The charity has chosen to put road victims at the heart of this year’s Road Safety Week campaign, to raise awareness of the devastating toll of road crashes and celebrate the work of the incredible number of people who come together every day to support families after a road death or serious injury.
After the Crash – Every road victim counts
Every year, more than 1,700 people die on UK roads. Another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries. The numbers are shocking, and there has been no significant reduction for more than a decade.
For Road Safety Week 2024, Brake will be counting the real cost of road crashes, revealing the stories behind the numbers and calling for the very highest standard of care for every road victim.
The charity invites employers, educators, emergency services and everyone with an interest in road safety and victim support to sign up and take part in Road Safety Week at www.brake.org.uk/roadsafetyweek. Everyone who registers will get access to free tools and resources to support their Road Safety Week activities.
Launching on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Road Safety Week will bring people together to remember loved ones who have died or suffered life-changing injures in road crashes. Throughout the week, Brake will share the voices and lived experiences of road victims, and showcase the work of its National Road Victim Service, which every year provides expert emotional and practical support to thousands of bereaved and injured families during their darkest and most difficult times.
Brake will lead on the development of a Road Victim’s Charter, calling on our new government to provide sustainable funding and parity of care for road victims and their families, whoever they are, wherever they live, and whether or not a crime has occurred.
This Road Safety Week we'll be sharing the stories behind the numbers and calling for sustainable funding and the very highest standard of care for every road victim.
Ross Moorlock, chief executive, Brake
For educators, Brake will provide resources to help children and young people learn about people who help after a crash, from emergency services to social support. For employers, the focus will be on helping every organisation that employs people who drive for work to understand why we need robust investigation into the causes of road crashes, so we can understand why they happen and prevent future road death and harm.
Ross Moorlock, Brake’s chief executive commented: “Behind every road casualty statistic, every headline, is a family in turmoil, a grief-stricken family trying to navigate its way through the complex procedures that often follow a road crash. Behind every number is a family that needs our help.
“At Brake, we support families whose lives have been changed forever in an instant. We know that the right support at the right time can change the course of someone's life. This Road Safety Week we'll be sharing the stories behind the numbers and calling for sustainable funding and the very highest standard of care for every road victim. We hope you will join us to support this vital campaign.”
The theme of Road Safety Week 2024 was announced at Brake’s annual reception at the House of Commons on Thursday 18 July. More than 150 of Brake’s key supporters from across the road safety community gathered to remember road victims and reflect on progress towards road safety goals.
In 2023, more than 4,000 organisations, educators and individuals signed up to take part in Road Safety Week with a theme Let’s Talk About SPEED. With road deaths caused by speeding on the rise, Brake invited participants to join a national conversation about speed, asking why, when five people die on our roads every day, so many of us still choose to drive too fast.