Road Safety Week.

“Every road victim deserves the very highest standard of support,” says charity Brake at the start of Road Safety Week.

• 1,695 people died on UK roads in 2023 and 28,967 were seriously injured – road deaths and serious injuries show no significant signs of reduction.
• 3,717 people killed or seriously injured on roads in London in 2023, down 6% since 2022.
• Richmond upon Thames and Bromley saw the biggest increase in road casualties, both up 19% since 2022.
• Every road victim deserves the very highest standard of support, says Brake as it reveals that its National Road Victim Service supported more than 1,500 families last year, including more than 67 in London.
• Brake calls on Government to support a new Road Victims’ Charter which demands essential action for road victims.
• 79% of people surveyed think families bereaved or seriously injured from a road crash should be able to access the same level of support as families of homicide victims.
• More than 3,400 educators, employers and emergency services have signed up to take part in Road Safety Week 2024 (17–23 November) across the country. Together they represent more than four million people.
• Road victim interviews and other media opportunities available.

 Road deaths and serious injuries show no significant signs of reduction, and every year more and more families need support to deal with the devastating impact that road crashes have on their lives. Every road victim deserves the very highest standard of support, says Brake, the road safety charity, as it puts road victims at the heart of Road Safety Week 2024.

Brake launches new Road Victims’ Charter demanding essential action for road victims

To mark the start of Road Safety Week, the charity’s biggest annual road safety campaign, Brake is launching a new Road Victims’ Charter, demanding essential actions to ensure all those affected by road crashes receive the respect, support, and justice they deserve. The Charter includes a call for Government to establish national standards in post-crash response, and commit to extending the rights set out in the Victims’ Code to those impacted by road harm, regardless of where they live or whether a crime has occurred.

The Road Victims’ Charter has been written in collaboration with bereaved families, trauma consultants, support staff and professionals from across the criminal justice and medical sectors. It will be launched at a drop-in event for MPs in Westminster on Monday 18 November at 3pm. (See Notes to Editors for event details.)

Road deaths and serious injuries show no significant signs of reduction for more than five years

The latest government road casualty statistics show that, in 2023, 1,695 people died on UK roads (1,624 in Britain, 71 in Northern Ireland) (see Tables 1, 2 and 3). A further 28,967 were seriously injured (28,087 in Britain, 880 in NI). Road deaths and serious injuries have shown no significant signs of reduction for more than five years [1,2].

Further analysis of regional data by Brake shows that 3,717 people were killed or seriously injured on roads in London, a 6.3% decrease on 2022 figures (see Table 4). Bromley saw the biggest increase in road casualties: the number of people killed or seriously injured on roads in the borough rose by 19.4%; Kingston upon Thames saw a similar increase (18.9%). The number of road deaths and serious injuries rose in 10 of the region’s local authority areas between 2022 and 2023. City of London saw a notable decrease (30%) in road deaths and serious injuries, from 64 in 2022 to 45 in 2023.

Brake has now revealed that, over the same period, the charity’s National Road Victim Service provided specialist emotional and practical support to more than 1500 families across the UK, helping them cope with their grief and navigate the complex procedures that often follow a road crash, including more than 67 in London, with numbers already set to be even higher in 2024.At any point in time, around 700 road victim families are receiving support from Brake, including parents, grandparents, siblings, friends and people who have witnessed a traumatic incident. Many of the families supported have been involved in multi-fatality crashes, and around 7% of support cases involve the death of a child. Around 12% of support cases involve someone who is considered high risk or vulnerable.

Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive at Brake

“Road casualties are not just statistics. Behind every number is a grief-stricken family whose lives have been changed forever in an instant.

“The demand on our service continues to grow as road deaths and injuries show no sign of reducing. Every year, more families suffer the devastating impact of a road crash. Every year, more and more families come to us in their darkest and most difficult times.

“By comparison, at a Government level, funding for support for road victims is inadequate – so we and other charities that support bereaved and seriously injured families rely on the generosity of other supporters to fund our vital work. We know that the right support at the right time can change the course of someone’s life.

“Every road victim deserves the very highest standard of support and for that to happen we need a coordinated approach and national standards that meet best practice for post-crash response. We need national, multi-year funding for the provision of support to the affected road victim community, so that every family has access to trauma-informed, face-to-face support within their community, according to their needs.

“Road victims have been the forgotten and neglected victims for far too long and that has to change.

“Our families have told us what they want and what they need – and that includes recognition of the trauma of sudden road death and injury, parity with other victim groups, sentencing to fit the crime and lessons learned to prevent future road death and injury.

“Until we achieve a world where no one is killed or harmed on a road, we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that everyone affected by road death and injury receives the respect, support and justice they deserve.”

Brake has also published the results of a public opinion survey carried out in April 2024, revealing that 79% of people surveyed agree or strongly agree that families bereaved or seriously injured from a road crash should be able to access the same level of support as homicide victims. A further 74% agree that they should be able to access the same level of support as victims of terrorism [3].

Four million people set to take part in Road Safety Week 2024

More than 3,400 educators, employers, emergency services and others have signed up to take part in Road Safety Week 2024, together representing more than four million people. Brake has provided free resources including lesson plans for schools, social media images, films, posters and a webinar for employers.

• 1,300+ educators will help children learn about the people that help after a crash and celebrate their Road Safety Heroes
• 350 employers from more than 175 organisations will attend a free webinar run by Brake to learn what to do if one of their employees is involved in a crash
• 62 people will host or attend a memorial event to honour loved ones who have died in road crashes.

See Notes to Editors for London filming and photo opportunities.

Road Safety Week is Brake’s biggest annual campaign. This year, the campaign aims to raise awareness of the devastating impact of road crashes on everyone involved, and celebrate the incredible work of people who provide support after a crash. For Road Safety Week 2024, Brake is counting the real cost of road crashes, revealing the stories behind the numbers and calling for the very highest standard of care for every road victim.

The campaign runs from 17–23 November, and begins on Sunday 17 November to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims.

Lilli Matson, Transport for London’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer, said: “Road Safety Week is an important time to remember the tragic heartbreak and loss caused by speeding and collisions on London’s roads.

“Our utmost priority is the safety of all Londoners, and we are committed to working with Brake and other partners to eliminate death and serious injury on the capital’s transport network by 2041, as a part of The Mayor’s Vision Zero goal. Last year saw the lowest number of road deaths on record, with the exception of 2021 which was heavily impacted by Covid restrictions. However, there is still more work to be done and we recognise that eliminating death and serious injury is central to making London’s streets safer and more pleasant places to live, work and travel.”

Road Safety Week 2024 is delivered by Brake and sponsored by Autoglass®.

Amy Shuffleton, Head of Responsible Business and Internal Communications at Autoglass®, said: “Autoglass is proud to support Brake’s Road Safety Week for the second year running, raising awareness that aligns with our zero-harm ambitions and fosters our culture of care. The focus on road victims is a necessary and important one, and we hope our support goes some way to helping create safer roads for all. Our dedication extends beyond our core services and we are committed to ensuring the safety of our customers, colleagues, and communities.”

To sign up and take part, go to Brake | Road Safety Week.