Brake news for road safety

Campaigning Policy: Parliamentarian of the year Brake is delighted to announce that Judith Cummins, MP for Bradford South, is the recipient of the Parliamentarian of the Year Award 2017. Presented at Brake’s annual reception, the award recognises her unwavering commitment to road safety over the past year. Judith has been instrumental in the campaign for justice for road crash victims and has been tireless in her pursuit of safer roads in her Bradford constituency. A fully deserving winner! Learn more: Read the full story on our website or in Judith’s Blog, which explains why she got involved. Event: Brake ‘Road Safety Champion’ parliamentary drop in Brake held a drop-in session for parliamentarians this month, inviting MPs to become ‘Road Safety Champions’. There was a great turn out, with around 30 MPs coming by to meet with the campaigns team, learn about Brake and have their photo taken when committing to be a Brake Road Safety Champion. This was an excellent opportunity to engage with parliamentarians about the work that Brake does on behalf of their constituents, and the MPs who attended were strongly supportive of our road safety message. Policy: New road safety statement on the horizon This month, the Department for Transport published a progress report on the 2015 Road Safety Statement, and announced that it would be refreshing this with a new statement, focusing on young and elderly drivers, rural road speed and motorcyclists. Each of these aligns well with Brake’s campaign priorities. Learn more: Brake also received a mention in the Transport Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement – a strong indication of our reputation and position as a road safety expert within this government. Read the full story here… Policy: Unacceptable delay on tougher sentences for killer drivers Eight months on from the government’s announcement of tougher sentences for drivers who kill and there is still no sign of these being implemented. By delaying the introduction of tougher sentences, the government is causing further suffering to families who have lost loved ones in road crashes. There is absolutely no reason why it should take so long to deliver the justice that bereaved families deserve. Brake will continue to call on the government to implement these tougher sentences immediately until justice is delivered. Learn more: Visit our website. Fundraising Event: Brake’s Virtual Run is BACK for summer 2018! This year we are calling for participants to help us collectively run or walk 1753 km to help raise vital funds in memory of the 1753 people killed on roads in Britain every year. This is your opportunity to be a part of an amazing experience and help raise money to enable Brake to support people bereaved in road crashes and campaign for safer roads. It costs just £5 to register, which includes a fundraising pack, sponsor forms and your Virtual Run 2018 t-shirt. Register here: Click here for more information and to register. Event: Brake Ball Saturday 24 November 2018, Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Lincoln Join us at Brake’s first ever charity ball for an unforgettable evening of fun, food and fundraising. This glittering black-tie event will take place in Lincoln at the end of Road Safety Week 2018. Bring your friends, family, colleagues, partners and clients. Tickets cost just £40 per person, or £375 for a table of 10. Get involved: Visit our website to book your table. Community engagement Event: Brake's Kids Walk On Wednesday 13 June, more than 100,000 kids from across the UK took to their streets to raise awareness of the 39 children who are killed or injured on roads in England every day. The walk, sponsored by Co-op Insurance, promoted key measures to make roads safer, so that more children can enjoy the health and planet-saving benefits of walking. To coincide with the launch of the walk, Brake highlighted the true extent of child casualties on the nation's roads. The latest Department for Transport figures show that 14,273 children were killed or injured on roads in England in 2016. On average, 39 children die or suffer injuries as a result of road crashes every single day. That’s the equivalent of a classroom full every day. The South East has the greatest number of child road casualties (2,343 a year), while the North East has the fewest (702 a year). The region that sees the most child road deaths is the North West, with 15 children killed on the region’s roads in 2016. Learn more: Visit our website. Event: Road Safety Week 2018 19–25 November 2018 Bike Smart is the message at the heart of this year’s Road Safety Week. Those on two wheels are among the most vulnerable road users in the UK: more than a third of people killed or seriously injured on UK roads are those travelling by either bicycle or motorcycle. Brake’s week-long campaign will raise awareness about the importance of implementing a safe systems approach, mandating lifesaving technology and prioritising cycle-friendly infrastructure, as well as promoting safe driving and riding behaviours. Join us: For more information and to get involved visit our website. Victim support Event: Brake Family Liaison Officer Awards Brake was delighted to announce the winners of the inaugural Brake FLO Awards, at our annual reception this month. The awards recognise and celebrate police support for road crash victims. The winner of the Outstanding Officer Achievement Award, nominated by peers in the police force, was PC Jonathan Ardron from Lancashire Police. PC Rick Hooley from Cheshire Police was announced as the winner of the Family Award, which was open for nominations from families who had been supported by an FLO. Sadly, PC Hooley died in 2017, and the award was presented posthumously to his family, who attended on the night with Sgt Neil Farnworth, representing Cheshire Police. Congratulations to all officers who were nominated in 2018 and to our very deserving winners and highly commended nominees. Learn more: For more information about the FLO awards, and the important work carried out by FLOs, visit our website. Fleet safety Event: Enter the Brake Fleet Safety Awards Brake’s annual Fleet Safety Awards recognise the achievements of those working to help reduce the number of road crashes involving at-work drivers. We are still welcoming last-minute entries for the 2018 awards. If you are a fleet operator or supplier, and want to be in with a chance of winning, don't miss our extended deadline - Friday 29 June 2018. Enter now: Visit our website for an application pack or contact the Brake team.