A Northern power network has backed a national road safety campaign.

The week-long National Road Safety Campaign, headed by charity Brake, will shine a light on road safety and take place until Saturday (November 25).

It aims to share important safety messages, encourage drivers to reduce their speed, remember people affected by road deaths and injuries, and raise vital funds to help keep roads safe.

This year’s theme centres on the dangers of driving faster than the speed limit.

It will also touch on driving too fast for road conditions, the risk of a crash, or someone being killed or hurt on a road as a result of this.

John Wilkinson, Northern Powergrid’s Driver Safety and Performance Manager said: “All during National Road Safety Week we will be educating colleagues regarding speed awareness, and driver and road safety.

“Colleagues whose role requires them to drive for the purpose of their job, where the ‘road is their workplace’, will receive a toolbox talk about speed awareness and driver and road safety. This is in addition to mandatory safe driver training which applicable colleagues must complete to drive for our business."

The Government’s latest figures (October 2023) regarding British roads revealed that 1,711 people died in 2022, (a rise of 10% in 2021), and a further 28,031 people suffered serious injuries.

Gareth Pearson, Northern Powergrid’s Head of Health, Safety and Training said: “Our teams drive over 15 million business miles per year, therefore, appropriate education, engagement and training is paramount to ensure our colleagues return home safely after each working day and our communities continue to be safe.

“Our high health and safety standards and education and training programmes are reflected in us being accredited with The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) Order of Distinction, and also holding specialist Gold Awards for fleet safety in both our North East and Yorkshire licence areas.

“We continue to uphold driver and fleet safety standards and are committed to supporting Brake and its charitable aims to reduce and prevent road deaths across our region by regularly donating to their campaigns, and helping protect our workforce and communities across the North East, Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.”

Brake are now calling for a focus on reducing road deaths and catastrophic injuries, with figures also showing that 303 people died due to vehicles travelling above the speed limit.

Laura Challis, Brake’s Corporate Fundraising Manager, said: “After 28 years of campaigning for safer roads and supporting road victims, we have big ambitions we hope to deliver this year to make a difference in road safety and road victim support.  

“Our work is made possible through the support of organisations like Northern Powergrid, who this year donated £5,000 to our charity and shares in our belief that nobody should be killed or seriously injured on UK roads. We are delighted to have them supporting the work we do.”  

Laura Challis, Brake’s Corporate Fundraising Manager, said: “After 28 years of campaigning for safer roads and supporting road victims, we have big ambitions we hope to deliver this year to make a difference in road safety and road victim support.  

“Our work is made possible through the support of organisations like Northern Powergrid, who this year donated £5,000 to our charity and shares in our belief that nobody should be killed or seriously injured on UK roads. We are delighted to have them supporting the work we do.”  

You can learn more about road safety week here.