19 August 2026
PRESS RELEASE
The summer spike – Redspeed calls for smarter, seasonal management of road risk
Redspeed International has published the latest in its year-long series of thought leadership articles from CEO Tom Duckham, focusing on the predictable rise in road risk during the summer months and the need for a more intelligent, data-led response.
Titled ‘The summer spike: why we must get smarter about seasonal road risk’, the article highlights how longer days, hot weather, school holidays and increased leisure travel combine to create conditions in which collisions and casualties consistently rise, particularly for young drivers and motorcyclists.
Drawing on his experience as both a road safety professional and a rider and driver, Duckham describes how summer changes the feel of the network: busier routes to coastal and rural destinations, more overtaking, more last‑minute lane changes and a generally more impatient atmosphere. He argues that while this pattern is well understood, the response from enforcement and policy is still too static, relying on fixed deployment, generic campaigns and an assumption that road users will simply “do the right thing”.
The article welcomes the Department for Transport’s Road Safety Strategy and its emphasis on the Safe System, noting that the framework recognises how risk varies by time, place and behaviour. However, Duckham calls for more emphasis on seasonality within that approach, using information, technology and enforcement in a way that reflects real‑world rhythms rather than treating risk as constant throughout the year.
Key themes from the article include:
- treating seasonal risk as dynamic, not background noise – using collision data, speed patterns and traffic flows to target specific routes, junctions and peak weekends with time‑bound interventions.
- aligning enforcement with enjoyment – ensuring that speed management, average speed systems and visible, fair enforcement support safe mobility for drivers and riders without undermining the pleasure of travel.
- recognising that attitudes shift with the seasons – acknowledging that sunshine and dry roads can breed overconfidence, and that familiar routes to favourite destinations can create a false sense of security.
Tom Duckham said: “Every summer we see the same pattern — longer days, hotter weather, more leisure trips and, very often, more collisions. None of this should surprise us. We already have the data to show when and where risk increases, and which groups are most exposed. But the current prolonged dry weather brings an additional warning: when rain does arrive, roads can quickly become greasy and unpredictable. The challenge now is to move from a static to a genuinely seasonal response.”
“As a motorcyclist, I want to enjoy the long days and sociable ride‑outs, but I also want every journey to end safely. Intelligent speed management and targeted enforcement can help keep risk within survivable limits without stripping away the enjoyment of driving or riding. Done well, they support the Department for Transport’s aim of safe mobility, not no mobility.”
Tom concludes that companies like Redspeed International have an important role in helping partners move from generic “always on” enforcement towards adaptive strategies that reflect how risk actually changes over the course of the year, and that riders, drivers and policymakers alike should view the summer spike as a cue to “raise our game and manage risk more intelligently, together”.
To read Tom Duckham’s latest reflections, please use this link.
Notes to Editors
Redspeed International is a UK-based leader in intelligent traffic enforcement solutions, specialising in road safety, AI-based analytics and ANPR innovation.
For further information, interviews or media enquiries, please contact Redspeed International on 01562 825556.