Road Safety Week is on the 15th - 21st November 2021. It is the UK's biggest road awareness safety event organised by the charity 'Brake'. The initiative aims to inspire schools, organisations, and communities to take action on road safety by promoting life-saving information. Every death and serious injury on the road is a preventable tragedy. Currently, someone is seriously injured or killed every 20 minutes on UK roads; it is essential to come together and raise awareness. In this article, we consider the significance of Road Safety Week and services available to victims and their families offered by the charity.
History of Road Safety Week
The charity 'Brake' was founded in 1995 by Mary Willams, a former transport journalist, to provide victim support, prevent road deaths and injuries through community and policy-orientated campaigns. Mary Willams was awarded the OBE in 2000 for her services to road safety in the year 2000.
The charity founded Road safety week in 1997, which became an annual event that raises awareness and promotes steps that anyone can take to stop needless deaths and injuries. The impactful work of road safety week led to the United Nations first UN Global Road Safety Week in 2007. Mary Williams spoke at the 5th United Nations Global Road Safety Week 2019.
Why is Road Safety Week so important?
Road Safety Week is not only inspiring to schools, organisations, and communities to take action on road safety by promoting life-saving information. It also allows professionals working in road safety to boost awareness of the risks involved whilst working on the road. The work that they do has inspired the theme of Road Safety Week 2021 - ROAD SAFETY HEROES. This year, the aim is to commemorate road safety professionals' work and look at how we can play a part in making travel safer for everyone. Take, for example, every year during Road Safety Week; the Police carry out roadside safety checks of vehicles to call attention to the dangers of poorly maintained vehicles and offer advice to drivers to help keep road users safe.
Road Safety Week helps save lives. It raises road safety awareness to ensure the safety of the operators of the vehicle, passengers, and pedestrians.
Need Help
Brake has a shared vision with Vision Zero Youth Council - they use Road Safety Week to campaign for safe and healthy mobility for everyone by fundraising. They also offer support to people affected by road crashes and campaign for safe and healthy mobility for everyone by fundraising during Road Safety Week. To access their services:
Get help if your a victim of a crash: Brake's National Road Victim Service is a free, confidential, specialist service. They offer support if you have been bereaved or seriously injured in a road crash or are supporting a road crash victim.
They also offer information and guidance or victims of road crashes and their families.