As 2025 reaches its halfway point, the Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) is reflecting on the devastating impact road collisions continue to have across the county. So far this year, 31 lives have been lost on Essex roads, each a person with family, friends, and futures taken or altered in an instant.
To tackle this, the SERP continues to work relentlessly toward its ambitious goal of Vision Zero, the elimination of deaths and serious injuries on Essex roads by 2040. This mission brings together key partners including Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue and National Highways, working in partnership to combine education, engineering, engagement, and enforcement, united in the belief that even one death is too many.
From primary school pedestrian training to community speed watch and young driver campaigns, the SERP takes a joined up, data-led approach to deliver measurable change in road safety.
Nicola Foster, Chair of the Safer Essex Roads Partnership, pressed that the path to Vision Zero will take everyone: “The SERP is committed to bringing this number down to zero, but we cannot do it alone. Road safety is a shared responsibility. Every road user has a part to play, whether that is slowing down, putting your phone away, or never getting behind the wheel after drinking.”
She added: “We need the public to join us, to challenge risky behaviour, to speak up as passengers, and to make safe decisions. Vision Zero is not just a campaign; it is a commitment to protecting lives, and we all have the power to make it happen. We believe 31 is not just a number. Behind every statistic is a name and someone’s loved one.”
A key element of this work is the SERP’s Vision Zero Days, combining high impact enforcement with vital community engagement. These days focus on the Fatal Four offences- speeding, drink and drug driving, driving while distracted (including mobile phones) and not wearing seatbelt, through roadside checks from the enforcement team. During Vision Zero days, the SERP’s engagement team also interacts with drivers and the public to raise awareness of the consequences of risky driving behaviours. Recent Vision Zero Days have led to traffic offence reports, vehicle seizures, and arrests, with officers targeting high-risk behaviours through visible enforcement and intelligence-led policing.
Adam Pipe, Head of Essex Roads Policing, said: “Our officers are working tirelessly to enforce against the driving behaviours we know cost lives- speeding, impaired driving, and lack of seatbelt use. Every enforcement action we take is a step toward preventing future loss of life on Essex roads. But enforcement alone cannot fix this. We need drivers to make better choices.”
As the summer holidays approach, typically one of the busiest times, the SERP is calling on every Essex road user, whether driving, riding, or walking to be alert to their surroundings and those around them.
Road safety starts with you and ends when no lives are lost. Visit: www.saferessexroads.org/visionzero and be part of the change.
