EVERY VICTIM COUNTS – SOUTH YORKSHIRE’S MAYOR SUPPORTS NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION

Published 25 November 2024 at 10:00am

South Yorkshire’s Mayor met with primary school pupils to talk about keeping safe on our roads as part of action taking place across the region during National Road Safety Week 2024.

Mayor Oliver Coppard, alongside Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, South Yorkshire’s Active Travel Commissioner, Ed Clancy OBE, and road victim charity, Brake, heard about the steps children at Mundella Primary school are taking to make streets safer for walking and wheeling. 

Over the last five years, 190 people have been killed in a road crash on South Yorkshire roads.

Another 3,819 people have been seriously injured.

South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, said: “The number of deaths and serious injuries on South Yorkshire’s roads is far too high. 

“Our road network has to be safe for everyone who uses and wants to use it. That’s why I’ve made Vision Zero the goal in South Yorkshire, because one death on our roads is one too many. 

“Collisions have a devastating impact and we want to put an end to the unnecessary grief and suffering caused by each and every one of those accidents. 

“We are supporting Brake in their work to support victims as well as the vital work of the many organisations involved when a crash happens.”

During Road Safety Week, South Yorkshire Safer Roads (SYSR) partners are shining a light on the impact of crashes and raising awareness about the devastating toll on communities.

Teams from across each district have engaged with priority road user groups to help them understand the effects of road crashes, and have raised awareness about the heroes who not only attend collisions but provide support to families afterwards.

Road Safety Week began with World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday 17 November.

The global event remembers the many millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads and acknowledges the suffering of all affected victims, families and communities.

Brake has called for sustainable funding and parity of care for road victims as well as highlighting the amazing work of people who support them, including the charity’s National Road Victim Service.

A spokeswoman for Brake said: “Through road safety week, we are bringing communities together to remember loved ones who have died or suffered life-changing injury in road crashes.

“We are helping children and young people learn about the people who help us after a crash.

“We are helping organisations that employ people who drive for work to learn why we need robust investigation into the causes of road crashes, so we can understand why they happen and prevent future road death and harm.

“We are helping people whose lives have been torn apart by road crashes to talk about their experience.”
Brake's National Road Victim Service provides expert emotional and practical support to thousands of road victim families during their darkest and most difficult times. You can find out more about the Road Safety week campaign here.