By Sue Duncan, ADINJC General Secretary

The November 2026 edition of Traffic Safety Roads, compiled by ADINJC Road Safety Advisor Graham Feest, brings together the latest road safety news and research, with practical points for driving instructors and their learners.

Key Items of Interest

Stopping in the Wet: Confidence Versus Reality

Research from TyreSafe, highlighted in the bulletin, reveals a gap between drivers’ confidence and their understanding of wet-weather stopping distances. While 83% believed they were in full control of their vehicle’s stopping distance, only 6% correctly identified the additional distance needed to stop in wet conditions at motorway speeds.

With wetter weather affecting journeys, this is a useful opportunity to revisit how speed, road conditions and tyre condition influence the space needed to stop. Confidence behind the wheel does not necessarily mean a driver has allowed enough room for an unexpected hazard.

ADIs can use lessons to help learners assess following distances, adjust speed before hazards and recognise when conditions demand a greater safety margin. Linking these decisions to routine tyre checks helps pupils understand how vehicle preparation and driving behaviour work together.

Rural Roads and Choosing a Safer Speed

Research commissioned by Ageas found that 67% of UK motorists felt unsafe travelling at 60mph on narrow or winding country roads, while 55% believed the default limit was too high. The bulletin also reports substantial support among respondents for reducing rural road speed limits.

Alongside this debate, the new THINK! speed campaign encourages young male drivers to recognise moments when rushing, overconfidence or pressure from others can affect their speed choices. Its message is relevant to everyday decisions, including approaching bends and adapting to poor conditions.

For ADIs, both stories provide a starting point for discussing why a posted limit is not a target. Learners need experience of reading bends, anticipating concealed junctions and allowing for people walking, cycling or riding horses. Exploring how they would respond to a following driver or impatient passenger can help prepare them for independent driving.

Mobile Phone Use Remains a Persistent Problem

Freedom of Information research from Marshall Motor Group, reported in the bulletin, identified 92,333 handheld mobile phone or device offences recorded by 30 police forces between 2023 and 2025. A further 17,243 were recorded between January and July 2026.

These are recorded offences from the forces that supplied data, rather than a complete measure of phone use behind the wheel. Even so, they show that distraction remains an issue despite repeated road safety messages.

ADIs can help learners establish practical habits before they begin driving alone: set navigation before moving off, silence notifications and put the phone out of reach. Discussing how to manage an incoming call or pressure to reply makes the lesson relevant to situations pupils are likely to encounter after passing.

Drowsy Driving: Looking Beyond Individual Choices

A review commissioned by the Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance explores how health, working patterns, technology and social pressures contribute to drowsy driving. Highlighted in the November bulletin, the research argues that tired driving needs to be understood as a wider transport safety challenge.

Drivers may underestimate their tiredness, believe they can continue safely or feel obliged to travel because of work and personal commitments. This makes fatigue an important subject for learners who may combine driving with shift work, study or late-night social journeys.

For instructors, the practical conversation starts before the engine does. Encourage learners to consider whether they are fit to drive, plan realistic journeys and recognise that postponing a trip can be the safest decision. These discussions are also relevant to ADIs managing their own working day and time between lessons.

Seatbelts and Young Drivers: Building a Lasting Habit

The bulletin highlights AA Charitable Trust analysis of Department for Transport data showing that 35.6% of car occupants aged 17–29 who died in collisions between 2021 and 2025 were not wearing a seatbelt. The corresponding proportion across all ages was 24.6%.

These figures describe people killed in collisions; they do not mean that a third of all young people travel without a belt. They nevertheless underline the importance of making seatbelt use a consistent habit, including on familiar roads and short journeys.

ADIs can reinforce this through the normal cockpit routine while exploring what may change once pupils are driving with friends. Helping learners feel confident asking passengers to buckle up gives them a practical way to carry that safety message beyond lessons.

Road Safety Week: Safe People on the Move

Brake’s Road Safety Week takes place this November under the theme Safe People on the Move. The campaign highlights the part everyone plays in making journeys safer and the responsibility to protect people who are more vulnerable on the road.

For ADIs, it offers an opportunity to connect everyday lesson content with the people affected by driving decisions. Observation around crossings, patience near working vehicles and allowing space for people walking, wheeling, cycling or riding can all support that discussion.

Instructors and local associations can find further information and campaign resources through Brake’s Road Safety Week website, and use the campaign as a prompt for learner conversations or their own road safety communications.

Final Thoughts for ADIs

November’s report highlights the importance of turning road safety knowledge into habits that last beyond the practical test. Wet-weather judgement, appropriate speed, managing distractions, recognising fatigue and wearing a seatbelt all depend on decisions made during ordinary journeys.

For ADIs, the opportunity is to make those decisions part of the learning process. Asking pupils how they would respond when tired, in a hurry or travelling with friends helps connect lesson skills with the pressures of independent driving.

The Traffic Safety Roads bulletin is produced by Graham Feest, a road safety consultant with more than 50 years’ experience. A former County Road Safety Officer and Head of Road Safety at IAM RoadSmart, Graham continues to support the profession as President of the Institute of Master Tutors of Driving and Road Safety Advisor to the ADINJC.

Sue Duncan
ADINJC General Secretary

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