Brake, the road safety charity

Campaigning Policy: Reported Road Casualties GB: 2017 Annual report At the end of September the Department for Transport released its annual reported road casualty figures for 2017. The figures show that the stagnation of road safety improvement in the UK is continuing, with the number of people killed and seriously injured on Britain’s roads increasing marginally to 24,831. Brake is calling on the Government to reintroduce national road safety targets in an effort to tackle this stagnation and kick-start progress. Learn more: Click here to read the full press release. Research: PACTS report This month the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS) launched its report ‘Developing safe system road safety indicators for the UK’. The report sets out several key performance indicators for road safety that PACTS believes the UK should adopt, as a measure of our improvements on road safety, to encourage action on the stagnation of the UK’s road safety record in recent years. This is a timely and useful document ahead of the government’s planning for a refreshed Road Safety Statement, and in line with increasing clamour for the reintroduction of casualty reduction targets. Learn more: The full report is available here. Event: 20mph roundtable Brake’s Campaigns Team attended a roundtable on the introduction of default 20mph limits in urban areas in Wales this month – Brake actively calls for the reduction of speed limits in urban areas to 20mph. Earlier this year, Wales received devolved responsibility for setting national speed limits and John Griffiths AM is leading the charge on reducing the speed limit in built-up areas to 20mph. It was a really interesting discussion alongside many others with a keen interest in road safety, including: Mark Ruskin MSP, who is leading on the introduction of default 20mph in the Scottish Parliament; academics from UWE, Public Health Wales and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, on both 20mph and graduated driver licensing; and other interested NGOs (British Heart Foundation, British Lung Foundation and Sustrans). Community engagement Event: Road Safety Week 2018 – 3 weeks to go 19–25 November 2018 Bike Smart is the message at the heart of this year’s Road Safety Week, sponsored by Devitt Insurance and Ford. 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 bicycle or motorcycle riders. Brake’s week-long campaign will raise awareness about the importance of implementing a safe systems approach, mandating life-saving technology and prioritising cycle-friendly infrastructure, as well as promoting safe driving and riding behaviours. Registered events will be recorded on our interactive map. Calling all bloggers: We are looking for bloggers to write about their local road safety week events. If you’re interested, please get in touch by emailing roadsafetyweek@brake.org.uk. To register: Click here to sign up for Road Safety Week 2018. Action packs filled with exciting resources and animations are now available for registered supporters.   Fundraising Event: Virtual cycle This Road Safety Week we are calling for participants to collectively cycle 9,740 km to help raise vital funds in memory of the 9,740 people killed and seriously injured on two wheels on our roads last year. This is your opportunity to be a part of an amazing experience and help raise awareness about the importance of protecting people travelling by bicycle or motorcycle. Get involved: Click here for more information and to register. Fleet safety Event: Fleet Safety Awards 2018  Thursday 11 October Brake recognised organisations from around the world for their contribution to improving the safety of at-work drivers, at its annual Fleet Safety Awards in Birmingham this month. Over 400 guests from the fleet industry attended the prestigious awards ceremony sponsored by Trimble. Big winners on the night were Royal Mail Group, who picked up both the Sustainable Journeys Award and Road Risk Manager of the Year Award. The prestigious Kevin Storey Award for Outstanding Commitment to Road Safety was awarded to Tracey Fuller, engagement manager at Arval. Elaine Pringle, vehicle operations team manager at Scottish Water, winner of the Company Driver Safety Award - large fleet, sponsored by FleetMaster, said: “Scottish Water is proud to have won the Company Driver Safety Award at Brake’s Fleet Safety Awards 2018. Over the last two years, our team has worked closely with drivers across the business to promote and improve road safety. Receiving this award is excellent recognition for Scottish Water and it demonstrates that we are focusing our efforts on the right activities to reduce our road risk.” Find out more: Click here for a full list of this year’s winners and to register your interest in next year’s awards, taking place on Thursday 19 September 2019. Corporate news Event: Road Safety Week Banners A Road Safety Week banner is an excellent way to display your support for Brake and show people in your community that you are getting involved in our annual week-long campaign for road safety. This year there are five designs to choose from, any of which can be printed with your organisation’s logo. Banners measure 5 x 1m and cost £475 + VAT (or £275 + VAT for non-profit organisations). Price includes design, print and delivery. Order now: Email smhatfield@brake.org.uk to order your banner. Event: Calling all superheroes! Dress as your favourite superhero and run a Road Safety Superhero day in your office! Team up with our Pledge Squad and dress as your favourite superhero to help spread the message of safe driving across the globe, while raising funds for Brake. Whether you put on a character t-shirt or a full costume, with your support, we can create a world of zero deaths or serious injuries on our roads. Capes at the ready… Get involved: Run a Road Safety Superhero day at any time, or take part in our national Road Safety Superhero Day on Friday 23 November. Visit our website to find out more and register for your free action pack.   Victim support Event: 2018 Brake Police Family Liaison Officer conference Thursday 8 November Birmingham Brake’s annual Police Family Liaison Officer conference will bring together family liaison officers, emergency services workers and victim support professionals, and offers a great networking and professional development opportunity. The theme of the conference is ‘Police family liaison following road death and serious injury’, and speakers include Commander Stuart Cundy (Metropolitan Police); Sgt Tim McAleenan (West Midlands Police); and PC Jon Ardron (Lancashire Police), winner in 2018 of Brake’s inaugural FLO Award for Outstanding Officer Achievement. Get involved: Visit our website to see our full speaker line up and book your place.