Families and communities urged to take part in Road Safety Week and Step Up for Safe Streets

Families and communities are being encouraged to take part in Road Safety Week 2020 (4-10 May), which involves hundreds of communities, schools and organisations running activities to help raise awareness of road safety issues.

This year the week will focus on how design-led solutions can prevent people dying or being seriously injured on roads. In 2018, 828 children under the age of 15 and 1,893 young people aged 15-19 were killed or injured on NZ roads [1]. That's an average of 52 children and young people - more than a classroom full - dying or suffering injuries as a result of road crashes every week.

Road safety charity Brake, which coordinates the event, is encouraging parents and community leaders to go to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/communities for activity ideas and to register for a free online action pack (available from March).

This year's Road Safety Week, coordinated with the support of Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency, and sponsored by QBE Insurance, has the theme 'Step up for Safe Streets'. The Week will focus on how everyone can #StepUp and do their bit for road safety. There will be an emphasis on encouraging people to learn about, shout about and celebrate the design solutions that can enable everyone to get around in a safe and healthy way, every day. Groups can choose to run their initiative on this theme or any other road safety topic, according to their priorities.

Road Safety Week has been engaging communities in road safety for nine years and is a great chance for community groups, families and schools to take action on local road safety issues and raise awareness to prevent needless casualties.

Caroline Perry, Brake's NZ Director said: "We believe it's everyone's human right to be able to get around in a safe and healthy way every day. Every year thousands of people are killed and injured on our roads, so this Road Safety Week we want everyone to 'Step up for Safe Streets' and learn about, shout about and celebrate the amazing design-led solutions that can help us end this suffering and create a safe and healthy future for all.

"Parents and community groups can help get these vital messages out to families, young people and local drivers, making a difference to their local community. I would encourage anyone who hasn't already registered to head to www.roadsafetyweek.org.nz/action-pack and sign up now for their free action pack."

Brake is also looking to showcase local road safety stories throughout Road Safety Week. If you have successfully campaigned for safer roads in your area, have a local road safety issue you want to raise awareness of, or you have been injured or bereaved in a road crash and are happy to share your story, please contact Brake on 021 407 953 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..