Road Safety Week launched today (14 November) at Ravenfield Primary School, Rotherham
National Road Safety Week launched today with the theme Safe Roads for All, emphasising the importance of everyone following changes to the Highway Code to protect people more at risk, such as those on foot and bicycle.
Eighteen children from Ravenfield Primary Academy, Rotherham, hold Road Safety Week banners representing the number of pedestrians and cyclists killed and seriously injured every week in Yorkshire and Humber region in 2021.
The changes to The Highway Code aim to help improve road safety for people walking, cycling and also horse riding and have been publicised by the Government during spring and summer 2022. The Code sets out a hierarchy of road users, with those who can cause the most harm having the greatest responsibility to protect others on the road.
Road Safety Week is coordinated by Brake, the road safety charity, and in support of the Department for Transport’s THINK! Campaign. Brake also runs the National Road Victim Service, providing bereaved and seriously injured families with dedicated caseworkers, delivering emotional support, practical care and access to many other services road victims need.
Millions are taking part in Road Safety Week 2022 (14-20 November), as thousands of schools, communities, organisations, and emergency services launch local activities; raising awareness and spreading messages to improve road safety across the nation.
Brake chief executive Mary Williams OBE said: “Road crashes devastate families who are bereaved and seriously injured. Road Safety Week is an opportunity for everyone – including drivers, and also employers, and community leaders – to come together and make roads safe for all, particularly the most vulnerable. Drivers can follow the Highway Code; slowing down and giving people space is vital for safety. Employers can implement safe driving policies for their employees. Community leaders can work with their local authorities for measures that protect people, such as cycle paths and 20mph limits. Road casualties are an appalling carnage that can and must end, through us all taking the right steps.”
Roads Minister, Richard Holden MP, said: “Everyone should be confident using our roads and we’re committed to continually improving road safety. I’m delighted to support Brake’s fantastic work across Road Safety Week to promote the changes to the Highway Code and help all road users understand their responsibility to protect those more at risk.”
About Road Safety Week
Road Safety Week is organised by Brake, the road safety charity and sponsored by Arval UK, DHL Supply Chain and VisionTrack. It supports the Department for Transport’s THINK! campaign.
Brake has provided information and teaching resources for people to get involved at www.brake.org.uk/RSW
Simon Marsh, CEO, VisionTrack, said: “Our vision is to create a world where all road-users are kept safe from harm and so we are incredibly proud to be supporting Brake, once again, on its annual Road Safety Week. As part of our activity, we’ve reached out to our customer base, both in the UK and abroad, who are collectively responsible for fleet drivers travelling over 4.0 million miles every day, to share important road safety messages. Together, we can create even more opportunities to drive the vital road safety agenda.”
Ailsa Firth, Director of HR at Arval UK, said: “With more than 185,000 vehicles on UK roads, we have a responsibility to take action to help improve safety for all road users. As the age of zero-emission travel is upon us, new modes of sustainable transport are becoming available, opening up roads to alternative technology, which in turn adjusts people’s driving styles and capabilities. We need to keep safety at the heart of that change and the forefront of all of our minds and therefore we are proud to continue our support for Brake and Road Safety Week in its mission to make our roads a safer place for all.”
Bob Naylor, Vice President Transport at DHL UKI, said: “DHL is proud to continue to sponsor Brake and the ‘Safe Roads for All’ Road Safety Week campaign 2022. Our Safety First culture strives not only to keep our colleagues safe on the roads, but also other vulnerable road users. DHL sites across the UK are preparing to participate in a variety of road safety-related activities which share the theme’s messages and raises awareness that ‘Everyone’s Life Matters’ on our roads.”
About Brake
Brake is a national road safety charity founded in 1995, that exists to stop deaths, serious injuries and pollution on roads, and to care for families bereaved and injured in road crashes.
Brake campaigns for safe and healthy roads through supporting government policies and investment to end the carnage, and through projects that help local communities, schools and employers work for safe and pollution-free streets. Brake delivers Road Safety Week, www.brake.org.uk/RSW, the UK’s biggest road safety campaign.
Brake is the national provider of care and support to victims of road crashes and their families through the National Road Victim Service, helping families cope with the shock, turmoil and devastation that road crashes cause families across the UK every day.
For more information about road collisions and to fundraise for the charity, go to www.brake.org.uk.
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