Seven road deaths reported during National Safe Speeds Day

Seven road deaths were reported on National Safe Speeds Day, which took place on September 15, as part of Project Edward, the nationwide road safety campaign.

All 43 police forces in England and Wales, as well as Police Scotland and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, took part in the 24-hour operation to encourage compliance with speed limits.

“On average, five people a day lose their lives on the UK’s roads,” says James Luckhurst of Project Edward. "Speeding is a major cause of crashes, and speeding is a choice. The fact that we already know of seven deaths during the 24 hours of our National Safe Speeds Day operation – with results still due from some forces – shows how far we are as a society from getting on top of road danger.

“It is a disappointing outcome, but it confirms that we must continue our efforts to remind everyone who uses the road that we are all more vulnerable than we think.”

Chief Constable Jo Shiner of Sussex Police added: “I am fully supportive of this first National Safe Speeds Day and I welcome the efforts by members of the Project Edward team to highlight the benefits for all road users of understanding and choosing speeds that are legal and safe because we know lower speeds mean fewer road deaths.”

Positioned around ‘Every Day Without a Road Death’, the Project Edward campaign included a week of road safety activity, including three electric vehicles (EVs) taking part in a challenge to cover the country using the smallest charge.

The drivers showcased examples of safe road planning, post-crash response, design and engineering, while visiting sites involved in the campaign along the way; including stops at South Queensferry traffic control operations room, Devon Air Ambulance, the New Forest and Sussex.

The team also engaged with community speed watch groups and visited depots of large transport fleets including Waitrose and Royal Mail.

Other stop-off points included local authorities that have adopted the 'Safe System' approach to tackling road risk.

This year, Project Edward was managed by RoadSafe in partnership with Driving for Better Business (DfBB).

For more information visit the Project Edward website.