This week (16 – 22 November) sees the biggest road safety event in the UK: Road Safety Week, coordinated each year by the road safety charity Brake.
The aim of Road Safety Week is to inspire thousands of schools, organisations and communities to take action on road safety as well as promote life-saving messages. The week also provides a focal point for road safety professionals to increase awareness and engagement in their work.
Brake is a road safety charity that works to prevent road death and injury, make streets and communities safer, and support the victims of road crashes.
Theme for 2020: No Need to Speed
Each year a different theme is chosen for the Week. This year’s theme is No Need to Speed.
Brake informs us that in a crash, even 1mph can mean the difference between life and death, and also that people regularly break speed limits or travel too fast for the conditions of the road.
“With someone injured on a UK road every four minutes, and vehicle speed playing a part in every crash, it’s time to come together to say that there is No Need to Speed.”
On the roads of Britain, someone is killed or seriously injured every 20 minutes, and Brake say these tragedies are preventable.
During last year’s Road Safety Week, Brake asked everyone to “Step up for Safe Streets” and for us to learn about and celebrate amazing design-led solutions that will allow us all to get around in safe and healthy ways. 8,000 educators, community groups, companies and road safety professionals registered to get involved during Road Safety Week 2019.
We all have a part to play
We can all play a part in the celebration of safe system solutions and the creation of a safe and healthy future:
- Individuals can step up by pledging to use roads safely, minimise vehicle use and shout out for safe system solutions.
- Schools can help young people step up and learn how to create a safe and healthy future and shout out for change.
- Organisations can step up their policies and procedures to ensure they choose safe systems solutions.
- Emergency service professionals can step up to highlight their vital role in helping keep us safe.
- Policy-makers can step up by developing and mandating safe systems solutions.
Every death or serious injury on our roads is a tragedy and each one is preventable. Step up for Safe Streets and do your bit for a safe and healthy future.
To see how you can be involved and to register for your free action pack, visit http://www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/action-pack .