Employers, especially those with staff who drive for work, are being urged to sign up now to take part in this year's national Road Safety Week, for a free action pack to help them promote life-saving messages to staff and the wider community.

The call-out comes shortly after government statistics reveal five people are killed and 63 are seriously injured every day on UK roads. One in four serious road casualties are in crashes involving at-work drivers.

Road Safety Week is the UK's biggest road safety event, coordinated annually by the charity Brake and involving thousands of organisations, schools and communities. This year it takes place from 18-24 November.

Employers can run activities during the Week that focus on any road safety issues, but Brake is particularly aiming to raise awareness about the vital importance of avoiding distractions at the wheel.

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend says: "Every year many employers seize the opportunity of Road Safety Week to make a difference to the safety of their staff and the wider community. At-work drivers are involved in a huge proportion of serious road crashes. These crashes cause terrible and preventable suffering, and they cost businesses dearly. However, we know from our long-running experience of working with employers that developing robust policies alongside a safe driving culture can make a massive difference to the safety of at-work drivers, and organisations' bottom line. Road Safety Week is the ideal time for organisations to get serious about at-work driver safety, or step up existing work.

"This year we're particularly calling on employers to promote the ‘tune in' message to tackle driver distractions - and we're pleased to be offering a free webinar and resources to help employers get this vital message out."

Organisations are urged to log on now to www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk to get ideas on what they can do, and register to receive an e-action pack with free downloadable resources and advice.

Organisations can also sign up now for a free webinar to help them get involved and run activities on the tune in theme. ‘Eliminating driver distractions: making the most of Road Safety Week 2013' takes place on 10 September at 2-3.15pm, offering advice on engaging staff in Road Safety Week and tackling driver distraction. To register contact Joe at corporatewebinar@brake.org.uk or 01484 559909.

Now in its 17th year, Road Safety Week is often used by employers to run road safety workshops or campaigns to promote a safe driving culture among employees, or to launch new initiatives aimed at reducing crashes or promoting sustainable travel. It's also a chance to engage customers and local communities in road safety, such as by working with local schools and colleges or displaying road safety banners.

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