RoadPeace
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| RoadPeace | |
|---|---|
| Name | RoadPeace |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Type | Charitable organisation |
| Status | Charity |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Region served | United Kingdom, international outreach |
| Leader title | Chief Executive |
| Affiliations | Victim Support, Brake, World Health Organization |
RoadPeace is a UK-based charity dedicated to supporting bereaved and injured road crash victims and campaigning for road traffic crash justice and prevention. Founded by families affected by fatal collisions, the organisation provides emotional support, peer networks, advocacy, and policy recommendations while engaging with legal, health, and transport institutions. Its work intersects with welfare services, public health initiatives, legal reform debates, and media coverage of road safety.
History
The organisation was established in 1992 following high-profile incidents that drew attention from groups such as Victim Support, Brake, and members of Parliament including Paul Boateng and Ann Keen. Early development involved collaboration with charities like Campaign for Better Transport and input from coroners and Crown Prosecution Service figures including Keir Starmer (former Director of Public Prosecutions). Throughout the 1990s and 2000s the charity engaged with inquiries led by figures such as Lord Cullen and contributed to consultations with the Department for Transport (United Kingdom), the Department of Health and Social Care (United Kingdom), and the Health and Safety Executive. It expanded services after research partnerships with academic centres at University College London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and University of York.
Mission and Activities
The organisation’s mission focuses on support for families bereaved by collisions, campaigning for improved legal responses, and promoting measures to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Activities include providing helplines, peer support groups, and training for professionals from NHS trusts, police forces like the Metropolitan Police Service, and local authorities such as Greater Manchester Combined Authority. It contributes evidence to parliamentary committees including the Transport Select Committee and participates in multi-agency safety partnerships with bodies like Public Health England and the World Health Organization for injury prevention strategies. The charity also produces guidance used by coroners, solicitors, and magistrates in cases involving fatal collisions.
Campaigns and Advocacy
Campaign work targets legislative and policy changes across areas including sentencing, corporate responsibility, child protection, and road design. The organisation has advocated for reforms discussed in Parliament by figures such as Yvette Cooper and Norman Baker and has campaigned alongside organisations like RoadSafe and Living Streets for casualty reduction measures. Specific campaigns have pressed police services such as Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police Service to improve investigation standards, and urged the Crown Prosecution Service to adopt clearer charging guidelines. The charity has contributed to debates around legislation including amendments to laws referenced in sessions of the House of Commons and the House of Lords, and has engaged with international forums like the United Nations General Assembly and the World Health Organization Road Safety initiatives.
Support Services
Support provision includes a national helpline, bereavement counselling referrals, and specialist peer-support networks connecting families with others affected by crashes investigated by coroners or handled by solicitors such as Slater and Gordon. The organisation offers training and resources for police family liaison officers from forces like West Yorkshire Police, medico-legal guidance for clinicians in NHS trusts including Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, and advocacy support when dealing with insurers and the Motor Insurers' Bureau. It organises memorial events and signposting to community groups and charities like Samaritans and local bereavement services.
Structure and Funding
The charity operates a board of trustees drawn from legal, medical, and campaigning backgrounds, with partnerships involving universities such as University of Cambridge and University of Oxford for research. Funding streams include grant awards from charitable foundations like The National Lottery Community Fund, donations from the public, and project grants from bodies such as European Commission programmes and UK government grant schemes administered by departments like the Ministry of Justice (United Kingdom). Governance follows regulations overseen by the Charity Commission for England and Wales with reporting to stakeholders including donors, partner NGOs, and statutory agencies.
Impact and Recognition
The organisation’s influence is reflected in changes to police procedures, coroner practice, and public awareness of road death bereavement. It has been cited in reports by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Road Traffic Casualties and academic studies from institutions like Imperial College London and University of Manchester evaluating post-crash support. Recognition includes collaborations with national campaigns run by Road Safety Week and invitations to contribute to consultations by the Department for Transport (United Kingdom), the Crown Prosecution Service, and international bodies such as the World Health Organization. Its advocacy has been referenced in media outlets including BBC News, The Guardian, and The Times.