Brake salutes road safety campaigners

Brake’s annual awards recognising the contributions of parliamentarians, campaigners, educators and volunteers were presented at a reception at the Houses of Parliament on 27 January.

Among the winners were a group of students from Conisborough College (pic above) in Catford, London who won Brake’s road safety competition for young people. The students’ winning entry was a short film about the dangers of mobile phone use while driving, inspired by their own experiences and a road safety workshop. The film was researched, scripted and produced by the students.

Mathew Lloyd, drama teacher at Conisborough College, said: “It was a great feeling when we were told that we’d won the competition. We’re proud that we have been able to turn something that has affected us so deeply into something positive.”

Richard Graham, MP for Gloucester, and Susan Elan Jones, MP for Clywd South, received Brake’s Parliamentarian of the Year Awards. Both were recognised for campaigns focusing on improving justice for bereaved and injured victims of road crashes.

Mandy Stock, whose husband Paul was killed in 2012 by a disqualified motorcyclist, received Brake’s Campaigner of the Year Award. Ms Stock has since campaigned to allow judges to hand out higher sentences to disqualified drivers.

PC Jami Blythe from Northumbria Police received the Educator of the Year Award. PC Blythe is the lead for Northumbria Police’s ‘Road Sense, Common Sense’ project, which works directly with schools to deliver road safety lessons and sends children home with messages for their parents about how they can keep them, and other road users, safe.

Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, said: “Our work would not be possible without the dedicated individuals and partners who work alongside us, campaigning to prevent casualties and make our communities safer and helping us support families devastated by road crashes.

“The winners of these awards have gone above and beyond, showing great determination to make a difference in their communities and across the country, and achieving real results. We are very pleased to be able to recognise their efforts.”