Travel Safe Bucks

It’s hard to imagine now, as we bask in sunshine, but the Met Office has issued a yellow warning for rain in the South East this Bank Holiday weekend. But before you abandon your BBQ plans, rest assured that the rain isn’t supposed to arrive until late Sunday evening, lasting through to Monday morning in several parts of the county.  Aside from its ruinous effect on our Bank Holiday plans, heavy rain is also perilous to drivers. According to Highways England, 2,918 people were killed or seriously injured driving in the rain in 2015. If you have to make a journey in heavy rain you should adjust your driving to the conditions of the road. Think Slow, Stop, See when driving in the rain: SLOW: slow down through heavy rain or on wet roads STOP: stopping distances will be affected by wet roads. Keep your speed low, and leave more space between you and the car in front. SEE: use dipped headlights even during daylight to ensure you can see and be seen For more detailed

This week, 8 th – 14 th May, is the UN 2017 Global Road Safety Week , which aims to raise awareness about the dangers of speed and improve education for all drivers.   This campaign comes just weeks after a change in the law which will see ‘excessive speeders’ handed much harsher penalties. As of 24 th April, drivers caught exceeding, for example, 41 in a 20mph zone, 51 in a 30mph zone, or 101 in a 70mph zone will now face six penalty points, a fine equalling 150% of weekly income, and a potential ban of up to 56 days. Speed is a contributory factor in more than 20% of fatal collisions across the Thames Valley – this figure includes not only drivers who exceed the speed limit, but those who drive too fast for the conditions. In fact, driver error in general – such as impairment from alcohol or drugs, failure to wear a seatbelt, and distraction – contributes to around 68% of fatal road crashes nationwide . Chris Appleby, Casualty Reduction Sergeant for Thames Valley Police