City of Doncaster Councill is backing a national campaign to promote everyone’s right to safe and healthy journeys.
Road Safety Week, organised by the charity Brake, aims to reduce the number of people killed or injured as the result of a collision.
The theme for 2023 is speed and members of the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership (SYSRP) are helping to highlight the dangers of excessive and inappropriate speed.
Councillor Joe Blackham, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “As part of road safety week, we are encouraging all residents in Doncaster to be part of the conversation around safe speeds.
“We want people to lead by example, to stick to the limit and to talk about why safe speeds are so important.
“Talk to your loved ones about the added risks of travelling at excess speed and how they would feel if they injured someone in a collision.
“We know it’s a difficult conversation but if we all work together, we have a much better chance of saving lives on our roads.”
In Doncaster in 2022, 13 people lost their lives and 205 people were seriously injured in road traffic collisions. In total, 761 people received some form of injury as a result of a road crash.
Brake’s week of action started on 19 November to coincide with The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims. To honour those who have lost their lives on our roads, landmarks across the UK will be illuminated in yellow light – including the Mansion House in Doncaster.
The following days will focus on different themes linked to the issue of speeding including schools and education, community work, employers’ responsibilities and stopping distances.
Lucy Straker, campaigns manager for Brake said: “Five people die on UK roads every day, so why do we still think it’s OK to speed?
“Every time we drive faster than the speed limit, or too fast for the road conditions, we increase the risk of a crash – and we increase the chance that someone we love will be killed or hurt on a road.
“Whoever you are, however you travel, we need to talk about speed and I’m grateful to Doncaster Council for being part of the conversation.”
Road Safety Week is Brake’s biggest road safety campaign. Every year, thousands of schools, organisations and communities get involved to share important road safety messages, remember people affected by road death and injury, and raise funds to help Brake care for more road victims and campaign for safe roads for everyone.
