This year’s theme for Road Safety Week, After the Crash – Every Victim Counts, shines a much-needed spotlight on the ongoing journey faced by victims and their loved ones long after the initial crash.
Road crashes are preventable events, with life-changing consequences - and the path to healing is often challenging and deeply personal. At our recent UKROEd/NPCC conference in October, I was pleased to share a platform with Dr Ian Greenwood and Sharon Huddleston, both of whom spoke movingly about the pain of losing their children in road crashes.
The bravery with which they vocally campaign on the need to improve road safety, especially for younger drivers, is a constant reminder of why I do what I do every day.
Ruth Purdie OBE, CEO, The Road Safety Trust
Their experience, and the bravery with which they vocally campaign on the need to improve road safety, especially for younger drivers, is a constant reminder of why I do what I do every day.
It is a privilege for us at the Road Safety Trust to fund projects across the ‘safe system’, including those intended to help people after a crash. One example of this support is our recent funding to Brake for two important resources designed to help bereaved children and those who care for them.
The books, titled Someone has died in a road crash and Helping children bereaved by road death, are produced by Brake as a means for families to communicate, understand and process the overwhelming emotions that accompany the loss of a loved one in a road crash. In funding the resources this year, the Trust wanted to do its part to ensure there continues to be support for young people who are trying make sense of grief in ways that even adults find hard to navigate.
As a signatory to the Road Safety Manifesto 2024, which launched during the recent General Election campaign, the Road Safety Trust is also pleased to be working closely with partners in the sector to push this new Labour Government towards improved policy-making for real improvements in road safety practice.
We strongly support the four key strategic priorities of the Manifesto, which include the establishment of a Road Safety Investigation Branch to analyse road incidents and provide actionable insights for the prevention of future tragedies. This complements Brake’s push, during Road Safety Week, for the development of a Road Victim’s Charter, intended to provide equitable and sustainable support for road victims.
Now, more than ever, it is vital that we stand together as organisations with fundamentally shared goals, to say enough is enough. I know that every one of us who campaigns for safer roads can sometimes feel daunted by the task ahead.
The goal of achieving safer roads and reducing harm is ambitious, as much as it essential. But I firmly believe that it is achievable with sustained commitment, courage and collaboration.
At the Road Safety Trust, we remain committed to this vision – not just to see an improvement in annual statistics, but for every individual who counts on us to make a meaningful difference.
This blog was written for Road Safety Week 2024. The theme is After the crash – Every road victim counts. Click here to find out more and sign up to take part.
Views expressed in blogs are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Brake, the road safety charity, or its employees.
Ruth Purdie, OBE
CEO, The Road Safety Trust
Prior to taking up this role, Ruth was General Secretary of TISPOL, the European Roads Policing Network. In this role Ruth worked with European governments, senior police officers and road safety experts to deliver a co-ordinated approach to road safety across Europe. Her policing career spanned 33 years to the rank of Assistant Chief Constable. Working for the College of Policing, Ruth was the lead facilitator in developing the Strategic Command Course – Operational Delivery Module and assessment process 2015–2019. She holds a first class honours degree in Management and was awarded an OBE in 2021 for services to Policing and Road Safety. To learn more about the Road Safety Trust and the projects we fund, visit our website: www.roadsafetytrust.org.uk