“People don’t realise just how many people are affected by collisions”

Road crash victims, bereaved families and the emergency services are sharing their stories to warn about the dangers faced by road users. 

The RoadPeace Challenge, which kicks off on 15 May, brings together police, fire and rescue services, the NHS and other professionals who witness the ‘daily devastation’ caused by road crashes, alongside crash victims and bereaved families, to make a united stand against road harm. 

In 2021, 1,608 people were killed and 126,601 were injured in collisions on the UK’s roads.

This is equivalent to: 

• Every McDonald’s employee in the UK and more
• The population of Solihull, in the West Midlands
• Football spectators at Liverpool’s Anfield Stadium and Old Trafford, in Manchester combined, if the stadiums were full to capacity 

The RoadPeace Challenge puts crash victims, bereaved families and the emergency services at the heart of the campaign to strengthen their voices and give the public an insight into the lasting physical and mental impact of collisions. 

Det chief supt Andy Cox, of the Metropolitan Police, who founded the RoadPeace Challenge in 2021, said: “There is a significant lack of understanding about the tragically high amount of death and life-changing injuries that occur on UK roads each and every day. 

“This leads to a level of complacency, with far too many people believing it won’t happen to them. I have met so many bereaved families who live with the lifelong impact of losing a loved one – it’s heart-breaking and devastating. 

“Road death is sudden, violent and affects young, old and all demographics. We all have a responsibility to drive safely, and road safety stakeholders have a duty to reduce road danger.”

To date, more than £120,000 has been raised for RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims and ‘considerable public awareness’ has been raised around road harm.

Nick Simmons, CEO of RoadPeace, said: “Since RoadPeace was formed thirty years ago, 81,315 people have been killed and 1,245,833 people have been seriously injured in collisions on Britain’s roads.

“Because crashes happen individually and they aren’t widely reported in the media, people don’t realise just how many people are affected by collisions. They only realise when it happens to them, and it’s too late. 

“Society seems to largely accept that road deaths and injuries are the inevitable cost of motorisation. But it doesn’t and shouldn’t have to be this way.”

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