Brake is calling on the fleet industry – and all employers – to shout out for Safe Roads for All at the launch of Road Safety Week (14-20 November).

Brake is asking employers to ensure all drivers have learned the new Highway Code and the priority it gives to people on bicycles and foot

Latest crash data analysed by the road safety charity reveals that rates of deaths and serious injuries of people on foot and cycling have increased significantly.

And it’s calling for an across-the-board approach to help end the carnage.

While many fleet organisations are already signed up to take part in the Road Safety Week campaign, Brake is urging all employers to make a board-level commitment to monitoring, reporting and improving road risk levels across their fleet and supply chains.

It’s also asking employers to ensure all at-work and commuting drivers have learned the new Highway Code and the priority it gives to people on bicycles and foot.

Analysis by the organisation of 2021 British road crash data found that the rate of deaths and serious injuries of people on foot, by distance travelled, increased by 19% compared to 2020. The same rate was up 27% for cyclists. Yet, by way of comparison, there was a 2% increase across all road users and a 3% increase for car occupants.

Research indicates that nearly one in three fatal and serious road traffic accidents involve somebody who is driving for work

But in 2021, the Government did not report on the ‘journey purpose’ of vehicles involved in collisions in Britain – something the road safety charity is urging to be changed as a priority.

Mary Williams, chief executive, said: “Both at a corporate and government level, road risk management must include monitoring and reporting on the collision involvement of drivers and vehicles at work or commuting.”

This year’s Road Safety Week is being sponsored by some major fleet operators, which have lined up a range of activities.

DHL Supply Chain has been working with its staff across 400 national sites, and has arranged public Road Safety Week events near local bases featuring an HGV simulator.

Arval UK has engaged its employees with road safety messaging and staff have been fundraising for Brake. They are also hosting a special charity event with the local ice hockey team Swindon Wildcats as well as running educational events with Dorset and Wiltshire Fire Services.

VisionTrack and parent company Marker Study are encouraging staff to learn more about road safety.

A further 240 employers operating fleets of vehicles have also signed-up to take part in Road Safety Week. These include Trakm8, which has launched a nationwide search for fleet road safety heroes; Tiger Trailers, which is working with Local Fire & Rescue Services in Cheshire to run road safety awareness workshops; and BT Openreach, which will promote road safety messages on London’s BT Tower which can be seen across the capital.

To access the Brake materials for Road Safety Week 2022, click here.

Fleet managers can also sign up for free road risk management information at the charity’s Global Fleet Champions campaign at www.globalfleetchampions.org.