Road Safety Week: who's getting involved?

Road Safety Week 2010 is being backed by:

QBE business insurance specialist – headline sponsor of the Week

QBE is organising a number of initiatives internally to promote Road Safety Week to its staff, including an interview with Matthew Crane, MD of motor at QBE, who will be talking about the key messages for Road Safety Week. QBE is also issuing a number of news updates to raise awareness to all staff, informing them of the work that the charity Brake is undertaking. Staff from QBE’s regional offices will also be holding a ‘Bright Day for Brake’, to promote awareness and to fundraise for Brake. Doug Jenkins, motor risk manager at QBE, will be attending the London regional Road Safety Week event on Tuesday 23rd November and supporting Brake when they deliver the results of their survey to Downing Street.

Doug Jenkins said: “Road safety is very important to QBE and we are pleased to be supporting Brake in their campaign for safer roads. In our line of work, the effects of dangerous driving are all too apparent. We would urge everyone to slow down and take extra care to look out for children and other vulnerable road users, especially at this time of year when the evenings are darker. Taking extra care every time you get behind the wheel could save a life.”

FedEx – additional sponsor of the Week

FedEx are encouraging communities, schools and companies to get involved in the week and to raise awareness about crucial road safety issues. Throughout the week FedEx are displaying road safety posters at each of their sites in order to spread life saving messages to their drivers and employees. In addition, they will be holding a ‘Bright Day for Brake’ where staff are encouraged to wear luminous clothing to work in order to raise awareness of the vulnerability of walkers and cyclists on our roads, and to raise funds for Brake.

Diamond Psarianos, vice president operations, FedEx Express Northern Europe said: “We are extremely proud to be backing this important campaign to make our roads safer for children. At FedEx Express we work hard to instil road safety to our staff members, so Road Safety Week is an ideal opportunity to take part in an important initiative we truly believe in. We hope that by getting involved in this event, we can help to spread the message that we all have a part to play in preventing road deaths and injuries, and making roads more family-friendly.”

Coca-Cola Enterprises

Coca-Cola Enterprises, based in East Kilbride, is backing Road Safety Week by taking a delivery van into local schools in the area throughout the week. They will focus on raising awareness about the need to reduce speeds outside schools, and will also teach crucial life-saving messages to children such as where the blind spots are in vans from the driver’s perspective.

Drew Russell, safety and environmental manager at Coca-Cola Enterprises, says: “We’re proud to be backing this important campaign to make our roads safer for children. At Coca-Cola we work hard to promote road safety to our local community, so Road Safety Week is a vital part of teaching children about the importance of being aware of trucks and lorries and the blind spots they have.”

Home Delivery Network

Home Delivery Network, based in Oldham, is backing Road Safety Week by taking a lorry into five different schools in the area during the Week. Home Delivery Network will focus on raising awareness about the need to reduce speeds outside of schools, as well as teaching children about where the blind spots are and discussing the dangers of cycling around goods vehicles.

Steve Love, head of driver training at Home Delivery Network, says: “Children are very vulnerable individuals who need education about the importance of road safety. We hope that by getting involved in this event, we can help to spread the message that we all have a part to play in preventing road deaths and injuries, and making roads more family-friendly.”

KDS Group

KDS Group, based in Paisley, is backing Road Safety Week by educating 5th and 6th year pupils at St Andrew’s Academy. KDS Group will be working closely with the school and delivering a presentation to the young people about road safety and motivation. Within KDS’s distribution fleet are five road safety vehicles displaying real life stories of victims who have been killed on the road. These are the only vehicles of their kind in the UK and they will be displayed at the school between 8am and 9am so they are seen as children and staff arrive at school, to help convey vital life-saving messages.

Stevie Kidd, managing director of KDS Group and Stevie Kidd People, says: “We work hard to promote road safety, so we’re delighted to be getting involved in Road Safety Week again this year. Personally I am hugely passionate about road safety and working with young people, so to be able to combine these is very rewarding. I plan to speak about the very real dangers of bad driving and the devastating consequences of road crashes.”