West Yorkshire road safety charity launches winter campaign
A West Yorkshire road safety charity is urging us to check our vehicles over as we head into winter.
Today marks the start of Road Safety Week (16-22 November), a campaign run by the road safety charity Brake, which is based in Huddersfield, to raise awareness of the impact of road death and injury.
More than 3,000 schools, organisations, communities and individuals have signed up to take part, together reaching more than 10 million people.
Beginning on Sunday 16 November on the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, Road Safety Week highlights that 1,671 people died on UK roads last year, and a further 28,804 suffered serious, life-changing injuries.
Speed was a road safety factor in 59% of all road deaths in Britain in 2024.
Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive at Brake, said: “Road Safety Week is a fantastic opportunity for us all to come together in our communities, organisations, and simply as people who share the road space, to take action for change to make our roads safer.
“This year, we have put vehicle safety at the very heart of Road Safety Week, because we know that whoever we are, and however we travel, the safety of the vehicles we use is critical to road safety.
"When we look back at the introduction of seatbelts and airbags, for example, the impact they have had on reducing road deaths and injuries is staggering."