Companies can now register for Road Safety Week 2017 (20-26 November), the UK’s biggest road safety event.
Road safety charity Brake, which coordinates the event, is encouraging organisations to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk and register for a free action pack to help them raise awareness and promote safer road use to staff, contractors and the wider community.
Road Safety Week has been inspiring people for 20 years and is coordinated with the support of headline sponsors Aviva, and the Department for Transport. It’s a great time for employers, especially those with staff who drive for work, to develop and promote safe travel internally, raise awareness in their local community and link with other organisations to run road safety campaigns.
Companies can access free electronic resources and guidance to help them get involved. Go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/organisations for ideas and to register for a free online action pack (available from September). This includes downloadable and interactive resources aimed at both drivers and children, advice on how to promote slower speed limits, and case studies of what other companies have done.
For this year’s Road Safety Week, Brake has chosen to focus on the important message of Speed Down Save Lives. In the UK speeding is still a major problem. It causes needless crashes, untold suffering and stops people living safe and healthy lives. Companies can play an important role in making sure their staff keep their Speed Down, especially when driving for work, and show they care about those using the roads around them by running awareness-raising campaigns. Many companies also use the Week to promote road safety within schools.
In the run up to Road Safety Week, organisations with staff who drive for work can make use of guidance from Brake Professional’s membership scheme to develop year-round fleet safety practices. Brake Professional is also running a free webinar on Wednesday 20 September 2017 that will give advice on how to support this year’s theme.
Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, said: “Speeding remains a major problem in the UK. Not only does it put people’s lives at risk, but it prevents them from being able to walk and cycle safely in their communities. We all live busy lives and there is often a temptation to speed up in the hope of saving time, where in fact we could be costing lives. That is why we’re encouraging everyone to Speed Down Save Lives this Road Safety Week.
“Companies can help get these vital messages out to drivers, families and young people, making a big difference to their local community. I would encourage anyone who hasn’t already registered to sign up now for our free action pack.”
Tom Daniell, digital marketing director for Aviva, said: “We’ve been working with Brake for more than a year now and together we’ve had a fantastic response from drivers, pedestrians and companies alike – but there is always more we can do.
“It’s all too easy for motorists to get into bad habits: everything from checking their mobile phone while driving, to travelling above the speed limit. But the outcomes of these actions can be catastrophic. Just one collision caused by speeding is one too many, so this year we’ll be encouraging as many people as possible to get behind the campaign”.
