Road safety professionals urged to help communities #SpeakUp for road safety and register for Road Safety Week

Road safety professionals and emergency services are being encouraged to join in with Road Safety Week 2019 (6-12 May) and help raise awareness of key road safety messages. The charity Brake, which coordinates the event, is encouraging road safety professionals to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz to register for a free e-action pack and get ideas on using the Week to engage local communities.

Road Safety Week, now in its 8th year, is supported by QBE Insurance and the NZ Transport Agency. It provides a great opportunity for police, fire, ambulance services and local councils to run high-profile community engagement, awareness and enforcement campaigns to promote safer, more sustainable and active road use and prevent road death and injury.

This year the week coincides with the UN Global Road Safety Week and has the theme Save Lives #SpeakUp, focusing on leadership for road safety. Brake will be encouraging everyone to #SpeakUp about road safety issues that affect them and their local community, and will be demonstrating that everyone can be a road safety leader.

Organisations can link their activities to the national theme, or choose a theme of their own, and use the week to launch new campaigns, run activities, or generate extra involvement and publicity for year-round programmes. Examples of activities to run are available online.

Emergency services and road safety professionals can access ideas and register for a free e-action pack at www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/action-pack. The pack includes downloadable posters on this year's theme, activity resources, advice and case studies to help organisations run successful activities.

Caroline Perry, Brake's NZ Director says: "Road Safety Week offers a chance for those of us working in road safety to speak up together to help prevent tragedies. Each year local councils, emergency services and other partners invest tremendous energy in getting the road safety message across, and Road Safety Week offers the potential to gain extra recognition for that work and to further engage communities in life-saving messages.

"Now is the time to register and plan how you'll take advantage of the Week and partner-up for maximum impact locally. We're encouraging professionals to consider how they can also help others to speak up on road safety issues, to help everyone to play their part in making our roads safer."