TISPOL has announced details of Project EDWARD 2017, the ‘European Day Without A Road Death’, including a new video pledge page set to launch in the coming weeks.
Taking place on Thursday 21 September 2017, Project EDWARD encourages drivers, riders and pedestrians to spare an extra thought for their safety. The initiative is also designed to draw attention to the 70 deaths that occur on average each day on Europe’s roads.
New initiatives for 2017 edition include a dedicated Twitter feed for the awareness-raising initiative, and a new website.
The new Project EDWARD website will feature a host of new resources including artwork that can be downloaded free of charge, a social media schedule, countdown timer (starting 11 June, 100 days before 21 September) and an interactive map.
The website will also feature a new pledge to sign, including a video pledge for which more details will be published in due course. The best video pledges will be showcased online and via social media.
Founded in 2016, Project EDWARD was created to ‘re-energise the reduction of fatalities and serious injuries on Europe’s roads’.
While the inaugural event, which took place on 21 September, saw a fall in death across the continent, TISPOL was cautious in attributing that fall to Project EDWARD.
However, it did say the initiative delivered fantastic results in terms of revitalising Europe-wide collaboration and participation, and EDWARD’s impact on social media was eye-catchingly successful.
The event hashtag, #ProjectEdward, trended for much of the morning, peaking as high as number six in the UK. In total, there were 7,923 Twitter posts using the hashtag, equating to a reach of 19,298,225 users.
Road Safety GB is once again supporting Project EDWARD 2017, which is sponsored by Road Safety Support and Westcotec.
TISPOL is also encouraging authorities to use Project EDWARD as an umbrella theme to unite a variety of road safety awareness-raising events and initiatives
For more information about Project EDWARD, including sponsoring and supporting the initiative, contact James Luckhurst, TISPOL media advisor.
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Of those who signed the pledge for last year’s Project Edward, I wonder if any of them were involved in a collision on that day and would they own up to it anyway? If they hopefully didn’t, I wonder if that was because they made an extra effort, or because they wouldn’t have anyway? If they had made an extra effort for that day, what about the following days weeks and months?
Hugh Jones, Cheshire
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I have no doubt that great pressure will come into play for the police to report speeding offences as if that is by far the greatest danger on our roads today. May I suggest that they also look at the distance inbetween those speeding vehicles and realise that many are in fact tailgating and either report them for that offence also or stop and advise them to give more safe following on distance.
Perhaps we could have the safe stopping distances put up on the Motorway gantry signage system and see if it has any effect on the idiots who drive not only too fast but extremely close together.
Bob Craven Lancs
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