Road Safety Week 2021 Begins
Today (15 November) sees the start of Road Safety Week 2021. Organised by road safety charity Brake, it’s the UK’s biggest annual road safety campaign.
This year’s theme is Road Safety Heroes.
Brake has explained that it celebrates the “heroic work of road safety professionals” – the people who reduce accidents and those who care for people who have been hurt in road traffic accidents.
Road Safety Week
The campaign’s aim is to encourage people to “speak up for everyone’s right to make safe and healthy journeys”.
Brake added that it also lets “everyone who uses roads to understand how they can take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others”.
The charity has encouraged people who have been involved in road accidents to share their stories about how road safety heroes helped them after their crash.
It has also called on organisations to manage road risk through policy and procedures, as well as effective driver training and education.
Schools are also urged to get involved by helping children learn about road safety and why it matters.
Brake has provided resources for individuals and organisations to take part in this year’s Road Safety Week.
Road traffic accidents
In 2020, the number of people who were killed or seriously injured on British roads fell by a huge 22%.
This was likely the result of the national lockdown imposed to stop the spread of Covid-19. With fewer vehicles on the roads, fewer accidents happened.
But 1,460 people still lost their lives in road traffic accidents. The Department for Transport reported that this was 17% fewer than the number of people who died in 2019.
Car occupants made up the highest proportion of fatalities last year, with 618 people dying.
But when combined, more vulnerable road users were killed in road accidents. 346 pedestrians lost their lives, while 285 motorcyclists and 141 cyclists died.
Support after an accident
Although the laws around road accident claims have changed, First4Lawyers is still here to offer you support and guidance.
If you have a claim, our legal experts will ensure that you have the best chance of receiving the compensation you’re entitled to.
To find out more about how we can help, just give us a call or start your claim online.
Or take our quiz to find out how safe a driver you are.
