Speedwatch groups, hard-hitting road sign messaging and school workshops are under way across Bath & North East Somerset as part of a national Brake Road Safety Week campaign.

The council is backing the campaign which sees thousands of schools, organisations and communities involved in highlighting important road safety messages.

It also remembers people affected by road death and injury and raises funds to help Brake care for more road victims and campaign for safe roads for everyone.

Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Transport, said: “It is important that our Road Safety officers are out and about during the week highlighting this national campaign. In our area the number of people injured in traffic collisions continues to fall, but we want to reach a point where no road users are killed or seriously injured on our network. 

“The number of all reported personal injury collisions on our highways has reduced by 46% over the last decade, however vulnerable road users like cyclists and pedestrians are disproportionately affected. This shows the ongoing need for road safety education and awareness.”

During the awareness week speedwatch groups are out on the district’s roads. The B&NES Community SpeedWatch Association is made up of around 30 groups and Road Safety officers from the council have been attending some of their meetings to help spread the message of Road Safety Week.

A Community SpeedWatch event in Bathford was attended by Councillor Sarah Warren and council Leader, Councillor Kevin Guy, as well as officers from Avon & Somerset Police and members of the local parish council.

Councillor Guy said: “It was very good to spend time with Bathford’s Community SpeedWatch to help promote Road Safety Week, they are a great example of members of the local community giving their time to help make their area safer. My thanks to all those who support these fantastic local initiatives.”

Data captured during SpeedWatch events are used by the council alongside data from Avon & Somerset Police Speed Enforcement Teams to help identify areas in need of safety measures. The council also carries out speed limit reviews and monitors collision data to identify problematic locations and inform what safety measures are needed.

This week road safety workshops are being held Clutton Nursery, Clutton School and Peter Pan Pre-school in Bath, where they’ll learn important road safety information from members of the council’s Road Safety team.

More than 10,000 children in Bath & North East Somerset will receive some form of road safety education this year as the Road Safety team at Bath & North East Somerset Council work closely with schools to deliver various initiatives.

Recently completed schemes like the B3114 collision reduction scheme and London Road cyclist safety scheme, as well as numerous pedestrian improvements near schools and the introduction of more 20mph speed limits are examples of ongoing efforts by the council to make its roads safer for all users.