Road safety professionals are being encouraged to sign up for Road Safety Week 2020 (9-15 November) and join hundreds of communities, schools and organisations running activities to raise awareness of road safety issues.

The week was postponed from its original date in May due to COVID-19 and will now take place in November, coinciding with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims (Sunday 15 November).

This year Road Safety Week, which is coordinated by road safety charity Brake, sponsored by QBE Insurance and supported by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, has the theme Step Up for Safe Streets, focusing on how design-led solutions can prevent people dying or being seriously injured on roads. With the continued impact of COVID-19, Brake is providing resources and activity ideas that can be used in a variety of settings, including at home.

The Week will focus on how everyone can #StepUp and do their bit for road safety. There will be an emphasis on encouraging people to learn about, shout about and celebrate the design solutions that can enable everyone to get around in a safe and healthy way, every day. People can choose to run their initiative on this theme or any other road safety topic, according to their priorities.

Road safety and emergency services professionals are encouraged to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/professionals to register for a free action pack and to get ideas for linking activities to the national campaign and engaging communities in their initiatives.

Brake is also asking members of the public to complete an anonymous online survey about the safety of their local streets. The survey can be found at: www.surveymonkey.com/r/QGFVCDJ.

A free webinar is also being held to provide more information on taking part in Road Safety Week, and ideas for activities to run:

Taking part in Road Safety Week NZ

Wednesday 9 September

2pm-3pm NZST

FREE to attend. Sign up at: www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/about-cat/658-take-part-in-road-safety-week-nz.

For people who can’t attend the session, a recording will be provided, simply sign up for the session to receive the link.

Road Safety Week has been engaging communities in road safety for nine years and is a great opportunity for emergency services, road safety and health professionals to run high-profile community engagement, awareness and enforcement campaigns to promote safe and responsible road use to prevent needless deaths and injuries.

Caroline Perry, Brake’s NZ Director said: “We believe it’s everyone’s human right to be able to get around in a safe and healthy way every day. Every year hundreds of people are killed and thousands injured on our roads, so this Road Safety Week we want everyone to ‘Step up for Safe Streets’ and learn about, shout about and celebrate the amazing design-led solutions that can help us end this suffering and create a safe and healthy future for all.

“Road safety professionals can be pivotal in getting these vital messages out to local people in their communities, using the activities and connections they already have to help raise awareness of the national message. I would encourage anyone who hasn’t already registered to head to: www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/action-pack and sign up now for their free action pack.”

Declan Moore, CEO & Chief Customer Officer, New Zealand & Pacific said: “It’s a privilege to support such an important initiative again this year. It offers all of us an opportunity to raise the issue of road safety and celebrate local initiatives that are saving lives across the country. We encourage everyone to learn about and support road safety activities in their community.”

Brake is also looking to showcase local road safety stories throughout Road Safety Week. If you have implemented road safety improvements that fit with the safe system approach and would like to highlight these, please contact Brake on 021 407 953 or info@brake.org.nz. If you know someone who has been injured or bereaved in a road crash and would be willing to share their story, please also contact Brake

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