In front of a crowd of loyal Brake supporters, the charity’s chief executive, Ross Moorlock, unveiled Brake’s new three-year strategy to end road death and reduce harm, and ensure support for every road victim.
Ross outlined Brake’s commitments to:
- Deliver an accessible, accredited national pathway for road victim support through Brake’s National Road Victim Service, which supported more than 2,000 families affected by road death and serious injury in 2023.
- Campaign for the solutions known to have the biggest impact on stopping road crashes and reducing harm, including an end to drink-driving, progressive licensing for young and newly qualified drivers, default 20mph speed limits on all roads in built-up areas and the adoption of vehicle safety regulations.
- Run education programmes to improve knowledge, develop and enhance skills, and shift attitudes towards road safety and active travel.
He also launched the theme for this year’s Road Safety Week, which will focus on road victims.
Every year, Brake brings together the charity’s key supporters, as well as road safety campaigners and families of road victims from across the UK, to remember loved ones killed or injured in road crashes and celebrate progress towards road safety goals.
Taking place only a fortnight after the General Election, as a new government forms and assesses its priorities, the Annual Reception came at a critical time to raise awareness of the overwhelming and ongoing scale of road death and injury, the devastating effect on every family, and call on those in power and with authority to recognise the scale of the issue, and drive meaningful change to end road death and harm.
Brake’s Chair of Trustees, Deborah Sleightholme, opened the reception with a warm welcome to all guests. She was followed by Chief Constable Jo Shiner of Sussex Police and NPCC Lead for Roads Policing, who delivered a heartfelt speech about why we must continue to strive to influence change at all levels in order to stop road death and prevent people being seriously injured, through political will and tangible action.
Speakers at Brake's Annual Reception. From left to right: Dr Ian Greenwood; Kim Leadbeater MP; Deborah Sleightholme; Ross Moorlock; and Chief Constable Jo Shiner.
Those in power and with authority to drive change must recognise the enormity of this crisis and fulfil their duty to implement life-saving measures. Brake stands alongside every family touched by tragedy on our roads, committed to demanding the change they deserve. How many more lives must be lost before action is taken?
Ross Moorlock, chief executive, Brake
Brake’s chief executive Ross Moorlock reminded guests that Brake stands alongside every family touched by tragedy on our roads, and is committed to demanding the change they deserve. He then introduced Brake’s new three-year strategy, in which the charity commits to working tirelessly towards its vision of a world where no one is killed or hurt on a road.
Finally, Dr Ian Greenwood spoke about his tireless campaigning for a progressive licensing system for young and newly qualified drivers, following the death of his daughter Alice in a road crash involving a young driver. He called on politicians to take urgent action to prevent road death and serious injury.
Ross Moorlock, chief executive of Brake, said: "A death or serious injury on roads should be a rare and unusual event. But sadly, today’s reality is that five people die on the UK’s roads every single day, and over 75 more suffer serious, life-changing injuries. If the aviation or rail industry had a safety record like that, planes would be grounded, and trains would be stopped. But when it comes to our roads, we somehow, as a society, tolerate the intolerable, or convince ourselves that road deaths and life-changing injuries are just an inevitability. We have to do better than this.
"Behind these numbers are real people, real lives. Families and communities ripped apart and forever changed, and lives cut short, as a result of preventable road crashes.
"We have a new government, and we must now see those in power and with authority to drive change recognise the enormity of this crisis and fulfil their duty to implement life-saving measures. This afternoon, Brake stands alongside every family touched by tragedy on our roads, committed to demanding the change they deserve. How many more lives must be lost before action is taken?"
Posting on X (formerly Twitter) after the event, Kim Leadbeater, Labour MP for Spen Valley, said: "Very pleased to join @Brakecharity for their parliamentary reception. Powerful contributions & important conversations about #RoadSafety & deaths on our roads. People in #SpenValley & across the country want safer roads and we need to work hard to eliminate road deaths."
Dr Ian Greenwood, campaigner to stop road death, said: "Thousands of people like me have had their lives shattered because of the impact of road crashes. My daughter, Alice, forever 12, was killed in an avoidable young driver crash. Most injury trauma is avoidable with the right policy response.
"Britain used to be a world leader in reducing death and injury on our roads; no longer. But, with visibility of the problem, and strong and determined political leadership, we can again be a world leader. This is vital, not because of a league table, but because we can stop road death and serious injury, and stop families having to deal with the nightmare of sudden and traumatic death. It is beyond time for action.”
Guests at the Annual Reception included Brake's corporate partners, many from the fleet industry, as well as road safety organisations, campaigners and representatives from roads policing. The event was hosted at the House of Commons and supported by Kim Leadbetter, Labour MP for Spen Valley, who has championed many road safety initiatives.
Brake's Annual Reception was sponsored by Alderstone Solicitors, JMW Solicitors and Slater and Gordon Lawyers.
Read Brake’s full strategy report here to learn more about the charity’s goals and objectives over the coming three years.
Learn more about Brake’s campaigns objectives here.
Sign up to take part in Road Safety Week here.