During Road Safety Week, our team was out across Essex delivering road safety interventions to children, young people, pedestrians, drivers and riders of all ages. Activity took place in schools, colleges, universities and community spaces, helping to embed Vision Zero across every stage of life.
51 Lives Lost Event
To launch Road Safety Week, Chelmsford High Street fell silent as the team unveiled its poignant event- 51 pairs of shoes, each representing a life lost on Essex roads last year. Families who have lost loved ones were in attendance, including the Grieve family whose mother Hilary tragically died in a collision and would have celebrated her birthday that day. The Crane family also joined the event, bringing along the trainers of 19-year-old Sonny, who sadly lost his life in a young driver collision in Waltham Abbey.
Early Years and Primary Interventions
Our team delivered road safety sessions to reception children, parents and carers, and Year 5 pupils across a wide range of schools. Activities included the Green Cross Code, pedestrian safety, visibility awareness hands-on learning around safe crossing and modelling safe habits from an early age.
Schools visited included:
- Seymour House Nursery: parent drop-in and early-years sessions
- Beaulieu Primary School: reception and parent/carer sessions
- Limes Farm Primary School: reception and Year 5 pedestrian training
- St Rolph and Holland Park (Tendring)
- Tiptree Heath
- Fordham and Cherry Tree (Colchester)
Pupils engaged in a wide range of activities including spotting hazards, learning the road safety song, exploring stopping distances and vehicle visibility.
School Speed Watch
School speed watch operations took place at:
- The Priory School, Bicknacre: seven speeding drivers stopped (top speed 37mph)
- William Martin School, Harlow: 12 speeding drivers stopped (top speed 39mph)
One driver was also stopped for mobile phone use with a child in the vehicle. Another speeding driver used the excuse that they were in a rush to go on holiday!
Community and College Engagement
Colchester Institute
- 212 students attended a Young Driver presentation, and seven students then signed up to the SERP’s young rider pilot. The free on-road Street Spirit young rider pilot is currently being offered to riders between the ages of 16 and 25.
University of Essex – Road Safety Awareness
Delivered information on pedestrian safety campaign- Be Bright, Be Seen, young driver initiatives and driver licencing.
Harlow College
Road safety awareness presentations reached over 500 students across two days, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from the college.
Braintree College
The team spoke with 103 students, delivering young driver and passenger safety information.
Ageing Well Event, Harlow
Support was provided to older drivers and pedestrians, with information and sign-ups for the Driving with Confidence course, which helps mature drivers or anyone concerned about their driving skills, to increase their confidence in dealing with today’s roads.
Enforcement Activity
Enforcement was active across the county throughout Road Safety Week, carrying out targeted speed enforcement and responding to community concerns.
Basildon: 329 offences
Locations included:
- Vange School
- Broadmayne
- Southmayne
- Cranes Farm Road
- Golden Jubilee Way
- Radwinter
- Pound Lane
- Ashlyns
A13: 146 offences
- Top speed recorded: 122mph in a 70mph zone
- 8 drivers detected travelling over 100mph
Shoeburyness: 19 offences
There were new site assessments in response to resident and school concerns at:
- Maplin Way
- Shoebury High Road
Mid Essex: 53 offences
- Great Baddow
- Ramsden Heath
- A130
- Woodham Walter
Colchester: 70 offences
- Tollgate
- Long Road East
- Maldon Road
- Heckfordbridge
Total Enforcement Activity Across the Week: 617 offences
Road Safety Week 2025 has showcased the strength of community, partnership and shared responsibility across Essex. From early years to older drivers, from colleges to community roadsides, thousands of people engaged with the SERP’s Vision Zero message that every life matters and every road user has a part to play: www.saferessexroads.org/visionzero
