With a little over three weeks to go, TISPOL has urged all road users to make the first ‘European Day Without A Road Death’ a reality.
The initiative, named Project EDWARD, takes place on 21 September and encourages drivers, riders and pedestrians to spare an extra thought for their safety.
Designed to draw attention to the 70 deaths that occur each day on the roads of Europe, the event is supported in the UK by Road Safety GB, RoSPA and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
With the help of GEM Motoring Assist, TISPOL has produced 10 short videos, all of which raise awareness of specific road safety risks.
The 30-second videos, which are available to watch online, focus on issues such as speeding, alcohol, drugs, fatigue and vulnerable road users.
TISPOL is also asking road users to ‘make the pledge’, promising to follow a number of rules to ensure their safety. So far, more than 82,000 people have signed the road safety pledge.
TISPOL says it is vital to gain the support of both national governments and individual road users to bring about sustained and significant reductions in death and injury on Europe’s roads.
Aidan Reid, TISPOL president, said: “A day without a road death is of course the vision we should strive for everyday, not just on 21 September.
“But as a simple way of raising awareness, I am convinced that Project EDWARD can be a great success, whether or not we achieve zero deaths on the day itself.
“Please think about the way you drive, ride or cross the road. Think about how you can reduce risk by always wearing a seatbelt, keeping to speeds that are both legal and appropriate for the conditions, not driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, and not using a mobile phone at the wheel.
“If everyone commits to making small changes, then the road safety improvements will be huge and we will achieve big reductions in the number of people who are killed or seriously injured.
Chief superintendent Reid added: “There have been some excellent reductions in road deaths and serious injuries earlier in this decade, but they have stalled in the past couple of years.
“It is therefore vital that we re-focus our attention on the efforts needed to get back on course in order to have a chance of achieving the European 2020 targets.
“We believe strongly in the value of setting targets, and we believe that the strong leadership from governments can make a massive difference in reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads.”
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