ROAD TRAFFIC ACCIDENT

Fletchers solicitors on road safety week: Supporting safer roads for all

Last Updated 17th July 2026

Supporting Road Safety Week 2025

What we will cover in this guide:

What is Road Safety Week all about.
The importance of safe vehicles and safe driving, and how technology, maintenance and improved responsibility can save lives.
The human impact of road traffic collisions, the “butterfly effect” that extends far beyond the scene of an crash.
Fletchers Solicitors role and our partnerships with leading road safety charities and organisations.
How our legal team supports the victims of RTAs and their families through expert guidance and compassionate care.
Insights from our legal experts Polly Herbert and Sarah Ouko on how awareness and education can prevent collisions.
Plus…Road safety statistics in the UK

We hope to inspire safer behaviour on our roads and contribute to the national effort to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Why is Road Safety Week important?

According to the Department for Transport (DfT), close to 30,000 people were killed or seriously injured (KSIs) on UK roads in 2024. Of these, over 1,600 were fatalities. These numbers have barely changed in over a decade and are proof that we must do more to protect those who travel on our roads. These being drivers, passengers, cyclists, motorcyclists, and pedestrians.

More than 4 lives lost every single day in 2024 on UK roads.(Annual report 2024)
Every day, six children are killed or seriously injured on UK roads. (BRAKE)
Serious injuries can cause disabilities such as paralysis, serious brain injuries and amputation.

At Fletchers Solicitors, we see first-hand the real person behind the statistic and the family whose lives have been turned upside down following a devastating road traffic collision. This year, we are proud to get behind Brake’s national Road Safety Week campaign, themed “Safe vehicles save lives”.

The campaign highlights the role that safer, well-maintained vehicles play in preventing collisions and protecting everyone on our roads. It encourages drivers to take action, from checking their vehicles and understanding the latest safety technologies available today. Beyond vehicle technology and maintenance, Brake’s Road Safety week also promotes safer driving habits, all aimed at reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads each year.

What is Road Safety Week all about?

The 2025 Road Safety Week theme, Safe Vehicles Save Lives, highlights the vital role modern vehicles can play in preventing collisions and protecting everyone on the road. Vehicle safety technology has advanced rapidly in recent years. Features such as automatic emergency braking (AEB), lane assist, blind spot detections are features designed to prevent collisions or reduce their severity. However, making our roads safer doesn’t depend on technology alone; a vehicle’s safety is only as strong as its maintenance and the vigilance of its driver.

A safe vehicle is one that:

Uses technology to help prevent collisions
Is built to protect everyone inside and outside the vehicle.
Is well-maintained, roadworthy, and supports safe driving behaviour.

While technology can certainly improve road safety and save live, most collisions are caused by human error. Competent driving and awareness remain our most powerful safety features. Avoiding distractions, never driving under the influence, and ensuring you’re fit and alert behind the wheel are all essential to road safety.

What are the most dangerous driving behaviours?

Greater Manchester Police highlight the ‘Fatal 4’ behaviours, which continue to feature in many serious and fatal road collisions, these being:

1. Excess speed

2. Mobile phone use / distraction

3. Drink & drug driving

4. Failing to wear a seatbelt

These behaviours pose unnecessary risks to life, and even the safest vehicle cannot fully protect against risky human actions. According 2024 department for transport data, speed was a factor in 59% of fatal collisions, while impairment and distraction contributed to over 30%. In the same year, around a quarter of all car-occupant fatalities involved someone not wearing a seatbelt. These figures clearly demonstrate that the ‘Fatal 4’ remain significant contributors to fatal collisions.

Together, safer vehicles and responsible driving are the most effective way to reduce collisions and save lives.

“A police officer once told me: don’t assume the driver’s reactions are as good as yours. It’s a piece of advice I’ve never forgotten, and it applies whether you’re driving, cycling, or walking. My work sees me mainly deal with traumatic brain injuries when a pedestrian has been hit by a car, and most times the pedestrian had the right of way… and assumed the driver had seen them. This isn’t about negating the blame on the driver but just acknowledging how you can make yourself safer when sadly there is a lot of impatience and aggression on our roads.”
Polly Herbert, Partner, Serious Injury Solicitor

The butterfly effect of road traffic collisions

When a road traffic collision (RTC) occurs, its impact spreads far beyond the people directly involved, much like the ‘butterfly effect’, and how a singular event can have far-reaching consequences. There are the obvious physical injuries, sometimes life-altering, that may require months or even years of rehabilitation. But then there is also the emotional and psychological toll that are felt by families, friends, witnesses, emergency responders, healthcare professionals and communities. Loved ones often face the challenges of grief, stress, and financial strain, navigating the long-term consequences of a collision. As solicitors specialising in serious injury and fatal road collision claims, we work closely with those directly affected to help them navigate complex investigations, access specialist rehabilitation, and secure justice and compensation.

