We have partnered with Fleet Service GB, Lightfoot and Cranbrook Education Campus to celebrate Road Safety Week.
Organised by ‘Brake’, a road safety charity, Road Safety Week runs from 19-25 November.
It is an annual campaign and the biggest road safety awareness event in the UK.
Every year thousands of schools, organisations and communities get involved to share important road safety messages, remember people affected by road death and injury and raise fund to support Brake care for more road victims and campaign for safe roads for everyone.
During Road Safety Week, the police often do roadside checks of vehicles for safety, highlighting the dangers of poorly maintained vehicles and offering advice to drivers, or running speed checks and reminding the general public of how speeding is a major cause of accidents and contributor to deaths through road accidents.
Schools have been taking advantage of Road Safety Week to teach children about the highway code, or safety when crossing roads, cycling proficiency tests, and the importance of cycle helmets and high visibility when cycling.
The event reaches many people across the nation, reminding them of road safety, with the aim of preventing accidents.
The theme this year is speed, addressing the fact that five people die on UK roads every day.
Children in years four and five at Cranbrook Education Campus were given a demonstration by our Fleet Manager, Paul Ayris and Client Services Director for Fleet Services GB, Sarah Clifford, who showed them the stark reality of how much further a vehicle will travel after braking at various speeds, reinforcing the positives in keeping your speed at or below the limit.
Paul Ayris also underlined all of our safety procedures and how all of our vans are checked before going out on the road.
Paul Ayris said: “We take road safety very seriously and it was lovely to be able to talk to the children at Cranbrook Education Campus about the importance of staying safe on the roads.
“We took along a van to demonstrate how far a vehicle can travel after braking. We were able to highlight to the pupils the importance of not speeding and to be aware of their surroundings when they are out and about.”
Fleet Service GB's mission is making work-related road safety a priority for all companies with a fleet, and making the roads a safer place for all.
Fleet Service GB has launched a new driver management programme (Achieve Driver Continuous Learning) which focuses on learning, support and development for drivers, to improve driving skills, improve safety and improve wellbeing.
Danny Craig, Supplier Network Manager at Fleet Service GB, gave a road safety talk to the students on the 'stopping distances' theme, explaining to the group the reasons why vehicles take longer to stop the faster they are travelling. He emphasised the importance on why we have speed limits in place and the dangers associated with speeding.
Sarah Clifford said: “Road safety is at the forefront of our business and all our product development.
“We have worked with LiveWest for almost five years, and been instrumental in significantly reducing the incident rate, by helping to develop and support a no-nonsense approach to driver safety, vehicle maintenance and driver training.
“Brake’s road safety week gives us an opportunity to highlight these positive changes and share our experience in making the road a safer place for all its users.”
Tom Barrie, Senior Account Manager at Lightfoot, commented: “It's been great to have the opportunity to partner with LiveWest in support of Brake's Road Safety Week, and to spread awareness of the dangers of speeding.
”At Lightfoot we're serious about developing safer, more sustainable driving habits across whole fleets, and working with LiveWest has been no exception, with 99% of their drivers now hitting our safe driving target every week.
"This commitment to safer roads for all aligns perfectly with the work that Brake is doing this year to stamp out speeding, and we were pleased to be able to do our bit to help the students at Cranbrook Education Campus understand why this matters.“