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22-28 November 2010 - Kids Say SLOW DOWN!

Traffic is one of the biggest causes of death and maiming of children. It's also one of the ways that children are most likely to be suddenly and violently bereaved; losing a brother, sister, parent or other close relative.

Statistics show us that drivers who drive above speed limits, or too fast for the road and the people using it, are one of the biggest causes of deaths and injuries of kids. Slowing down is the single most important thing that drivers can do in towns, villages, and around schools. The slower we drive, the more chance we have to react to the unexpected.

In the UK, someone is killed by a driver who is speeding or travelling too fast for conditions every 15 hours. Police identified speeding or travelling too fast for conditions as a contributory factor to 575 road deaths in 2009: that's almost two deaths a day, 11 a week, 48 a month. Death and injury from speed is a problem worldwide too.

This Road Safety Week, Brake is giving children a voice. We're asking them how speed affects their lives; at home, school and play. We're talking to kids in communities that are campaigning for safety measures on their roads and asking what they'd like to see change. We know that children are often scared of traffic in their communities and describe traffic as fast and coming out of nowhere. We know that children prefer to walk or cycle rather than use cars. We know that children are small, vulnerable, and make mistakes, and can so easily die.

Children's overwhelming message in Road Safety Week is a simple one: if we want to improve the safety and quality of life of kids using roads in our communities, we need to SLOW DOWN.

Advice for drivers on slowing down

Brake's calls for Government action

The facts

Use the links below to find out about the themes of previous Road Safety Weeks:

RSW 2009 : Not a Drop, Not a Drag - time to end drink and drug driving (in partnership with 3M and Alcosense)

RSW 2008 : Family safety - Stop, Imagine, Change (in partnership with 3M, DHL, Kwikfit Insurance and MASS)

RSW 2007 : Child pedestrian and cyclist safety (in partnership with 3M, Direct Line and Green Flag Motoring Assistance)

RSW 2006 : Young drivers

Last update: 13/06/2011 09:14:00