Project EDWARD Aims For a European Day Without A Road Death

Published on: 18 Sep, 2017
Updated on: 20 Sep, 2017

An awareness campaign, Project EDWARD (European Day Without A Road Death), aims to bring casualty reduction and road safety to the forefront of people’s minds for one day in September.

In Surrey and Sussex, 84 people died in collisions in 2016. To combat this, the police are combining forces for a high-visibility day of action on Thursday, September 21, throughout the counties.

Working closely with partners in the fire and rescue services and local authorities, they are aiming to encourage all road users to think about their performance on the highways, and how this can be improved for the safety of all. The ultimate goal is to have no one dying needlessly.

Chief Inspector Warren Franklin of the Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit said: “Whilst we aim to have zero road deaths for the whole year round, if we can achieve this one day fatality-free, this can begin to change the current public perception that casualties when driving are just something we have to accept.

“Driving is such a normalised way of life, and we frequently don’t consider how to improve our skills here, or think about our journeys in the way they should be treated, which is potentially life-threatening.

“In total in 2015, there were 1,732 road deaths in the UK. Although these figures sound high – and they are – we are still one of the leading countries for road safety in Europe. We need to build upon this expertise and this position to get the number of road deaths down, improve the knowledge and awareness of road safety in both our country and county, and encourage others to do the same.

“Even if you do not drive, we are all road users of one type or another, and unfortunately, we probably all know someone who has been in a collision.”

On September 21, there will be road safety messaging on social media, in schools and universities by road safety officers, being delivered to members of the public by casualty reduction officers, and enforcement carried out by dedicated patrols throughout the road network of the counties.

In Europe, TISPOL, the European Traffic Police network, will recognise the day after figures for fatalities on the continent’s roads reached over 25,000 last year.

A police spokesperson added: “To support this day and the work carried out by Surrey and Sussex Police, East Sussex and West Sussex Fire and Rescue Services, and local authorities, members of the public can sign up to the pledge, committing to become a better driver and encouraging friends and family to do the same at: https://projectedward.eu/pledge/.