Brighton & Hove Council is backing a nationwide campaign designed to cut the number of road deaths in the UK.
Project EDWARD – Every Day Without A Road Death – launches a week of events to promote road safety on Monday 17 October.
It showcases some of the work being done around the country to promote safer vehicles, roads and best practice.
The theme for this year’s campaign is Changing Minds, changing behaviour.
The city will be hosting an event at Jubilee Library on the day, hearing from local speakers about the work being done to make our roads safer for everyone.
Speakers will include Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner Katy Bourne OBE and Dawn Wittaker, Chief Fire Officer at East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service. Attendees will also be shown the UN award winning ‘Mind in Gear’ video.
After the presentations, guests will be invited on a walking tour of Valley Gardens, which demonstrates the innovative layout designed to make walking, cycling and driving safer as people travel through a key part of Brighton & Hove.
It also sits next to what will become the city’s first Liveable Neighbourhood in Hanover & Tarner, a project designed to cut car use, encourage active travel and thus make the streets in the area safer.
There will also be stands and demonstrations for people to visit and watch outside the library.
Councillor Elaine Hills, member of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee said: “I’m very pleased we’ll be hosting an event like this in the city.
“There is a lot of good work being done to make our roads safer for everyone using them. Valley Gardens is a great example of how we can provide people with an infrastructure that allows them to travel safely .”
“Through innovative measures and campaigns and by helping to change attitudes about the way we travel, we can work towards dramatically cutting the number of deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”
Darren Lindsey from Project EDWARD said: “It’s important to understand that despite all the developments in technology and engineering, there are still around five preventable deaths and 70 life-changing injuries on our roads every day.
“Project EDWARD aims to play its part in reducing this unacceptable figure by highlighting good practice in road safety. We believe our messages are relevant for everyone who uses the road – and our aim of eliminating road death is something everyone can and should support.
“We are proud of our innovative approach which we believe has really helped raise the profile of road safety. It is exciting to see an ambitious and wide-ranging programme of activity taking shape in Brighton and Hove and across the UK as we work together to make our roads safer for everyone.”
