Brake, the UK charity campaigning for safer roads, is calling for life-saving technology to be mandated for all new vehicles in the UK, aligning with recent vehicle legislation introduced in the EU.
The charity, which organizes the annual Road Safety Week (16–22 November 2025), states:
“There is no good reason for any new vehicle to be built without the latest-generation, life-saving vehicle safety technology outlined in the General Safety Regulations. Now it’s time for us to raise the standard in Britain and make all new vehicles as safe as they can be, with mandatory safety features that are known to prevent deaths and reduce serious injuries, such as intelligent speed assistance, automated emergency braking, and lane-keeping assistance.”
This intervention highlights how legislation often has to catch up with innovation. However, putting aside the legislative urgency, Brake’s call also sheds light on how digital solutions and connected technology are increasingly being used to save lives on the roads.
### Fleets Leading the Way with Technology
Fleets aren’t waiting for regulations to mandate these technologies or for manufacturers to integrate them into vehicles. Instead, many are turning to solutions like Samsara’s Connected Operations Platform. This plug-and-play technology can be retrofitted to lorries and vans in minutes, transforming them into data-driven fleets.
But why such urgency? Because once this technology is activated, fleets gain crucial visibility into driver behavior.
### Visibility Is Crucial to Safer Roads
Without clear insight into how vehicles are driven, it’s impossible for operators to reduce risk effectively. Today’s modern, IoT-powered fleets offer real-time data on driver behavior — from speeding and harsh braking to seatbelt use and distracted driving — allowing managers to pinpoint exactly where problems lie.
Paul Cerexhe, Director of Logistics at FM Conway, a civil engineering firm with a 1,000-strong fleet across the UK, shared that since installing Samsara, the company has seen a 21.9% drop in accidents. He said:
“We didn’t know how good or bad drivers were before; we had to rely on feedback from incidents or the public. Now, we can see that information in real time. One of the best things is seeing drivers go from a poor to a good rating very quickly.”
### Real-Time Alerts Prevent Serious Incidents
If visibility shows where risks exist, real-time alerts help stop these risks from escalating. AI dash cams and in-cab alerts instantly detect behaviors such as phone use, tailgating, or fatigue, warning drivers immediately.
Andrew Sharp, Transport Shift Manager at catering giant Delifresh, praised Drowsiness Detection Alerts:
“In one case, a driver was nodding off and the camera picked up standing traffic ahead. Without the alert that woke him in time, he would have run into those vehicles.”
### Shaping Safer Behavior Through Coaching
For lasting change, data is key. It helps pinpoint real and potential incidents, share feedback, and support drivers in improving their habits.
For civil engineering company Cappagh Browne, results were rapid. Within a year of adopting these solutions, they cut at-fault accidents by 88%, reduced adverse driving behaviors by 95%, and improved safety scores by 68 points.
Positive reinforcement and driver coaching foster a cultural shift where safety becomes the top priority — and it truly must be. Brake’s figures report that around 1,700 people die on UK roads each year, with a further 30,000 suffering serious, life-changing injuries. This is a powerful call to action.
### Safety Pays Off for Business
Investing in safety isn’t just about saving lives; it also yields significant business benefits such as lower insurance premiums, fewer claims, reduced downtime, improved fuel efficiency, and stronger driver retention.
Many C-suite executives experience a “penny-drop” moment when they first see footage of drivers using mobile phones or struggling with fatigue. Confronted with clear evidence, the scale of the problem becomes impossible to ignore. For some, this prompts swift investment in safety technologies. For others, the process takes longer — because improving safety requires changing organizational behavior, not just installing new gadgets.
### Good Safety is Good Business
This is where the conversation changes gear. Safety is not an isolated challenge; it lies at the heart of broader business transformation.
Connected technology that prevents accidents also drives efficiency and productivity. What begins as a safety initiative often evolves into a wider process of organizational change, using data to build companies that are safer, more efficient, and more resilient.
For fleets embracing these changes, safety becomes more than compliance — it becomes a catalyst for sustainable, long-term improvement.
### A Reminder and a Call to Action
Road Safety Week reminds us that the drive toward safer vehicles and roads is far from over. Brake’s call for stronger regulation highlights the urgency, but fleets already harnessing digital technology demonstrate what’s possible today.
By combining innovative technology with cultural change, operators can save lives, strengthen their businesses, and help build the safer roads that Road Safety Week champions every year.
https://diginomica.com/safe-vehicles-save-lives-digital-technology-becomes-increasingly-embedded-vehicles-0
