The Fatal 5

Not paying attention while driving can hurt you and others. Most crashes happen because people make mistakes. Some examples of careless driving are: 

• Driving too fast when the road is wet or icy.
• Eating, drinking, or using your phone while driving.
• Not looking properly at road signs or junctions.
• Driving too close to the car in front.
• Changing lanes without using signals.
• Not stopping for police cars, ambulances or fire engines.

Seatbelts help keep you safe in a crash. They stop you from being thrown from the car. 

• You’re twice as likely to die in a crash if you don’t wear one.
• Always wear a seatbelt, even on short trips.
• Wear it properly to protect yourself.
• Children over 12 years old or taller than 135cm must wear a seatbelt.
• Younger children must use a car seat.

It’s the law 

• You can be fined £100 on the spot for not wearing a seatbelt.
• The fine can go up to £500 in court.
• Drivers are responsible for making sure children are in the right car seat or seatbelt.

Driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs is very dangerous. It can lead to death or serious injury. 

If you drive under the influence of drink or drugs , you could: 

• Be banned from driving for 1 year.
• Get a criminal record.
• Be fined a lot of money.
• Go to prison.
• Lose your job or your car.

Did you know? 

• 11 people die every week in the UK because of drink driving.
• Young men in their 20s are most at risk.
• Some drugs slow you down, others make you take risks – both are dangerous.
• 18% of people who die in crashes had taken illegal drugs. 

You might still be over the limit the morning after drinking.

Phones and driving don’t mix. Even careful drivers can get distracted by a call or text.

It’s against the law to use your phone while driving, even if:

• You’re stopped at traffic lights.
• You’re in a traffic jam.
• You’re supervising a learner driver.
• Your phone is in flight mode.

You can only use a phone if: 

• It’s an emergency and you can’t stop safely
• You’re parked.
• You’re paying at a drive-through and the car isn’t moving.
• You’re parking the car using an app
• Hands-free is allowed, but:  you can’t hold the phone and it must not block your view. 

You must always be in control of the car. 

The penalty 

• 6 points on your licence.
• £200 fine.
• If you’re a new driver, you could lose your licence.
• You could also go to court and get banned or fined up to £1,000 (£2,500 for lorry or bus drivers).

Driving too fast is very dangerous. Speed makes crashes more likely and more deadly. Drivers who break the rules – like speeding, using a phone, or drink driving – are more likely to cause deadly crashes. These crashes ruin lives. That’s why we are working hard to stop these avoidable tragedies.