IAM Roadsmart: drivers must be more alert to protect pedestrians

UK charity IAM RoadSmart is urging drivers to be more alert as pedestrians now make up a quarter of all road deaths on the country’s roads. IAM refers to figures released by the Department for Transport (DfT) for 2016 – the most recent figures available - which revealed 448 pedestrians were killed. This is an increase of 10% over 2015 - the DfT says drivers failed to look in 42% of crashes while pedestrians did not look in 54% incidents. In addition, a fifth of drivers failed to judge the other perso
May 25, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
UK charity IAM RoadSmart is urging drivers to be more alert as pedestrians now make up a quarter of all road deaths on the country’s roads.


IAM refers to figures released by the 1837 Department for Transport (DfT) for 2016 – the most recent figures available - which revealed 448 pedestrians were killed. This is an increase of 10% over 2015 - the DfT says drivers failed to look in 42% of crashes while pedestrians did not look in 54% incidents.

In addition, a fifth of drivers failed to judge the other person’s path or speed in car collisions while 17% of pedestrians made the same mistake before a fatal or serious impact.

Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy and research, says while blame may not be easy to assign, drivers must adopt a special responsibility for looking for the safety of those on foot.

However, Greig also recognised that walking carelessly or hurrying is a contributing factor in pedestrian injuries and deaths.

Greig suggests: “Observing the body language of pedestrians will give drivers a clue of their intentions. For example, a pedestrian looking over their shoulder may be looking for a suitable gap to cross the road and anyone with their head buried in a smartphone or wearing headphones is at extra risk.”

Greig explains research on vision has found children of primary school age find it difficult to see or judge the speed of vehicles accurately.

“Slowing down around pedestrians and constantly scanning for clues to their intention is essential if we are to reduce the growing toll of pedestrian fatalities on our roads,” Greig adds.

Urban Traffic Control

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Cyclists are ‘not hooligans’: study
    April 23, 2018
    The perception of cyclists as ‘hooligans’ who ignore the rules of the road is a false one, according to a new study. "From our observations, we are unable to see any such anarchy among cyclists in traffic," says Sonja Forward, researcher at the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI). As vulnerable road users (VRUs), cyclists’ behaviour in traffic is particularly important for their safety. VTI examined traffic on two bridges - Danvikstull and Liljeholmen – in Stockholm and concluded
    Read More
  • London launches four new road safety campaigns
    October 22, 2013
    Pedestrians, drivers and motorcyclists are being targeted in four new campaigns to improve road safety in London. Appearing from this week, the campaigns will run for the next six weeks and use various tactics to raise safety awareness among different road users. Earlier this year the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) launched a new road safety plan which set out a clear path towards helping to reduce accidents on London's roads. These new campaigns will build on the progress already made and aim to c
    Read More
  • UK drug-driving in the spotlight
    March 23, 2012
    A panel of scientists and academics is being established by the UK Department for Transport (DfT) to advise on the possible implementation of rules covering drug-driving, along the lines of existing drink-driving laws. MDMA, cocaine, opiates and cannabis are seen by the DfT as the primary drugs for consideration. The experts will examine whether such a law should be introduced, with elements such as possible legal limits to be looked into. If it is decided the move is technically feasible, with regard to pu
    Read More
  • Drivers with up to 42 points still on the road
    September 5, 2013
    New figures from the UK Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) have revealed that motorists with up to 42 penalty points on their licence are still driving on Britain’s roads. Drivers can be banned from the road if they accumulate 12 points on their licence over a three-year period, but there are 8,000 drivers still getting behind the wheel despite having reached or exceeded that number.
    Read More

Highlighted Content