Road safety
Kent Fire and Rescue Service attend around 1,000 road crashes every year, often having to cut victims free from wreckage. This is why we work closely with partners including other emergency services to help reduce the number of crashes and deaths. From educating young drivers to road safety for bikers, learn more about what we’re doing to help drivers stay safe.
Young drivers safety
Every day Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) is called to road crashes - around 1,000 every year. We see the devastating effect of these crashes and our firefighters often have to cut the victims free from the wreckage.
This is why KFRS works closely with partners such as the Highways Agency, Kent County Council, Medway Council, Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance Service to reduce the number of crashes, deaths and serious injuries on Kent and Medway's roads. KFRS focuses on education for young drivers.
- road crashes are the biggest killer of teenagers worldwide.
- one in five new drivers is involved in a crash in their first year of driving.
- young male drivers aged 17 to 20 are seven times more at risk than other male drivers, and between the hours of 2am and 5am their risk is 17 times higher.
Keep your vehicle safe
- check fuel line for wear and tear
- loose or worn connections cause safety problems
- check tread, pressure, damage (look out for embedded nails or glass etc)
- radiator - check fluid levels and top up if required
- oil - check fluid levels and top up if required
- lights should be functioning and clean
- your vehicle is your responsibility - windscreen wipers, child seats and seatbelts should also be checked regularly
Find out more about driving safety
- KFRS regularly visits schools and colleges to give road safety advice. We also run demonstrations to show the impact of road crashes and how our firefighters release victims. Get involved when we visit a venue near you.
- Sign up to our safety alerts and find out about events by following us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
- If you're a biker, find out about our Biker Down! first aid course below.
Drink and drugs
- it is impossible for you to know how much alcohol will put you over the limit - the safest option is not to drink.
- drunk passengers may be more of a distraction for the driver. Refuse to take anyone that you feel may be a risk to you driving safely.
Distraction
- distraction can be a killer - never distract the driver. It only takes a split second to lose concentration and crash.
- drivers should always turn mobile phones off before setting out. Passengers should set phones to silent so they don't distract the driver.
Overcrowding
- if all the seats are already taken and there are no seatbelts don't take the risk of getting in the car.
Our partner agencies
We also work with other agencies to help keep people safe on the roads.
Road safety for bikers
We want to reduce motorcycle casualties on the roads in Kent and Medway. Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) goes to hundreds of road crashes involving motorcycles and scooters every year. Riders will have been trapped, seriously injured or killed.
The FireBike scheme
Our FireBike team goes to events and track days to talk to riders about road safety.
They also hold Pit Stop events where riders can stop off from their journeys and chat about the risks they face on the road.
Celebrity supporters include dancer and TV star James Jordan as well as adventurer Charley Boorman, who visited KFRS to endorse the scheme.
Biker Down! training course
As bikers tend to ride in groups or pairs, it is usually the case that when one is involved in an accident the first person on the scene will be a fellow biker.
Many clubs and groups discuss the need for the training of riders in how to deal with a crashed biker. Injured motorcyclists need to be dealt with in a specific manner by a first aider due to the type of injuries possibly suffered and the issues of helmet removal.
Biker Down! is a free first aid course for bikers, including three modules:
Incident scene management
A presentation from the FireBike team, on-scene management and personal safety for a biker happening upon a crash involving a fellow biker.
Casualty care
This module is delivered by qualified life support instructors from KFRS with motorcycle first aid-specific expertise, covering; trauma and mechanism of injury, snatch rescues, why when and how, basic life support, CPR, managing spinal injuries and crash helmet removal - when and how.
The thinking biker
During this session the attendees receive instruction and advice on conspicuity - how effective is high-vis? This talk also covers phenomena such as 'motion camouflage' and 'looming', as well as tips on what you can do to be seen without the need to cover yourself head to foot in luminous yellow!
Our aim is to offer this course to all bikers. Find out more on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kentfirebike or email bikerdown@kent.fire-uk.org.
What else you can do
Every year bikes become faster, lighter and sharper so it makes sense that you need to be sharper too. By developing your skills and putting the emphasis on yourself to avoid unsafe situations you can enjoy your bike as much as possible. Find out more at:
For any further information please contact the KFRS customer safety team on 01622 692 121.