The third annual RoadPeace Challenge took place between 15th and 21st May - a collaboration between RoadPeace, the national charity for crash victims, police forces and emergency services with the aim to reduce road danger, save lives and raise £1,000 000 to fund vital support services for crash victims
The Challenge's purpose is:
- To bring together all police forces, PCCs, the fire service, ambulance crews, NHS, doctors, nurses and other professionals who witness the daily devastation caused by road crashes in the UK, along with victims and bereaved families to make a united stand against road harm to support Vision Zero.
- The RoadPeace Challenge is putting crash victims, bereaved families and the emergency services at the heart of the campaign, giving them a voice and giving the public an insight into the lasting physical and mental impact of collisions.
Its call to action:
- Every day, on average, around five people die and hundreds more are injured in collisions on our roads, destroying families and changing lives forever.
- Road crashes should not be tolerated as the inevitable cost of motorisation.
The week of fundraising events may be over (though you can still contribute) , but unfortunately the charity's work is far from over. People are still driving too fast, using phones, passing cyclists too closely, and killing and maiming innocent victims. RoadPeace has a dual function: taking care of crash victims and their families; and campaigning for more responsible driving and measures by government and local authorities to reduce carnage on the roads.
In the video Professor Scarlett McNally, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, calls on drivers to drive more safely around cyclists and pedestrians in order to encourage active travel, which, she ways is "so good for people's health". Where cities reduce their speeds to 20mph, she says, casualty rates reduce by 40 per cent.
