The Road Safety Trust has announced £2.4 million in grant funding for 11 projects, described as a significant step towards its ambition of achieving Vision Zero.
From cutting-edge trauma research, to testing the effectiveness of child cycle helmets, these projects have the potential to reduce collisions, improve post-crash treatment and care and save lives in communities across the country.
Among the projects to receive funding is ‘IMPACT’, led by the Devon Air Ambulance Trust. This research programme will focus on the crucial role of bystanders in post-collision trauma care. It builds on the findings of the ground-breaking ‘Extrication in Trauma (EXIT)’ study, also funded by the Road Safety Trust in 2017.
That work has since revolutionised the extrication techniques applied to casualties after road traffic collisions in the UK and beyond, prioritising self-extrication in order to minimise entrapment time in a vehicle after collision.
Projects receiving grant funding cover a wide range of road safety topics. They are:
- IMPACT – the centre for post-collision research, innovation and translation – led by Devon Air Ambulance Trust
- In-Situ Mobile Application for the Triage of Pedestrians in Vehicle Collision (SENTINEL) – led by Coventry University
- Data Sustains Life (DSL): linking healthcare and road safety data to evidence preventative strategies towards vision zero – led by University Hospital Southampton
- Children Cycle Helmet Rating – led by Imperial College London
- Maximising learning from child road fatalities: evidence for action – led by University College London
- A Virtual Rider Training Tool to Improve Children’s and Parents’ Cycling Awareness, Attentiveness, Attitudes and Safety – led by The Bikeability Trust
- Road Traffic Injury impacts of Clean Air Zones/Low Emission Zones, led by Imperial College London*
- Enhancing Road Safety: Automatic Vehicle Triage in the NHS Ambulance Service for Improved Post-Crash Care and Injury Prediction – led by Imperial College London
- In the driving cessation decision seat: Feasibility and acceptability of a UK driving aid for older adults within dementia services – led by University of Surrey*
- Young Riders Matter – led by National Young Rider Forum
- The Community Radio Road Safety Project – Engaging Listeners, Saving Live – led by Bristol Community FM Radio
More information about all the aforementioned projects can be found via The Road Safety Trust website.
Ruth Purdie OBE, chief executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “These 11 projects reflect our commitment to making UK roads safer for everyone. We are proud to support such a strong portfolio of work and are excited to see the life-changing impact the projects will have on road users across the UK.”
The Road Safety Trust has invested over £10 million since its inception almost a decade ago, funding innovative, evidence-based research and practical solutions that address persistent road safety challenges.
*Subject to the completion of the appropriate paperwork
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