Employers, especially those with staff who drive for work, are being urged to sign up now to be part of Road Safety Week 2014 (17-23 November), the UK road safety event. The charity Brake, which coordinates the event, is encouraging organisations to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk for ideas on using the event to promote safe driving to staff and the wider community, and to register for a free e-action pack.
Road Safety Week, now in its 18th year and supported by headline sponsors RSA and Specsavers, is a great time to for employers to promote a safe driving culture internally and engage the community to raise awareness about road safety. Read what companies did in 2013 here.
The Road Safety Week 2014 theme is 'look out for each other': raising awareness of the ways everyone can help protect one another on roads, especially the most vulnerable. Brake will particularly call on drivers to protect kids and adults on foot and bike by slowing down to 20 in communities and looking twice and taking it slow at junctions and bends. Read more. Employers are encouraged to help promote this theme to staff and local drivers, and/or address other road safety issues important to them.
Employers can access free electronic resources and guidance to help them get involved.
Go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/organisations for ideas and to register for a free e-action pack (emailed out from September) with downloadable posters and advice on taking part.
Brake is also urging organisations with staff who drive for work to make use of low-cost guidance from Brake's Fleet Safety Forum in the run up to the Week to develop year-round fleet safety practices. Various Fleet Safety Forum events offer best practice advice between now and the Week. Joining the Forum means discounts for these events plus regular guidance briefings, resources and news.
Julie Townsend, Brake deputy chief executive, says: "Employers can play a vital role in improving road safety and saving lives, by raising awareness among staff, customers and contacts about safe driving and engaging with the community on this issue. Road Safety Week is an opportunity for organisations to focus attention on road safety and speak out about the difference we can all make in preventing tragedies and creating safer communities. Our theme this year – about everyone looking out for each other on roads – is a vital message that all organisations can help to promote.
"Each year hundreds of organisations make a tremendous contribution to Road Safety Week, often gaining valuable publicity at the same time, and we're calling on even more to get involved this year. Log on to the Road Safety Week website for ideas and to register for a free e-action pack to help you take part."
How companies got involved in 2013
ASDA raised awareness of Road Safety Week among staff at their head office. Their suppliers and some road safety experts had stands, which included quizzes where employees were tested on their road safety knowledge. There was also driver training, free tyre checks for vehicles in the car park, and a demonstration of how to check tyre tread and facilities to get new tyres ordered.
Network Rail held an event at its head office to raise awareness among staff and supply chain contacts about driver distraction. They used a computer based driver distraction simulator and displayed Road Safety Week posters, as well as using internal email to raise awareness among staff. They also ran a Bright Day, raising a fantastic £1,640 for Brake.
Npower used the week to raise awareness among staff, putting up daily intranet posts on driver distractions, and getting staff to participate in a quiz on road safety, with prizes for the winners. They also ran workshops covering defensive driving and avoiding hazards.
Q Park installed posters with messages on driver distractions at their car parks throughout the UK, and raised money for Brake by donating every time someone pre-booked a parking space on one of their sites by quoting the code 'Brake'.
Schneider Electric made road safety their 'monthly message' for October and November, issuing pocket cards to employees with 'back to basics' road safety tips, and advice for driving in bad weather. Directors, managers and employees all pledged to make a personal commitment to safe driving. They also ran a poster competition at West Hill Primary School in Staffordshire, with the winning entry displayed across their UK offices, and ran a day of road safety lessons at the school.
Specsavers ran a week of vision screening days for staff with a number of partner organisations, including Allianz, Amey, the Driving Instructors Association and others. Specsavers ran basic eye site tests for employees on site, and provided 1,000 free lens cleaner packs and cleaning cloths to promote the event.
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