Speed Awareness Courses Save Lives

Sunday, 10. October 2010

Whilst all fatalities on UK roads dropped last year the figures are still too high. 2,222 people died on the roads of Britain last year, down 12% on 2008. Car occupant deaths fell 16%, pedestrians 13%, cyclists 10% and motorcyclists 4%. Whilst speed awareness courses are often not taken seriously by drivers who have been caught speeding and prefer to attend a course rather than suffer a conviction, the courses have been known to improve drivers’ attitudes towards speeding. This is particularly the case when those taking the courses do so as part of their employment as opposed to a punishment for speeding. About 31% of pedestrian fatalities occur at 40mph whilst those hit at 30mph have a very good chance of survival. The total cost of all road crashes last year was estimated at £33 billion with each road death costing £1.6 million. This includes all costs including NHS, emergency services, police investigating etc. That is staggering! By Graham Hill