Project EDWARD (Every Day Without A Road Death) is an annual UK-wide road safety campaign backed by government, the emergency services, highways agencies, road safety organisations and British businesses.
Between the 13th – 17th September, GoSafe will be playing our part in supporting Project EDWARD with a wide range of Operations and campaigns taking place across each of the four Welsh Police Forces.
This year’s week of action sees Project EDWARD fully aligned with the principles of The Safe System’. The theme, ‘Fit for the Road’, offers numerous opportunities for the Project EDWARD team to highlight examples of good practice in implementing the five core pillars of the Safe Systems and to show how lives have been saved across the country.
Project manager Simon Turner said:
“An average of five people lose their lives every day on the UK’s roads, a figure that had remained largely unchanged for more than 10 years.
As we move into the new decade, with its ambitious road casualty reduction targets, we are determined to shine the spotlight on the best examples of prevention and intervention strategies. There can be only one target: zero road deaths. We all have a role to play if we are to achieve this.”
Last year, 72 people were killed on the roads of Wales. 72 lives lost. 72 futures taken away. 72 families left to grieve their loss.
But, imagine a time when we can say that last year, this year, next year there were no deaths on the roads of Wales. That is what GoSafe want to achieve! We want to see our roads safe for all road users and to see an end to the grief and loss too many families must endure through the loss of a loved one in a road collision.
Teresa Ciano, GoSafe Partnership Manager said:
“EDWARD week is a key week in road safety. We work tirelessly throughout the year to reduce road collisions and casualties, and towards our eventual goal of achieving vision zero. But, we need all road users to play their part. Drive to the speed limit, wear their seatbelt, not to use their mobile phones. All small things which contribute significantly to the safety of all road users. Throughout EDWARD week and the activities and operations running all over Wales, we aim to increase the public awareness of the part they can play as we all work together to make every day a day without a road death.”
By taking responsibility for our actions, thinking about our behaviour and changing our attitudes towards road safety we can make a difference and one day soon we will be able to say that every day is a day without a road death here in Wales.