Road Safety Week – Everything You Need to Know

Road Safety Week is your annual reminder to look up, slow down, and think about how we share streets, pavements, and cycle lanes. 

It’s a national moment for schools, colleges, families, and communities to turn good intentions into everyday habits. This year it begins on 17 November and runs for a full week, giving everyone time to learn something new, try a safer routine, and encourage friends to do the same.

What Road Safety Really Means

Road safety is more than remembering to “look both ways.” It’s a set of simple, proven behaviours – from wearing seat belts and helmets to using crossings and respecting speed limits – that help keep everyone safe, whether you’re walking to lectures, hopping on a bus, cycling to training, or catching a lift. 

It also includes the social side of travel: being considerate, staying alert, and speaking up when something feels risky. When these behaviours become normal, roads feel calmer, journeys run smoothly, and accidents are far less likely.

When It Happens and Why It Matters

Road Safety Week starts on 17 November and lasts seven days. Schools and colleges often use the week to host assemblies, invite local officers to speak, or run creative activities that bring the message to life. 

Even if you don’t drive, you use the road environment daily. Small choices – crossing at the right place, putting your phone away near traffic, checking bike lights before you set off – can make a big difference. 

Winter only raises the stakes, with darker evenings and slippery surfaces adding extra risk, so a mid-November reset is perfectly timed.

Safer Journeys on Foot

Walking is the most common way students travel, and it’s where distraction causes the most near-misses. Planning a familiar, well-lit route reduces the urge to take last-minute chances at awkward junctions. 

As you approach a crossing, making brief eye contact with drivers helps confirm you’ve been seen, especially if a bus or parked van is blocking sight lines. Keeping your phone in your pocket until you’re well away from the curb removes a major source of risk. 

In the darker months, light-coloured layers or a small reflective accessory make you far more visible without cramping your style.

Confident Cycling and Scooting

If you’re on two wheels, predictability is your best friend. A quick check of brakes, tyres, reflectors, and lights before you roll away can prevent issues later on. 

Riding a little out from the curb makes you more visible and keeps you clear of sudden hazards like car doors and potholes. Clear hand signals, steady positioning, and eye contact with drivers at junctions all help others to give you space. 

To tip: A well-fitted helmet adds a final layer of protection, particularly on busy routes or in poor weather.

Being a Better Passenger

Passengers shape the journey more than they realise. Belting up on every seat, every trip – even for two minutes down the road – is non-negotiable. 

If a driver is distracted, speeding, or trying to text, it’s reasonable to ask them to pause or pull over; a calm, direct comment often resets the tone. When sharing lifts, agree simple rules in advance: phones away for the driver, music at a sensible volume, and no pressure to rush. 

Choosing trusted drivers and sharing your live location with a friend can add reassurance on late journeys.

Night and Winter Travel

Shorter days bring visibility challenges and tricky surfaces. Adding a clip-on light, a reflective band, or a bright cover on your bag helps drivers and cyclists spot you earlier. 

Take corners and curbs with a touch more care; wet leaves, puddles, and ice can be deceptive. Give yourself extra time so you’re not sprinting across roads or weaving between vehicles to make a lecture or train. 

Top tip: Slowing the pace slightly often makes the journey safer and, paradoxically, less stressful.

Using Buses and Public Transport

Buses are brilliant for budgets and the planet, but they can create blind spots. 

Avoid dashing across the road to catch one – there will always be another- and never step out immediately in front of or behind a stopped bus, as approaching traffic may not see you. At stops, give yourself a little space from the curb and be mindful of crowds, especially at night. 

When getting off, take a second to re-orient yourself before crossing, as your view and speed can be distorted after a seated ride.

Phones, Friends, and the Social Bit

Travel is social, and groups can either raise or lower risk. Agreeing a “phones-down at crossings” habit with your friends turns safety into a team effort. 

If someone is messing around at the edge of the pavement or daring traffic, a friendly nudge to step back is more powerful than it sounds. 

Celebrating good habits – the mate who always uses lights, the driver who waits patiently at a zebra crossing – helps set a positive norm that others copy without thinking.

Getting Your School or College Involved

If your campus hasn’t planned anything for Road Safety Week, starting small works well. 

A ten-minute tutor-time briefing with three local safety tips can spark useful conversations. A “be seen” day with reflective stickers or a quick free lights check outside the bike racks makes the theme visible. 

Mapping the trickiest crossings or fastest-moving streets around your site and sharing the results with your student union or local council turns observation into action. The key is to make one change that lasts beyond the week.

Encouraging Others Without the Lecture

People respond better to encouragement than to finger-wagging. Share a quick story of a near-miss that made you change a habit, or invite a friend to walk a safer route with you once so it becomes familiar. 

If you’re in a lift club, agree house rules together so no one feels singled out. On social media, swap scare tactics for practical micro-tips: pocket the phone at curbs, make eye contact at junctions, check lights before leaving, and add a reflective touch after dark.

The Bottom Line

Road Safety Week from 17 November isn’t about fear; it’s about confidence. A handful of small, smart choices – planning routes, staying visible, keeping focus, and speaking up – turn everyday trips into safer, calmer journeys. 

Start with one change today, keep it going tomorrow, and you’ll not only protect yourself, but also set the tone for friends, classmates, and your wider community.