Project Edward is an annual European road safety awareness event, aimed at having one day a year that is completely free from road fatalities. Today, Wednesday 19th September, is this year’s day of action.
The project launched in 2016 is supported by drivers across the continent, aswell as public and private sector partners. The campaign’s long-term aim is to encourage a sustained reduction in road casualties across the world. The EU are already in pursuit of a 2020 target to reduce accidents on our roads by 50%, however, Project Edward’s research shows a stagnated downward trend for the target, two years running.
One way the project hopes to make an impact on European efforts is through marking a European Day Without A Road Death – Project EDWARD for short.
Project Edward advocates for all road users to pause and think about the risks they face, the risks they may pose to others, and how they can reduce these risks. Ignoring rules of the road, looking for risky shortcuts, making precarious maneuvers, using vehicles that don’t adhere to national standards, and allowing smartphones distract from your attention are all factors that can lead to accidents on the road – cyclists, pedestrians, and motorists can all be culpable!
The project is supported by TISPOL, an organisation established by the traffic police to enforce and improve road safety, who pledge to promote the campaign’s vision.
On average, 70 people die every day on European roads. As newly appointed Garda Commissioner Drew Harris importantly affirmed, ‘we can never be complacent about road safety.’
Initiatives like Project EDWARD are key to reminding communities across the country to look, and to see when it comes to road safety.
