Road victims at the heart of Brake Road Safety Week 2024

Every year, more than 1,700 people die on UK roads and another 30,000 receive serious, life-changing injuries. 

Road safety charity Brake finds these numbers “shocking” and says there has been “no significant reduction for more than a decade”. 

It will be sharing the stories behind the numbers and calling for sustainable funding and the very highest standard of care for every road victim during this year’s Road Safety Week, which has been given the theme ‘After the crash - every road victim counts’. 

The week starts on World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (Sunday, 17 November 2024) and will bring people together to remember loved ones who have died or suffered life-changing injuries in road crashes. 

Throughout the week, Brake will share the voices and lived experiences of road victims, and showcase the work of its National Road Victim Service, which provides free expert emotional and practical support to thousands of bereaved and injured families during their darkest and most difficult times.

Brake will also lead on the development of a Road Victims’ Charter, calling on the Labour government to provide sustainable funding and parity of care for road victims and their families, whoever they are, wherever they live, and whether or not a crime has occurred.

For employers, Brake says its focus will be on helping every organisation that employs people who drive for work to understand the need for robust investigation into the causes of road crashes, to understand why they happen and prevent future road death and harm.

How fleet operators can take part in Road Safety Week 

Every year, thousands of schools, organisations and communities get involved to share important road safety messages, remember people affected by road death and injury, and raise funds to help Brake care for more road victims and campaign for safe roads for everyone.

Last year alone, more than 4,000 organisations, educators and individuals took part in Road Safety Week. 

Brake is inviting employers, educators, emergency services and everyone with an interest in road safety and victim support to sign up and take part in this year’s Road Safety Week at www.brake.org.uk/roadsafetyweek. 

Everyone who registers will get access to free tools and resources to support their Road Safety Week activities.

Some of the ways organisations can support Brake during Road Safety Week include:
●    Promoting road safety and Road Safety Week on their website, or by email or on social media.
●    Organising awareness-raising activities with their staff. 
●    Promoting safer road use (e.g. by displaying posters or including information in a newsletter).
●    Running a campaign against road danger in their local community.
●    Working with local schools to deliver road safety education or activities.
●    Fundraising for Brake. 
●    Getting local media coverage for their road safety activity.
●    Helping Brake to develop a Road Victims’ Charter.

Reflex's long-standing support for Brake

Reflex Vehicle Hire became corporate partners with Brake back in 2018 as the charity’s aims and values relate closely to ours in terms of making safety a priority. 

We have developed a unique suite of safety services under the Drive with Reflex brand to protect vans and drivers as part of our ‘Safety as Standard’ promise. This means that all of our commercial vehicles are fitted with telematics, dashcams and speed limiters as standard. 

This year we were shortlisted for Brake’s UK Fleet Champions Awards in the Safe Vehicles category, which recognises the organisation that has worked hardest to improve the safety and environmental impact of vehicles used on behalf of their business, and the Fleet Safety Product category, which is awarded to the product that does the most to improve fleet safety through innovation.

Since the inception of our relationship, we have supported Brake through corporate partner annual donations, numerous company bake sales, a 300-mile cycling challenge and thrill-seeking fundraisers, including staff taking part in the world’s fastest and Europe’s longest zipline and a skydive at around 13,000 feet.

Our senior leadership team also regularly attend Brake’s annual reception at the House of Commons, which 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

We support Brake’s long-term vision for a world with zero road death and injury, where we can all move in a safe and healthy way, whoever we are and however we travel.