• Every day, 84 people are killed or seriously injured on UK roads. Six of those are children [1,2].
  • That means someone is killed or seriously injured every 17 minutes.
  • Every death and serious injury on the roads is a preventable tragedy.

When the worst happens, Brake is here to help

Michelle’s son Kial was killed in a head-on collision with a lorry.

In this short film clip, Michelle talks about the life-changing support she received from her Brake caseworker, Vicky.


How trusts and foundations help

Support from charitable trusts and foundations plays a vital role in helping us provide specialist, life-changing support for people bereaved or seriously injured in road crashes, campaign to stop crashes on our roads, and run education programmes to improve knowledge, develop skills and change attitudes.

Here are some of the ways in which funding from trusts and foundations makes a real difference.

Provides specialist support for bereaved and injured road victims

Brake’s National Road Victim Service is a free, professional support service for road victims.

We provide specialist, trauma-informed care, practical information and advice, and emotional support. We support families as they navigate police investigations, inquests, and the criminal justice process.

Enables campaigning to end road death and injury

We call on the government to implement policy aimed at preventing road death and injury.

We deliver national awareness campaigns, like our annual Road Safety Week, to share important road safety messages among schools, communities, and organisations. We campaign for evidence-based solutions to stop road crashes, reduce harm and support victims.

Creates education for all

We raise awareness of and champion the evidence-based interventions that have the biggest impact

We work to embed a culture of road safety among workplaces and other communities. We deliver engaging education programmes in schools to help children of all ages learn about road safety. We host the UK Fleet Champions Awards celebrating excellence in crash prevention, and the After the Crash Conference showcasing best practice in after-crash care.


Our impact

Thanks to our generous funding partners, we have made a significant impact through our work. Here is a snapshot of what our supporters have helped us achieve in some of our key strategic areas.

In 2025, we provided support to
more than 2,000
families bereaved or injured in road crashes

Click here to find out more about Brake's National Road Victim Service.

“I have been supported since day one of my loss and am so very grateful for the support I have been given. I was listened to and heard. Nothing I said was considered a silly question or request. For that I will always remember and respect the work that Brake does.”
A bereaved road victim’s praise for their Brake caseworker

During Road Safety Week 2025, we reached
10.5 million
people with road safety messages

Click here to find out more about Road Safety Week.

"Sponsoring this initiative has given us the opportunity to shine a light on the importance of safer roads for everyone and the work that Brake does to help families following a road crash."
Autoglass®, Road Safety Week 2024 sponsor


We have successfully engaged with MPs and decision-makers to influence national and local policy, lobbying for evidence-based measures that make our roads safer and reduce harm.

We welcomed the Government’s new Road Safety Strategy, published in January 2026, with robust targets to reduce road deaths and serious injuries.

Our education projects reach
1.5 million
children each year

Click here to find out more about our education projects.

“We took a walk around the block with signs to raise awareness. The children were chanting loudly and we had very positive responses from cars passing and neighbours in the local estate!”
Alex Rusby, Assistant headteacher at Gossey Lane Academy which took part in Brake’s Kids' Walk in 2025

We also deliver best-practice education and learning for professionals, like emergency services personnel and our legal partners. In 2025, 190 people who support road victims attended Brake’s After the Crash conference.

Click here to find out more about Brake's After the Crash conference.

“I cannot tell you how much I support the work of Brake, it really is incredible. Without that care, without that listening, without that support, those families would be in a far worse place.”
Chief Constable Jo Shiner, Sussex Police, NPCC lead for Roads Policing speaking at the After the Crash Conference in 2025


Our funding priorities

We cannot deliver our life-changing support service or run impactful campaigns and education projects without the generous backing of our benefactors. We are always incredibly grateful for unrestricted funding, which enables us to be agile in response to changing priorities, and to meet urgent needs as they arise.

We are currently developing projects in the following areas to deliver against our strategy and invite anyone who would like to support these projects to get in touch.

Expanding our National Road Victim Service

Delivering educational programmes

Strengthening our national campaigns


Why partner with Brake?

We have a proud 30-year heritage of promoting road safety and supporting road victims. All our work is underpinned by robust evidence and grounded in best practice, so we know the changes we advocate for will make a real difference.

We have made great progress in 30 years. But sadly, we know that there is a lot still to do towards our vision of a world with zero death and injury, and many more people who need our help.

You can help us get there.

Reporting and stewardship

Brake, the road safety charity, is a registered charity in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, with rigorous reporting, safeguarding and financial controls. We are committed to transparency and high-quality evaluation. Our fundraising team provides clear, timely updates on the outcomes and impact of grants, tailored to each funder’s preferences.

Regular progress updates include:

  • Impact summaries and end-of-grant reports
  • Case studies (with robust informed consent)
  • Opportunities to speak with our service leads or campaign specialists
  • Visits where appropriate.

"At a time in my life which was unbearable, my caseworker listened, cared, helped me understand the chaos in my mind, and to find a way forward."
A bereaved road victim’s praise for their Brake caseworker


Get in touch

We warmly welcome conversations with trusts and foundations that align with our values and that are committed to improving road safety and supporting road crash victims.

If you would like any more information or a tailored funding proposal, please contact the trusts and foundations team at trustandfoundations@brake.org.uk.

References

  1. Department for Transport (2025) Reported road casualties Great Britain, annual report: 2024 and supporting data sets
  2. Police Service of Northern Ireland (2025) Police Recorded Injury Road Traffic Collisions and Casualties Northern Ireland: 2024 Key Statistics Report