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Road Safety Week

17th November 2025

It's Road Safety Week!

Brake, the road safety charity, is holding its biggest road safety campaign this week. Organisations from across the UK are getting involved to share important road safety messages, resources, and to join the call for safe roads for everyone.

Who are Brake?

Brake are a national road safety charity that campaigns for safer roads and provides support to victims of road crashes. Since 1995, Brake has been working to stop the tragedy of road deaths and serious injuries in traffic accidents, make streets safer, and provide support for road crash victims.

They run initiatives like the UK’s biggest road safety campaign, Road Safety Week (Opens in new window), and offers the National Road Victim Service (Opens in new window). Find out more about what Brake is doing keep our roads safe here (Opens in new window).

Alongside thousands of organisations nationally, we support Brake’s objectives and aim to encourage road safety by:

  • Helping to build understanding of what a safe vehicle is and why safe vehicles are vital in making our roads safer and preventing death and injury.

  • Spreading awareness of the importance of ensuring a vehicle is roadworthy before every journey and how to carry out regular checks.

  • Encouraging discussions on the latest vehicle safety technology and how it can make us safer.
  • Helping organisations that employ people who drive for work to understand the importance of buying and leasing the safest vehicles and carrying out essential safety checks before every journey.

Helping you keep safe on the road

As your trusted fleet and mobility partner, we are committed to ensuring your safety and wellbeing throughout every stage of your journey.

We have provided some key information regarding road safety, along with resources that offer practical advice, tips, and guidance you may wish to keep in mind before starting your journey.

Tyres are one of the most important components of a vehicle and are key to keeping you safe during your journey. Poorly maintained tyres increase braking distance, which can make it much harder to stop in an emergency, especially on slippery road surfaces. Additionally, you may end up using more fuel if you are driving with tyres that are under-inflated or damaged.

Therefore, it is important that you ensure your tyres have the minimum tread depth, the recommended tyre pressures, and are free from damage. UK law requires cars and vans to have a minimum tread depth of at least 1.6mm across the central three-quarters of the tread around its entire circumference. Driving with dangerous or defective tyres also puts drivers at risk of a fine of up to £2,500 and three points on their licence. This is per tyre, so four illegal tyres could mean a fine of £10,000 and 12 penalty points.

Here are some checkpoints you can use to ensure your tyres are safe before starting your journey:

  • All tyres are legal (with a minimum tread depth of 1.6mm) and correctly inflated.

  • There are no deep cuts or damage to the tyre walls.

  • No cord is visible on the tyres.

  • All wheel nuts are secure and tightened properly.

  • The spare tyre or inflation kit is present.

  • There is no irregular wear and tear on the tyres.

For more information on tyre safety, check out our below factsheets:

As the winter months approach, it is important that you ensure you and your vehicle are prepared for the unique hazards that the colder season can bring.

Here are some useful winter driving tips:

  • Carry winter essentials, as it is important to be prepared for anything that could happen, especially in icy or colder conditions. It is worth carrying blankets, a torch, screen wash, an ice scraper, de-icer and a portable charger.

  • Avoid using cruise control on winding roads, in heavy traffic, or in foggy, icy, slippery or wet conditions, as it could result in loss of vehicle control, serious injury or even death.

  • It can take up to 10 times longer to stop on slippery roads, so drive slowly and allow extra room to slow down and stop.

  • If you start to skid, ease off the accelerator and do not brake suddenly.

  • Low winter sun can obscure your vision: use your visor and keep a pair of sunglasses in your vehicle to avoid sun glare and being dazzled.

If you are driving an EV, you may want to consider:

  • Planning shorter journeys: Battery chemistry can slow down in colder weather, and you can lose up to 40% of your range, so plan shorter journeys with extra charging margin in mind and avoid letting the battery drop below 20%.
  • Using winter/snow mode: This can help improve the traction and stability of the vehicle on slippery roads during the winter months as it enhances wheel control.
  • Pre-conditioning your battery before heading to a charger: This allows the battery to warm itself before charging and protects the battery cells.

For more winter driving tips check out our Winter Driving Factsheet.download (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf(

It is always worth ensuring that your vehicle is roadworthy and safe before starting your journey.

Conducting regular ‘walkaround’ checks can help you identify and prevent serious problems with your vehicle, which could help you avoid future breakdowns or road accidents.

They only take a few minutes to carry out and can make a big difference to your safety and your vehicle’s reliability.

Here are some things you should check:

  • Lights: Ensure all internal and external lights, such as indicators, dashboard lights and brake lights, are working correctly.

  • Mirrors and glass: Ensure that all mirrors are secure, aligned and undamaged, and that your view of the road is not obscured by any load, discoloured glass or stickers.

  • Brakes: Check that both the handbrake and footbrake are working correctly and do not have any excess travel.

