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Road Safety Week 2025: Safe Vehicles Save Lives

Posted in News on Thursday, November 20th, 2025

Every year, more than 1,700 people die on UK roads. Another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries. The numbers are shocking, and there has been no significant reduction for more than a decade.

The theme for this year’s ‘Road Safety Week is ‘Safe Vehicles Save Lives’ DMUK joins Brake, the road safety charity, in urging all vehicle manufacturers to ensure that all new vehicles are fitted with the road safety technology that is now mandatory across the UK to prevent deaths and reduce serious injuries, such as intelligent speed assistance, automated emergency braking and lane-keeping assistance. 

We would also like to encourage motorists to have this safety technology engaged whenever appropriate and conduct the relevant vehicle checks to keep their vehicles in good condition. Below we have included some ways you can check if your vehicle is road safe.

Check Your Tyres

Regular maintenance is essential when it comes to preventing accidents. A good place to start is with your tyres. Get into the habit of checking tread depth and pressure regularly. 

The minimum legal tread depth is 1.6mm, and bald tyres affect your handling and your car's grip on the road. That makes them unsafe, especially in wet and icy conditions. You can use a 20p coin to check your tread depth, making sure the grooves cover the outer ring of the coin.”

Don’t overlook your windscreen

Your windscreen is your window to the road, so check it regularly for any chips or stone damage. This could impair your vision or cause a distraction while driving. 

The wiper blades also need to be checked regularly because they can wear down over time and risk smearing your windscreen, reducing visibility. Don’t forget to top up the screenwash level regularly as water alone won’t clear the oily grime thrown up from the road, plus it’s more likely to freeze in winter.

Test your lights

Finally, check your lights daily. This is crucial for safe driving, especially during darker winter months. 

To check your hazard lights, simply switch them on and walk around your car before setting off. You can then use a brick wall to check if your brake lights are working, looking in your rearview mirror to make sure they light up when you press the pedal.

Road Safety Week reminds us that ‘safe vehicles’ are about more than just modern safety features. They’re about committing the necessary time for important vehicle checks and maintaining your vehicle. This will help ensure the safety of all road users.

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