to 20mph. But more than a third of respondents admitted they "sometimes or often" drove above the speed limit, and 40 per cent felt that exceeding the limit a little was OK. Brake is urging people to take part in a national conversation, to raise awareness around the dangers of excessive and inappropriate speed, and to challenge why so many people think speeding is acceptable.

Ross Moorlock, for the charity, says: "Road death is sudden, and traumatic. It sends shockwaves across families, schools, workplaces and communities. This year, we have already supported more than 1,500 people affected by road crashes.

"Today, five people will be killed on our roads. And tomorrow, another five won't make it home to their families. And so on, and so on, until we all say 'enough!' and start taking responsibility for each other's safety on the roads.

"The speed we choose to drive at can mean the difference between life and death. Our speed dictates whether we can stop in time to avoid a crash, and the force of impact if we can't stop. "However you travel, I urge you to join the conversation and talk about speed.

Please talk to as many people as you can to find out why so many of us still choose to drive too fast." Brake offers a range of support to people bereaved or seriously injured through road accidents, and campaigns on issues to make roads safer. It stages an annual Road Safety Week, which this year saw over 3,400 schools and community organisations participate.

For more about the charity, visit brake.org.uk[1]

References

1. ^ brake.org.uk (brake.org.uk)