In The Drivers Seat

In The Drivers Seat: Being a Safe and Educated Driver

Thousands of individuals are victims on the road each year due to dangerous and uneducated driving. Car crashes are now considered in the top ten leading causes of death globally, with on average 3,700 deaths daily and 1.35 million yearly (ASIRT, 2020). This essay will discuss the importance of government spending on drivers ed, how it contributes to the number of deaths that occur, and offers various suggestions which can be taken to reduce driving related fatalities.

In a 2019 report by the United Kingdom Department for Transport, a total of £1.8 million was pledged over a two-year period (18 /20) to fund research proposals and projects within the road safety sphere. This included funding for a ‘drink drive’ awareness campaign, the expansion of educational resources to young and old drivers, and the development of digital platforms to share road safety information (DFT, 2019). It was calculated that in that year there were 160,378 casualties of all severities in road traffic accidents and 1,782 fatalities (DFT, 2019), this number was higher than those seen in 2012 which was a year when one campaign alone – focusing on ‘drinkdriving’ – received funding of approximately £4,633,000 (DFT, 2014). This suggests that an increase in funding and government money spent on awareness campaigns and media exposure could indeed save lives, however we are instead seeing funding decrease, which could lead to an increase in fatalities over the coming years.

With a decrease in funding and attention being provided in the United Kingdom to driving safety, education and awareness various firms such as THINK!, Good Egg Safety, and BRAKE will have to restrict their spending, minimising their reach and impact on the public. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic we have seen governments across the world advise the general populous to not use public transport – as this may mean an increase virus transmission – and are instead promoting driving, walking and cycling to ensure social distancing measures can be adhered to (DFT, 2020). With this increase in promotion of driving, cycling and walking, demonising of public transport and decrease in public spending on drivers ed, awareness and safety, we will see an increase in the number of road users, and thus as we emerge from this pandemic we may see an increase in fatalities of all road users.

After conducting research for this essay there are several steps which can be taken to reduce the number of fatalities associated with driving. Firstly, governments globally should increase the investment made into public awareness campaigns on the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, or mobile phone usage. Secondly, investments into public transport should be made to; reduce privatisation where possible so that public transport is either affordable or free to all; and increasing the number of services to account for the new limited capacity on transportation. These measures will decrease the number of road users and improve the quality of education received by the public.

References:

• ASIRT, 2020, Road Safety Facts, Accessed [07/13/20], Available From: https://www.asirt.org/safetravel/road-safety-facts/

• Department for Transport, 2019, The Road Safety Statement 2019 – A Lifetime of Road Safety, Accessed [07/14/20], Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/817695/road-safety-statement-2019.pdf

• Department for Transport, 2019, Reported road casualties in Great Britiain: Main results 2018,Accessed [07/14/20], Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/820562/Reported_road_casualties_-_Main_Results_2018.pdf

• Department for Transport, 2014, FOI request: THINK! Drink Drive Campaign, Accessed [07/15/20], Available from: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/291955/drink-drive-costs.pdf

• Department for Transport, 2020, New guidance published to ensure transport network is safe forthose who need to use it, Accessed [07/15/20], Available from: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-guidance-published-to-ensure-transport-network-is-safefor-those-who-need-to-use-it