Changing the culture on our roads

The road respect campaign is about making roads safer, better for the environment, better for business and ultimately, saving lives

Road casualties are an unfortunate by-product of the growth of car travel in the UK. For some it has become an acceptable risk to brave the roads, particularly in business, to speed up travel. However, the acceptance of casualties on our roads is something that should no longer be tolerated. So many stakeholders in road safety campaign tirelessly to cut the needless loss of life and limb, it is therefore time that we as motorists began to engage more in promoting a change in the road mentality and culture.

This is the emphasis behind the Road Respect campaign, launched in 2006, which led to the Newcastle Evening Chronicle’s endorsement and adoption of the campaign in May 2007. It is vital that the culture changes to stop the tragedy occurring – but that is not the only benefit.
    
Already, some organisations are sending drivers back to school to become safer motorists. Some are promoting Road Respect among their customers and others are raising these issues with their employees. Some are having fun and some are pushing a hard-hitting message. This has been the most exciting part of the campaign. Organisations are using Road Respect in their own way because the issues we face on the road everyday affect us all differently. This brings new energy and new ideas to tackle the challenges trying to put an end to the tragedies occurring on the roads.  
    
While there is the moral imperative, the benefits do not stop there. Better driving is better for the environment. A campaign recently launched is encouraging all car drivers to stick to the 70 mph limit where national speed limit applies on dual carriageways. They reckon that if every motorist did so, we could reduce carbon emissions by one million tonne per year. Across all speed limits, better driving can be a driver for lower emissions. Better driving is better for the environment.  

Research in America indicates that aggressive driving can reduce your fuel efficiency by 33 per cent. In the UK, driving a normal car (1.4 to 2.0 litre petrol engine) it will cost you (on average) an extra 4p per mile in fuel for every mile at 80mph rather than 70mph. Stress is also a key factor reducing employee productivity, and with nearly a quarter of all people saying driving is the most stressful thing they do on a daily basis, we need to make the roads a less stressful place to be.
    
With nearly one in five road collisions involving those driving for work, insurance and repair costs business billions every year, affecting the bottom line. Better driving is better for business.
    
Promoting better driving is also about protecting yourself. In April 2008, Corporate Manslaughter legislation came into effect, which means managers have potential liablity for the acts of their employees. When was the last time you told an employee or colleague not to speed or talk on the phone while driving? Better driving is better for the law.
    
Road Respect is about changing the culture on our roads - making them safer, better for the environment, better for business and ultimately saving lives. The Road Respect Campaign and Charter has an exciting year of activities ahead, working throughout the region engaging with people and pushing a powerful message. We will be out in the community talking to people and educating them on how we can change the culture on the road. In June 2008, the campaign will be launching Krash Magazine and Krash TV, bringing fun and road safety together, with some help of celebrities, racing drivers, road safety experts and emergancy services. So please, get involved; log on to www.rrcharter.org or www.roadrespect.org .
    
Working in partnership, all of us as road users can make the roads better and make them safer. This is about having respect for the road law. About having respect for other road users. About having respect for yourself. For all the benefits of better driving, Road Respect is about the ultimate benefit – saving lives.

Road Respect Charter
In 2008, the Road Respect Charter was launched, with the aim to encourage businesses and organisations in the northeast to join us by promoting a road safety culture within their organisations, in a way that is unique to them. In addition to the local authorities, fire services and Northumbria police, businesses such as Benfield Motor Group, Robert Shaw Racing and their British Touring Car team have come on board to show that we can all have a little more Road Respect.

Each member receives a folder containing campaign collateral along with their official membership certificate.