Safe vehicles save lives: why we need action now

More than 1,700 people lose their lives on UK roads every year, while another 30,000 suffer serious, life-changing injuries. This cannot be allowed to continue unchallenged. 

That’s why Road Safety Week is so important for everyone associated with Brake. Because behind every number is a family shattered, friends and colleagues bereft, and a life that should never have been cut short. 

From 16-22 November, we’re once again calling on communities, schools, employers, campaigners, and emergency services to come together to shine a spotlight on road safety. For many, it’s a moment to remember loved ones lost. For others, it’s a chance to take action to help eliminate what is wholly preventable.

This year’s theme: safe vehicles save lives

In recent years, Road Safety Week has focused on the role speed plays in road crashes.  Last year, we focused on road crash victims themselves and those around them. This year, we’re focusing on vehicles themselves. 

Safe vehicles are a cornerstone of the Safe System approach, a globally recognised principle that asserts that roads, people, speeds, and vehicles must all work together to protect lives.

Modern safety technology has already transformed what’s possible. Automated emergency braking can stop a collision before it happens. Intelligent speed assistance can prevent drivers from speeding, while airbags and seatbelts—things we now take for granted—have saved countless lives. And yet, we know much more can be done.

Campaigning for change

That’s why we’re urging the UK to tighten its legislation to ensure this technology is used. Right now, the European Union (EU) has introduced new General Safety Regulations that mandate cutting-edge safety technology in vehicles, but Britain risks falling behind. 

For Road Safety Week 2025, we’re calling on the Government to bring these standards into law here too. Why? Because the evidence shows that mandatory safety features save lives and any delay in their adoption means more preventable deaths on our roads.

As part of that, we want everyone to understand the role of vehicle safety. Whether it’s making sure your car is roadworthy before a journey or pressing for life-saving tech to be standard in every new vehicle, we all have a part to play.

It’s a topic that is also timely, not just for drivers but also the organisation we work with. Samsara is a long-serving strategic partner to Brake and we are delighted they have chosen to sponsor this year’s Road Safety Week to further their support. 

Their backing—and that of our other sponsors—helps us reach more people and give schools, employers, and communities the free resources they need to get involved.

How you can take part

Signing up for Road Safety Week is simple, and once you do, we’ll send you everything you need. This includes toolkits, videos, infographics, roadside check guides, and educational packs for schools. Employers and emergency services can join our webinar, campaigners can access fundraising ideas, and communities can hold local events.

Last year, more than 4,000 schools, organisations, and individuals took part, reaching nearly eight million people across the UK. Imagine what we can achieve this year if even more of us get involved. After all, road safety affects every single one of us, regardless of whether we’re a driver, passenger, or pedestrian. 

Our vision is simple: a world where no one is killed or seriously injured on a road. Safe vehicles are a huge step towards that future—but they’re only part of the picture. Together, through campaigning, education, and support for road crash victims, we can create safer roads for everyone, wherever and however they travel.

So I invite you to join us. Be part of Road Safety Week 2025. Stand with us to call for change. Learn, share, act—and help us make sure that safe vehicles save lives.