Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) has begun its annual week of action.

In a change to the usual time of the year – September –  it is being held this week to coincide with UN Global Road Safety Week.

Its key theme is to highlight that safer mobility is ‘everyone’s responsibility’.

Popular and productive

Backed by government, the emergency services, highways agencies, road safety organisations and British businesses, it claims to be the biggest platform for highlighting road safety in the UK. It aims to promote good practice amongst those promoting road safety, and everyone using the roads.

In so doing, it’s an initiative to promotes evidence-led, ‘safe system’ approaches to road safety. Looking toward vision zero, the long-term objective is a road traffic system free from death and serious injury.

To highlight the holistic approach to safer roads, this year’s tagline is ‘Safer Mobility, Everyone’s Responsibility’.

On tour

Road trips to promote the cause and highlight the work of other road safety organisations and activities are a key feature the week.

Three teams will visit various towns and cities, experiencing and promoting local road safety efforts. These are then shared through social media and other channels, promoting road safety ad hopefully encouraging others to get on board.

National Highways has partnered with the project this year

“Casualty reduction is a shared responsibility across multiple stakeholders, including road users,” states Jeremy Phillips, head of road user safety at National Highways. He says that the partnership aims to “raise awareness” and to “motivate road users to play their part”.

Joining the party

Road Safety GB is another big supporter of the annual event. Its executive director, James Gibson is enthusiastic about what Project EDWARD i about and can achieve.

“The event has developed substantially since its inception back in 2016,” says Gibson. He describes it as  “a real opportunity for road safety teams across the country to showcase the great work they do all year round”.

“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 states that the initiative does “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.

“Its messages are relevant for everyone who uses the road,” adds Worth. he believes the campaigns goals “align exactly with our own long-held principles”.

You can follow the week of action on social media using the #ProjectEDWARD hashtag.

Meanwhile, Road Safety GB has a podcast highlighting the aims and activities here