Editorial: Getting to grips with road safety is everyone's responsibility

We have all witnessed bad driving on the roads in the north west: motorists failing to indicate at junctions and roundabouts leading to near misses, people speeding and overtaking on approaches to corners and blind dips, seemingly oblivious drivers drifting over white lines in the centre of the road, and road rage leading to people acting recklessly. Sometimes there are even cyclists and pedestrians without high vis clothing, protective headgear and failing to signal.​

None of us are perfect but, when it comes to road safety, we have to try to be. Failing to admit we can and do make mistakes, or not learning from them or trying to correct them, can be catastrophic.​

And we all have a responsibility to make sure the vehicle we are in is fit for the roads. I remember a piece of advice I received as a new driver: every car is a potential killing machine. The odds of that coming to pass shorten considerably if the vehicle you are in is in a dangerous state or if the person controlling it is an irresponsible driver. Some things are beyond our control and some are not.

It’s worth repeating that simple steps can help keep you safe this winter: regular servicing and tyre checks, always wearing a seat-belt and making sure car seats are fitted correctly, never drink driving, putting the phone away and plain old-fashioned manners. Doing this could save your life, and someone’s elses.