Safe vehicles save lives – our visit to NARS during Road Safety Awareness Week 2025
This week we’re joining the national campaign led by the charity Brake for Road Safety Awareness Week (16th – 22nd November 2025), which focuses on this year’s theme: “Safe Vehicles Save Lives”. It’s a timely reminder that the vehicles we drive – and how we use and maintain them – play a crucial role in keeping people safe on our roads.
A “safe vehicle” is the result of many small but important decisions – manufacturers building safer systems, drivers keeping their cars road-worthy and safety features being used as intended. Brake stresses that technology alone isn’t enough; it has to be activated and supported by regular checks and responsible driving.
What is a safe vehicle?
Safe vehicles are designed to prevent road collisions and protect people inside and outside the vehicle if a collision occurs.
Safe vehicles…
- Prevent collisions – Automated driver assistance systems keep vehicles in the right lane and below speed limits, detect hazards and brake in an emergency.
- Protect people inside and outside the vehicle – Seatbelts, airbags and ‘forgiving’ vehicle parts protect people inside and outside the vehicle in a collision. Vehicles must pass stringent crash tests.
- Manage driver safety – Vehicle technology detects unsafe driving behaviour (e.g. due to tiredness) and informs authorities.
- Are roadworthy – Vehicles are maintained to the highest standards and drivers carry out checks before every journey.
- Record data – Event data recorders record what happens in a collision and notify emergency services immediately.
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 collisions.
While the national theme focused on “Safe Vehicles Save Lives”, our attention locally was on an organisation that embodies that message every single day – Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS). NARS is an essential Norfolk charity at the forefront of saving lives after life changing events. On Wednesday 19th November, our Personal Injury and Clinical Negligence team visited NARS at their base in Dereham to go behind the scenes at their facility and learn more about the vital role these first-response crews play when serious road traffic collisions occur. The visit gave us an opportunity to see first-hand the exemplary work of a charity that plays such a critical role in saving lives across Norfolk, often at the scene of the very incidents we later support clients through.
Mark Hambling, Head of Personal Injury at Rogers & Norton said: ‘‘As a practice we are always aware of the events in the immediate aftermath of an accident, but this visit has placed in to perspective the hard work and level of support that exists at the scene of an accident.
I am very grateful to Rose at NARS for giving up her valuable time to provide such an informative session and look forward to working with the charity in the future.’’
NARS responds to some of the most serious medical emergencies in the county, including life-changing road traffic collisions. Their crews arrive at scenes where every decision, every second and every piece of equipment can make a difference to someone’s survival and long-term recovery. Their vehicles and equipment must be safe, reliable and ready for use without a moment’s notice – which brings the Road Safety Week message into sharp focus.
For our team, the visit wasn’t prompted by the national awareness week, but the timing was a powerful reminder of the shared purpose between NARS’s work and our own. While NARS is there at the point of crisis, delivering urgent critical care, our personal injury team supports people in the days, months and years that follow, endeavouring to repair what are often shattered lives. We see the long-term consequences of serious injuries, the impact on families and livelihoods, and the importance of early intervention in improving outcomes.
Supporting NARS aligns strongly with our values as a firm. Their dedication, expertise and commitment to saving lives are exactly why charities like NARS deserve visibility during Road Safety Awareness Week and beyond.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a road traffic incident and you need advice or support, our personal injury team is here to help whenever you need us.
For more information about our Personal Injury services, or to arrange a free initial consultation, please contact Rogers & Norton on 01603 666001 or email enquiries@rogers-norton.co.uk