Stuart Anderson MP has renewed his campaign to improve road safety in South Shropshire.
More than 3,000 schools, organisations, communities and individuals have signed up to take part in Road Safety Week, which is running between 16th and 22nd November 2025.
The campaign aims to reach millions of people with important messages of road safety using free resources provided by the road safety charity, Brake.
Each year, the charity supports thousands of families who have been bereaved or seriously injured as a result of a road crash.
Brake’s National Road Victim Service provides emotional and practical support to anyone affected by road death and catastrophic, life-changing injuries.
A recent study has found that 63% of drivers do not understand what all the safety features in their cars do. Meanwhile, 35% have admitted to switching off at least one of the safety features in their car.
Sadly, 1,671 people died on UK roads last year. A further 28,804 were seriously injured. In 2024, 56 people were killed and 516 seriously injured in road traffic collisions across West Mercia.
Stuart has said that this has a disproportionate effect on rural communities like South Shropshire. Every year more than 1,000 people die on rural roads – ten times as many than on the motorways.
In Shropshire, there is around 3,206 miles of road. In the last year alone, there have been 19 fatalities and 142 serious injuries on our roads.
Stuart launched his Road Safety Campaign in August 2024, when he urged key partners to take more action to tackle these issues.
In the same month, Styuart called for urged the government to prioritise rural roads in its Road Safety Strategy. In his letter to the Transport Secretary, he called for greater investment in rural road safety interventions.
In response to a written parliamentary question submitted by Stuart in February, Road Ministers Lilian Greenwood said that the Department for Transport was still developing its Road Safety Strategy.
Many months on, the Strategy has still not yet been published. In a renewed push for action, Stuart has now urged Transport Minister Lillian Greenwood MP to prioritise its publication.
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"I welcome the return Road Safety Week. Organised by Brake, their valuable campaign shines a vital spotlight on the urgent need to improve road safety. The rural roads fatality count, which remains ten times as many deaths as on motorways, is unacceptable. That is why I launched my campaign to improve rural road safety last year. As part of my campaign, I urged Ministers to make rural road safety a key priority in its Road Safety Strategy. Almost a year on, I am disappointed that the Road Safety Strategy has still not been published. That is why I have called for its publication to be prioritised and include a particular focus on making tangible improvements in rural areas like South Shropshire."
Brake’s vision is to stop road crashes, reduce harm and ensure every road victim gets the support they need, for as long as they need it. Schools, organisations, campaigners, and individuals are invited to take part in Road Safety Week by signing up at www.brake.org.uk/road-safety-week.