“You never forget that behind every case is a person, a family trying to piece their lives back together after an unimaginable loss.”
Polly Herbert, Partner, Serious Injury Solicitor

Polly has dedicated much of her career to supporting victims of road collisions and campaigning for safer roads. She serves as a supporter of Frankie and Neeve’s Road Safety Academy, a charity created by one of our clients families following the loss of his wife and daughter in fatal collision. The charity’s mission is to revolutionise road safety education for children and young adults, helping to prevent future tragedies before they happen.

Fletchers role in supporting road safety week

At Fletchers, our responsibility doesn’t end with representing clients with legal advocacy and financial settlements. We believe in the importance of prevention, education, and advocacy. By supporting organisations like Brake, we’re hoping that road safety remains a national priority. We want to improve awareness, encourage responsible driving, and promote safer vehicle standards, so fewer families experience the heartbreak of losing a loved one or coping with a life-changing injury.

Alongside Brake, we work closely with charities such as, Frankie and Neeve’s Road Safety Academy, Aftermath, sharing a common goal of supporting road collision victims and promoting prevention. We also work in-line with the initiatives of Merseyside Police Lancashire Police and GMP supporting local forces to help raise awareness and reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured (KSIs) on our roads.

Further Resources:

Brake: Road Safety Week: Campaigns for safer roads and supports road crash victims.
Frankie and Neeve’s Road Safety Academy: Educates young people about safe and responsible driving.
RoadPeace: Provides support and justice advocacy for road crash victims and their families.
Aftermath: Offers emotional and practical support to anyone affected by road traffic collisions.

Our commitment to victims and families

When the unthinkable happens, you can trust Fletchers Solicitors to help…

Our Serious Injury Team provides compassionate and expert legal support for those affected by road traffic collisions. We work tirelessly to help clients and their families secure financial stability, access vital rehabilitation, and begin rebuilding their futures, We’re proud to be recognised by the prestigious Legal 500 and Chambers organisations as one of the UK’s leading serious injury and road traffic collision solicitors, but our mission goes beyond achieving compensation for our clients. Every case is a reminder of why road safety matters, and why we must continue to push for safer roads, safer drivers, and safer vehicles.

“Road casualties are not just statistics. Behind every number is a family in turmoil. A grief-stricken family trying to navigate its way through the complex procedures that often follow a road crash. Behind every number is a family whose lives have been changed forever.”
Sarah Ouko, Associate and Serious Injury Solicitor

How Mark Rebuilt His Life After a Devastating Road Collision

Click here to watch Mark’s video case study.
Mark was riding his motorbike when a driver turned right across his path. The impact was catastrophic, leaving Mark unconscious on the ground. As traffic built up and witnesses waited for paramedics to attend the scene, another driver overtook traffic to get ahead. The driver failed to spot Mark on the ground and he was struck again. What followed was a long and difficult journey through hospital treatments, rehabilitation, and complex legal proceedings. But thanks to the interim payments that Fletchers Solicitors successfully secured, we were able to give Mark early access to specialist rehabilitation, which turned Marks story from one of tragedy, to one of hope. Mark’s story is a powerful reminder of the real human impact behind road collision statistics. Lives can change in an instant but, with safer roads, greater awareness, and accountability, many of these tragedies can be prevented. 

How you can take part in Road Safety Week

Road Safety Week is an opportunity for everyone to reflect on how our choices and actions can save lives. We know that collectively we can make a difference, because safe vehicles and safe choices, truly does save lives.

Show your support and spread the message
Learn how safe vehicles save lives
Carry out essential vehicle safety checks (You can find resources and campaign materials here)

By supporting the safe vehicles save lives campaign, you can be part of the national effort to reduce the number of those killed or seriously injured on our roads and make every journey safer.

About Fletchers Solicitors

Fletchers Solicitors is one of the UK’s leading law firms specialising in serious road traffic collision claims. Our expert legal team combine their knowledge with compassion and care, helping clients rebuild their lives following life-changing events. Learn more about how we support road traffic collision victims here