With road crashes predicted to climb this year, organisers of this year’s Road Safety Week campaign are urging authorities and drivers to keep road safety at the forefront of their minds long after the campaign finishes.

Road Safety Week organisers are urging for a year-round focus on safe roads for all

Run by Brake, this year’s Road Safety Week runs from 14 to 20 November, focused on the theme of ‘safe roads for all’.

The campaign, as with previous years, is supported by thousands of schools, organisations and communities, which share important road safety messages, remember people affected by road death and injury, and raise funds for the National Road Victim Service.

But organisers are also urging for a year-round focus on safe roads for all.

“Every 22 minutes someone dies or is seriously injured on UK roads,” said Brake CEO Mary Williams.

“Emergency services do a fantastic job of responding to road crashes and raising awareness of their horror, but they shouldn’t have to – road deaths and serious injuries are appalling tragedies that need to stop. We are urging authorities and the public to prioritise road safety to save lives.

“Road safety cannot be something that we talk about just one week a year. We all need to remain vigilant and play our part in ensuring safe and healthy mobility for all.”

Candace Miller, managing director of SFJ Awards, a not-for-profit organisation that supports emergency services providers to train their staff to respond to road collisions, agrees that the UK cannot afford to take our eye off the ball when it comes to road safety.

She said: “Quite simply and sadly, it’s a problem that isn’t going away. Road safety is everyone’s responsibility, and we are delighted to be getting behind this fantastic campaign organised by Brake to raise awareness of the issue.

“Moreover, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting the emergency services to respond to and counter the all too real threat of road collisions.”

Darren Seymour, watch manager at West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service and its SFJ Awards centre co-ordinator, also backs the campaign. He said: “Fire and rescue services see first-hand the damage that road collisions have on people’s lives.

“Road Safety Week is a fantastic initiative that helps to engage the community, raise awareness and raise funds to support victims.

“We are fully behind the message that road safety should be front of mind for all of us, and we reiterate our continued commitment to supporting and training fire and rescue services across the country to apply best practice when responding to road collision

For more details of Road Safety Week 2022 and to get involved, click here.