Service update: April 2025

The National Road Victim Service will be closed from Thursday 17 April at 4pm until Tuesday 22 April at 8am.

We are so sorry that our service is closed over the holiday period. We will re-open on Tuesday 22 April and our team are committed to ensuring that any referrals and requests for support are actioned as soon as possible.

Please use these webpages to find information about coping with a death or catastrophic injury following a road crash. Scroll down and click on the links below to find the information you need.

If you require support more urgently, please contact your GP for support, advice, or for referral to mental health services.

If you need to speak to someone outside of your friends and family over the holiday period, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 who are available 24 hours a day, or access support on the Samaritans website. Go to Talk to us on the Phone | Samaritans.

If you feel that you need urgent mental health support, you can contact 111 and ask to be directed to your local out of hours mental health access team who will help to find this support for you within your local area.

You can also call Cruse on 0808 808 1677 if you want to talk to someone during the holiday period. You can find help and support on the Cruse website. Go to Get support - Cruse Bereavement Support.

In case of an emergency

In case of emergency, or if you need help urgently, please call 999 immediately or your GP Out of Hours Service for urgent medical assistance.

Brake's National Road Victim Service

Get help

If someone you love has been killed or seriously injured in a road crash, Brake is here to help

Fill out this simple form, call 0808 8000 401 or email help@brake.org.uk

Open Monday to Friday 10am–4pm

How can Brake's National Road Victim Service help you?

If someone you love has been killed or seriously injured in a road crash, the charity Brake is here for you. This short animation explains how we can help in your darkest and most difficult times.

Click on the links below to find out more

Information and guidance

Online guides to help you understand the complex procedures that often follow a crash

Legal support

Get help choosing a solicitor who can help you

Get help if a crash happened abroad

We work with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to support people in the UK after a road death abroad

Professionals and carers

Get help if you are caring for someone who has been bereaved or injured by a road crash

Who we help

We help people living in the UK who have been bereaved or seriously injured in a road crash that happened in the UK or abroad

Operating hours

The National Road Victim Service is open from Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm. Fill out this short self-referral form, call 0808 8000 401 or email help@brake.org.uk.

Please note that calls may be monitored for quality and training purposes.

Due to demand on the service, our current response time is 10 working days for contact to be made by our triage team.

If you've recently left a voicemail message for the National Road Victim Service and have not received a response within 10 working days, please email us instead: help@brake.org.uk.

If you need support before we are next available, please use these webpages to find information about coping with a death or catastrophic injury following a road crash. Scroll down and click on the links below to find the information you need.

You can call the Samaritans on 116 123 who are available 24 hours a day, or access support on the Samaritans website. Go to Talk to us on the Phone | Samaritans.

You can call Cruse on 0808 808 1677 if you want to talk to someone before we are next available. You can also find help and support on the Cruse website. Go to Get support - Cruse Bereavement Support.

In case of an emergency

In case of emergency, or if you need help urgently, please call 999 immediately or your GP Out of Hours Service for urgent medical assistance.

Our promise to you

We understand every road crash is different, every road victim is an individual, and your circumstance is uniquely painful and challenging.

  • We promise to hear you, work with you to meet your needs, and help you feel safe and supported.
  • Our aim is to help you cope, feel informed and listened to.
  • We help you get the help you need from people and services in your community.
  • We provide a safe space for you to talk about your feelings.
  • We are an independent service working in partnership with other services to care for your needs.
  • We do not replace the roles of emergency, police or health services.