The 2023 Project EDWARD week of action is underway – this year highlighting that safer mobility is ‘everyone’s responsibility’.
Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) is described as the biggest platform for showcasing good practice in road safety in the UK.
It is backed by government, the emergency services, highways agencies, road safety organisations and British businesses.
The initiative promotes an evidence-led, ‘safe system’ approach – the long-term objective of which is a road traffic system free from death and serious injury.
The 2023 week of action has been moved from its traditional September slot to May – in order to coincide with UN Global Road Safety Week.
It runs with the tagline: Safer Mobility, Everyone’s Responsibility.
Among the highlights of the week are the Project EDWARD road trips. Three teams will visit various towns and cities during the week, to experience and promote some of the best practices in road safety. The teams will share their experiences through social media and other channels.
National Highways and Gridserve are the event’s headline partners.
Jeremy Phillips head of road user safety at National Highways, said: “Casualty reduction is a shared responsibility across mul3ple stakeholders, including road users.
“Working in partnership with members of Project Edward throughout the week of action, we aim to raise awareness that safety on our roads is everyone’s responsibility, and to mo3vate road users to play their part.
“Along with our delivery partners, National Highways is there to support road users in keeping themselves safe and we will highlight the measures put in place to deliver that support.”
Stakeholder support
The event has proven extremely popular among the road safety community – and has support from a number of stakeholders, including Road Safety GB.
James Gibson, executive director of Road Safety GB, said: “Road Safety GB is pleased to support the 2023 Project EDWARD week of action.
“The event has developed substantially since its inception back in 2016, becoming a real opportunity for road safety teams across the country to showcase the great work they do all year round to reduce casualties.
“It has also been very fruitful in helping to raise awareness of key road safety issues. This year the key message is that safer mobility is everyone’s responsibility – something we can all get behind.”
GEM Motoring Assist says the initiative “continues to do an excellent job of showcasing and sharing good practice”.
Neil Worth, GEM chief executive, said: “In spite of all the developments in technology and engineering, there are still around five preventable deaths and 70 life-changing injuries on the roads of the UK every day.
“Project EDWARD continues to do an excellent job of showcasing and sharing good practice in road safety. Its messages are relevant for everyone who uses the road – and its aim of eliminating road death is something everyone should support.
“The goals of Project EDWARD align exactly with our own long-held principles. We are once again proud to be supporting the week of action, and we look forward to a long-term partnership with this worthwhile initiative, and we encourage everyone to follow the week of action on social media using the #ProjectEDWARD hashtag.”
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