Road safety campaign group Brake, who have partnerships with Autoglass, Hastings Direct and several law firms, are calling more collision avoidance tech in vehicles, plus more support for victims of those involved in RTAs, or bereaved by fatal accidents.
Today is the start of Road Safety Week (16-22 November), a national campaign run by the road safety charity Brake, to raise awareness of the impact of road death and injury and call for key measures to make roads safer.
More than 3,000 schools, organisations, communities and individuals have signed up to take part, together reaching more than 10 million people with important road safety messages using free resources provided by Brake.
Beginning on Sunday 16 November on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Road Safety Week highlights the shocking fact that 1,671 people died on UK roads last year, and a further 28,804 suffered serious, life-changing injuries. Speed was a road safety factor in 59% of all road deaths in Britain in 2024.
Brake has also revealed that over the same time period, the charity provided specialist emotional and practical support to more than 2,000 families following a road crash, helping them to cope with the devastating impact of a sudden and traumatic event. Many of the families supported by Brake have been involved in multi-fatality crashes, and around 7% of support cases involve the death of a child.
Safe Vehicles Save Lives
This year, the theme of Road Safety Week is Safe Vehicles Save Lives, raising awareness of how safe vehicles can make roads safer by being roadworthy, preventing crashes and protecting people in the event of a crash. From automated driver assistance systems that help drivers keep within speed limits and brake in an emergency, to essential checks that drivers can do before every journey, Brake is helping people understand how today’s technology can make every journey safer.
A recent study by Brake found that 63% of drivers don’t understand what all the safety features in their car do. In addition, 18% of drivers are uncertain what safety features their car has, and 35% admit to having switched off at least one safety feature.
Brake has provided a free action pack of resources to everyone who signs up for Road Safety Week, with information about how to take part. This includes factsheets on safe vehicles and guidance on how to carry out essential safety checks on a car, van or bike. There are also activities for schools to get involved by teaching road safety to children and young people, events and information for employers, as well as social media images and more for everyone to share. Hundreds of people will be taking part in Big Tea Brake events at schools, work and in the community to remember road victims and fundraise for Brake.
Brake is also hosting a free webinar on Wednesday 19 November at 10am) to explore the question: “What are safe vehicles and why are they so vital in helping make our roads safer and preventing road death and injury?”. All organisations who employ people who drive for work are invited to sign up to hear from our expert speakers at www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week-webinar.
Be the first to comment