Each November the UK marks Road Safety Week, and this year it runs from 16-22 November 2025. Organised by the road-safety charity Brake, the week draws attention to the fact that thousands die or are seriously injured on British roads every year. As the charity says: “Safe vehicles are an important part of the safe systems approach to road safety – a shared approach to prevent death and serious injury from road crashes.”
Image: Brake
For fleet and transport managers the significance is clear. Vehicle-based operations bring added exposure to road risk — drivers doing business miles, heavy or light commercial vehicles, multiple journeys every day, often under time pressure. While driver behaviour remains critical, the condition, capability and suitability of the vehicle itself plays a growing role in preventing collisions, reducing harm and protecting the workforce.
Recent commentary from Irwin Mitchell reinforces this: “Although vehicle technology has the potential to enhance road safety significantly, this is contingent upon proper usage; a notable disparity persists between technological promise and real-world outcomes.” In other words: if you supply a safe vehicle but don’t ensure it is maintained, used and monitored properly, the benefit may not follow.
From an operational cost and reputational perspective, avoiding serious incidents makes business sense. For companies managing commercial fleets, there is an ethical and legal obligation to reduce risk for drivers and other road users. The week provides a timely reminder and a focal point for action.
This year’s theme is “Safe Vehicles Save Lives”.
The emphasis is on three core strands:
- Ensuring vehicles are roadworthy: regular maintenance, defect checks, tyre/brake condition, load security. For example, police forces are planning operations during the week targeting vehicles in poor condition.
- Using and equipping vehicles with modern safety technology: advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), intelligent speed adaptation, emergency braking, lane-keeping and more. These technologies are increasingly mandated and form an essential part of the “safe systems” approach.
- Ensuring that organisations-whether schools, businesses or fleets-have policies and practices in place: selection of vehicles (buy/lease decisions), driver training/briefing on vehicle safety features, pre-journey checks, and monitoring of fleet safety culture.
As Brake puts it: “Safe vehicles are a vital component of the safe systems approach to road safety … this year we have chosen to shine a spotlight on the importance of safe vehicles that are designed to prevent crashes, and to cause less harm if they do crash.”
For transport/fleet operations, this means that the conversation shifts from solely “driver behaviour” to “vehicle + driver + environment”. It’s about ensuring the hardware of the business (the vehicles) is as safe as the human component.
For anyone responsible for a fleet of commercial vehicles, whether HGVs, vans or company cars, Road Safety Week offers a strategic opportunity. Here’s how:
Firstly, it is a chance to audit your fleet’s vehicle-safety credentials. Do your vehicles have the latest safety systems? Are they being maintained to specification? Are drivers familiar with how to use the safety technology (for example how to keep lane-assist active, or how to interpret alerts)?
Fleet Service GB is running a free, hour-long webinar in support of the theme; Safe Vehicles Save Lives. It is being held on Wednesday the 19th November, at 10:00 and you can sign-up here.
Secondly, the timing of the week provides a natural point for introducing or reinforcing policies. For example: driver briefings on the theme “Safe Vehicles Save Lives”, insistence on daily walk-around checks, driver incentives tied to use of safety features, or procurement guidelines that prioritise vehicles with high safety ratings. These actions not only bolster safety but also support compliance with duty-of-care and corporate governance.
Thirdly, transport managers should recognise the reputational dimension. A major vehicle crash involving one of your fleet could lead to large fines, insurance consequences, driver absence, brand damage and in worst cases fatal injury. By participating in the week, you signal to staff, stakeholders and clients that safety is a priority rather than a tick-box.
Finally, the theme emphasises future-proofing the fleet. The government and industry bodies are increasingly moving toward mandating safety systems in new vehicles.
Practical steps to mark Road Safety Week in your fleet
To make the most of 16–22 November, transport managers might consider the following (within your own context and risk-profile):
- Bring the theme alive: host a short driver briefing (could be virtual) introducing the campaign, highlighting “Safe Vehicles Save Lives” and pointing out how vehicles in your fleet incorporate relevant safety features (and where gaps may exist).
- Ensure pre-journey vehicle checks (brakes, tyres, lights, load security) are reinforced during the week. The police-activity planned (for example in West Yorkshire) is explicitly targeting vehicle condition offences this week.
- Make sure drivers know how the safety systems in their vehicles work and understand their responsibilities (for example not disabling features, maintaining tyre pressure, reporting fault warnings).
It is easy to assume that modern vehicles already remove many risks, but the statistics remain sobering. For example: “In 2024, more than 1,600 people lost their lives on British roads, and more than 27,000 were seriously injured – virtually unchanged from the previous year.”
That suggests that while progress has been made in some areas, it is uneven and the challenge remains significant. The campaign this year picks this up by emphasising that vehicle safety is not simply a bonus feature, it is part of an integrated system. The “safe systems” approach that underpins many national strategies places vehicle design, infrastructure, human behaviour and enforcement all together. For fleets, this means that one component (the vehicle) cannot compensate entirely for others but must be aligned and optimised.
From a corporate social responsibility (CSR) perspective the week also offers a moment to reflect on the human cost of crashes: many injured or bereaved families are supported by Brake through its National Road Victim Service. The campaign’s messaging is not purely technical—it emphasises people. For instance: “Every road victim deserves the very highest standard of support.” (Brake)
Transport managers should remember that behind each statistic is a human life.
In summary: 16–22 November 2025 is a key moment in the calendar for road-safety awareness in the UK. With the theme “Safe Vehicles Save Lives” the campaign focuses squarely on the condition and capabilities of the vehicle itself—not merely the driver. For fleets and transport operations this offers a compelling opportunity to audit, communicate, renew and reinforce their vehicle-safety strategy.
By participating in the week, hosting driver-briefings, refreshing walk-around checks, updating fleet specs, and signalling to staff and stakeholders that vehicle safety matters, fleet managers can turn the awareness into action. The week is not a one-off stunt but a prompt to integrate vehicle safety into your operational DNA—and to travel one step closer to the day when no one is killed or harmed on our roads.
