Local authorities across the UK are today placing extra emphasis on road safety, as part of a European-wide initiative.
Project EDWARD (European Day Without A Road Death) was created in 2016 by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network, to ‘re-energise the reduction of fatalities and serious injuries on Europe’s roads’.
TISPOL’s long-term aim is to use Project EDWARD to spearhead significant and sustained reduction in death and serious injury on roads across the world.
Project EDWARD 2018, which has the target of reaching more than 50 million social media users, is underpinned by a resource library, with materials to help road safety officers promote and share key messages.
Last week, TISPOL said winning the hearts and minds of individual road users is vital to bringing about sustained and significant reductions in road deaths.
TISPOL is encouraging road users to ‘make the Project EDWARD pledge’ – promising to drive at speeds that are both legal and safe, never drink or drug drive and be extra vigilant and attentive to the needs of vulnerable road users.
Activities planned for today include a 60-minute #ProjectEDWARD broadcast, live from the headquarters of the Spanish Guardia Civil in Madrid.
The broadcast will comprise a ‘lively’ 60 minutes of discussion and debate, interviews, features and highlights from the ProjectEDWARD road trip.
Road safety professionals can watch the broadcast at https://twitter.com/projectedward, from 11.00am BST.
Steve Horton, director of communications, Road Safety GB, said: “The concept of Project EDWARD should be supported by all road safety professionals as we all aspire to zero death and injury on our roads.
“While casualty reduction activity goes on all year round, opportunities like Project EDWARD enable the public and stakeholders to experience a day of heightened interest and road safety officers around the country benefit from this as their messages appear to be part of something bigger.
“But we know that beyond Project EDWARD day our work will continue as we strive to contribute to reductions in life-ending and life-changing events.”
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