To mark Brake Road Safety Week 2026, which begins on November 15, The Safer Essex Roads Partnership (SERP) is releasing a poignant film of the event held last year, representing each life lost on Essex roads with a pair of shoes.
The event, held on November 15, 2025, in Chelmsford City Centre, highlighted the unnecessary and tragic loss of 51 people who should still be walking amongst their communities.
Bereaved families 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.
Will Cubbin, Partnership Manager for the SERP, said: “We wanted to capture the event on film as the public response to the shoe display was one of shock, sadness and absolute dismay at the unnecessary loss of life.
“Many people approached our team to say how they hear about road death but never stop to think about how preventable it is. To see 51 pairs of shoes, each pair unique and representative of an individual human, rather than just a statistic, brought it home to Essex residents, and reinforced the urgent need to achieve Vision Zero.
“Many passers-by told our team how they use the roads regularly and despite hearing about collisions, they all assume it will never happen to them, or anyone they know. But seeing the display made it clear to them that each one of these people assumed they would complete their journey and arrive at their destination. After seeing the shoes, many shoppers vowed to watch their speed, drive to the conditions, avoid distraction and to always be mindful of other road users.
“The 51 pairs of shoes is reflective of the 2024 data, but last year 58 people died on Essex roads, highlighting the need for all of us to work together to stop the unnecessary grief and pain caused by road death. One pair of shoes is one too many and we remain committed to educating and enforcing across the county, in a bid to save lives.
“Please share this film with your family and friends – we want as many people as possible to visualise the devastation caused by road death in the hope it will remain in the consciousness of all road users.”
Roger Hirst, the county’s Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Chair of the SERP board, said: “Too many people are killed and seriously injured on Essex’s road network. That shocking trend must be reversed.
“Poor driver behaviour is contributing to a lack of safety. Those who recklessly speed risk endangering other road users. Drug driving is another prime example of what is fuelling what is going wrong on the county’s roads, it has now reached an epidemic level.
“Bad drivers can destroy lives. Serious road collisions that end in tragedy devastate too many families. Promoting safety is everyone’s business – it is important to take more responsibility and work together to reduce road deaths.
“Increased policing patrols, more investment in technology to catch and prosecute dangerous drivers and working with partners to improve roads all makes a difference, but public support is also needed to deliver real change. Bad driving should be considered as socially unacceptable as drink and drug driving.
“If Vision Zero – eliminating deaths and serious injuries on the county’s roads by 2040 – is going to be achieved it will require not only more enforcement, but a total reset in the way people drive. It is time to take driving more seriously and for us all to recognise that poor judgement at the wheel costs lives.”
The Safer Essex Roads Partnership is working with staff at Chelmsford Cathedral to hold a memorial service to mark the 2026 global World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on November 15 at 2.30pm.
The service offers a space for bereaved Essex families who have lost loved ones to road collisions and an opportunity for the whole community to stand in solidarity, share in collective remembrance, and reaffirm the community’s commitment to safer roads for everyone.
To attend the service, please email caroline.churchouse@essex.gov.uk.
