Road Safety Week

Thousands of schools, organisations and communities from around the UK will come together to share road safety messages, remember those lost and affected by accidents and raise funds for more care and campaigning as part of Road Safety Week.

Taking place from 17 to 23 November, Road Safety Week was initiated by the road safety charity Brake. This year, Brake has decided to focus on those who have been lost or had their lives severely changed by road traffic accidents.

• Over 1,700 people die on UK roads every year
• Over 30,000 people in the UK receive life-changing injuries after road crashes
• Over 1.35 million die on the roads globally.

Road Safety week will give families and friends a platform to remember loved ones who have died or had their lives changed as a result of a car crash. It can also help anyone involved talk about their experiences.

When did Road Safety Week start?

Initiated in 1997 by Brake, Road Safety Week aims to raise awareness and promote actions that can help reduce the number of deaths and injuries on the road. For 2024, Brake has declared that Road Safety Week will focus on road victims, raising awareness of the toll a crash can take on them and their families.

2024’s Road Safety Week will attempt to tell the stories of the people behind the statistics, explaining how lives of them, their friends and families can change, highlighting the support that is on offer. By doing this, the campaign will help people understand the devastating effects of road crashes on everyone involved.

Brake will do this via the following routes:

• Calling for sustainable funding and parity of care
• Celebrating the work of those who support injured people and their families after serious, life-changing accidents
• Leading on the development of a charter that will provide sustainable funding and care for all affected, whatever the circumstances of the accident
• Supporting people who drive for a living by advocating for robust investigations into crashes that investigate why they happen and how they can be prevented in the future

The week will also showcase the work of Brake’s National Road Victim Service (a free, professional, trauma-informed service) and the emotional and practical support that is offered during dark and difficult times.

What activities can I run for Road Safety Week?

If you’re planning to mark Road Safety Week, you could do any of the following to educate the public about the dangers of the road:

• Organise an event – Put on a fundraising event where people can learn about road safety
• Give a talk at a school or educational establishment – Help children and young people learn about those who help out after a crash by providing them with fact sheets, posters, films and more
• Make a donation – If you can afford to, why not make a donation to Brake so they can continue to provide care services and campaign for more awareness?

Whether you’re observing, advocating or simply driving responsibly, anyone can get involved in Road Safety Week. Anything you can do can help raise awareness of the importance of driving, pedestrian safety and improving our roads so that they can be safer for everyone.