  • Battery: Check that the battery is secure, there are no leaks and that the cables are connected correctly.

  • Fluids: Check that the brake fluid, engine coolant, engine oil, power steering fluid, windscreen washer fluid and water levels are correct.

For more information on what you need to inspect during a walkaround check, please see the factsheets below:

Whilst you should always check that your vehicle is roadworthy, it is also very important to ensure that you are fit to drive before starting a journey.

Fitness to drive or ride can be affected by several factors including alcohol, drugs, vision, health and fatigue. Roads can be dangerous environments, and you must be sober and alert to navigate them safely.

1. Driving under the influence

Are you planning a night out and don’t know whether to drive or take a taxi? Or unsure about whether to drive the morning after a night out?

To keep yourself and others safe, it is always best to avoid driving after drinking, as even small amounts of alcohol can affect your driving and could lead to a traffic accident. Additionally, you could face serious penaltiesdownload (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf( if you are caught over the legal drink-drive limits – you could be imprisoned, banned from driving or fined if you are found guilty of drink driving.

It is also important to note that if you have had a big night out drinking, you may need to allow up to 12 hours between your last drink and driving the next day.

For more information on this, please see the factsheets below:

2. Driving when tired

Similar to driving under the influence, being tired whilst driving is never a good mix. Feeling sleepy when you are on the road can be dangerous, as your reaction time, awareness and ability to make judgments are significantly reduced. The impact this can have on your safety and the wellbeing of other road users should not be underestimated.

You should always ensure you get enough sleep before driving. Being well-rested, especially for long-distance journeys, is essential. For tips on avoiding tiredness when driving, take a look at our factsheet on the Dangers of Driving When Tireddownload (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf(.

3. Health and fatigue:

It is your responsibility to notify the DVLA (Opens in new window) if you develop a condition that could impair your driving. Failure to do so can result in a fine, a driving ban or prosecution if you cause a crash. If you suspect you have developed a condition, seek medical advice immediately. Check the DVLA’s guidance on health conditions (Opens in new window) and driving for advice.

Taking care of your wellbeing as a driver or passenger is extremely important, and we encourage you to read our Driver Wellbeing factsheetdownload (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf( for useful information to make your life on the road easier.

Modern vehicles are equipped with advanced technology to help reduce human error, enhance driver safety and prevent crashes. Understanding some of these key features can help improve your journey.

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS)

This refers to a group of safety features on a vehicle that are designed to work quietly in the background to enhance safety, comfort and awareness. These technologies aim to support the driver, not replace them.

Some of these features include:

  • Reverse camera and sensors: Help give you a better view behind your vehicle, detect obstacles and alert you as the vehicle gets closer to an object.

  • Lane Keep Assist: Detects lane markings and gently steers the car back if it drifts unintentionally, helping to prevent sideswipe or road-edge incidents.

  • Adaptive Cruise Control: Maintains a safe following distance by automatically adjusting your speed.

There are several ADAS features available, depending on your vehicle. You must ensure you read the vehicle handbook to understand these features and when to use them, before setting off, to avoid using them incorrectly.

Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

As most of us know, ABS prevents the wheels from locking under heavy braking by automatically adjusting the brake pressure. It also helps you steer and control the vehicle safely during emergency stops or in slippery or wet conditions.

Having a functional ABS can provide many benefits:

  • Increased steering control

  • Reduced stopping distance, helping you stop straight and safely

  • Improved safety in wet or icy conditions, as it reduces loss of control on slippery roads

  • Reduced wear on your brake pads so that they last longer

Airbags

Airbags are a critical part of a vehicle’s safety system. They protect occupants during a collision by cushioning the impact and reducing risk.

However, airbags are not fully effective on their own. Here are some safety points to keep in mind:

  • Always wear a seatbelt: Airbags are designed to work with seatbelts, not replace them. Proper seatbelt use and seating position are essential for airbag effectiveness.

  • Maintain correct driving position: Sit at least 25 cm (10 inches) away from the steering wheel.

  • Warning lights: If the airbag warning light stays on or flashes, have the system inspected by an authorised repairer immediately.

  • Post-collision: Airbags and sensors are single-use components — they must be replaced after deployment.

Check out our vehicle safety systems factsheetsdownload (pdf( (Opens in new window)download (pdf( for more information on how these different features work to keep you safe.

Road Safety Week provides a valuable reminder to monitor our driving habits and to ensure that we are doing what is best for the safety of ourselves and other road users. However, we must make safe driving practices a habit and keep up with regular checks all year round, as the road can be unpredictable.

We encourage you to share this article with colleagues, friends and family to raise awareness of the importance of road safety, to promote safer driving practices and to help reduce the risk of future breakdowns, injuries and accidents.

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