Look beyond Road Safety Week to a year-round commitment

• Regular maintenance helps ensure on-board safety systems perform effectively in an emergency, says GEM
• Defective brakes lead to around 750 casualties each year
• Driving with care, courtesy and concentration maximizes safety and helps a driver make good decisions

ROAD SAFETY and breakdown organisation GEM Motoring Assist has been supporting Road Safety Week, joining thousands of organisations to promote the theme: “Safe vehicles save lives.” But GEM is now asking drivers to look beyond the campaign and embrace safer vehicle principles every day of the year.

Most modern vehicles come with an array of safety systems, including automated emergency braking, lane-keeping and stability technologies that can help reduce the risk of collisions, as well as features installed to reduce the severity of injuries in the event of a crash.

GEM says regular routine maintenance checks will help ensure that any life-saving features, such as airbags and electronic stability control, will do the best-possible job in an emergency.

On the other hand, neglecting basic maintenance can prevent the effective function of these systems, which in turn could compromise safety. For example, defective brakes are believed to be responsible for around 750 casualties each year*, while more than 150 people are killed or seriously injured each year in incidents linked to defective tyres†.

James Luckhurst, GEM’s head of road safety said: “Every journey needs to start with ensuring your vehicle is as safe as possible. Carrying out regular checks and making safety part of your routine means we are playing our part for road safety and potentially saving lives, not just in Road Safety Week but every week.” 

GEM offers safety tips for drivers

1. Understand your car’s safety features: find out which features your car has, how they work and what dashboard alerts each system may generate. Know what each can and cannot do.

2. Make safety a purchase priority: when you next buy a car, prioritise vehicles with up-to-date safety systems such as autonomous emergency braking, electronic stability control, and a comprehensive airbag system. Look for high safety ratings from Euro NCAP or consumer review bodies, as newer models often incorporate the latest lifesaving technology.​ 

3. Keep your safety features maintained: schedule regular checks and stay updated with software and hardware maintenance, as sensors and systems can fail or deteriorate over time.

4. Be the best safety feature yourself: no technology can replace a driver’s care, courtesy, and concentration. Even the most advanced systems rely on humans to make good decisions, remain attentive, and respond to hazards that technology cannot predict.

About Road Safety Week 

Road Safety Week (roadsafetyweek.org.uk) is the UK’s biggest annual road safety campaign, coordinated by Brake. The event brings together schools, businesses, emergency services, and communities to take action and share life-saving messages. As one of the UK’s longest-established motoring and road safety organisations, GEM Motoring Assist is proud to support Road Safety Week and to raise awareness among its members – and across the wider community – of how we can all be heroes for safer roads.

* Driving Monitor

† TyreSafe

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