RoadPeace
Encyclopedia
RoadPeace is the national charity for road crash victims in the UK
. It supports the people affected by road crashes with emotional and practical support and advocacy. It operates a help line and provides practical support to people affected. RoadPeace founded the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
and established the RoadPeace Wood within the National Memorial Arboretum
.
The organisation also seeks to change attitudes so that road deaths and injuries are no longer "treated by the economy as acceptable, by the judicial system as trivial and by society as accidents"; that road crash victims are no longer treated as "third class victims, but as people who have undergone a terrible trauma and who therefore need justice, respect for their rights, care, support and acknowledgement of their loss and suffering". The also work to reduce 'road danger' to that of other everyday activities and to improve services and criminal and civil justice in order to greatly reduced number of road crash victims.
following the death of her son in 1990 after which she was shocked at the 'shabby' treatment of his innocent death when is discovered that the response to a road death was very different from the response to any other form of violent death from any other cause. Chaudhry decided to challenge the casual attitude to road casualties and offer support to the victims.
The first Roadpeace meeting was held in 1991, the organisation was established in 1992 with the first ever helpline for road crash victims with Chaudhry was National Secretary; the organisation was publicly launched in April 1993.
RoadPeace organised the first World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
in 1993 which now takes place in many places on every continent on the third Sunday in November every year (a week after Remembrance Sunday
which takes place each year in the United Kingdom
and which remembers the dead from wars). with the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims
, which was also founded by Chaudhry.
The first trees were planted in the RoadPeace Wood is within National Memorial Arboretum
in 2001 and the wood was dedicated in 2002. An annual ceremony of remembrance for road traffic victims is now held on the second Saturday in August every year.
In 2005 the World Day of Remembrance was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
Brigitte stepping down from day to day involvement in April 2008 to concentrate on international work. She is currently president of RoadPeace.
The organisation won a Guardian
Charity Award in 2008.
It also publishes various briefing sheets:
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. It supports the people affected by road crashes with emotional and practical support and advocacy. It operates a help line and provides practical support to people affected. RoadPeace founded the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims takes place on the third Sunday in November every year as the appropriate acknowledgment of victims of road traffic crashes and their families. It was started by RoadPeace in 1993 and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in...
and established the RoadPeace Wood within the National Memorial Arboretum
National Memorial Arboretum
The National Memorial Arboretum is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It gives its purpose as:-Origins:...
.
The organisation also seeks to change attitudes so that road deaths and injuries are no longer "treated by the economy as acceptable, by the judicial system as trivial and by society as accidents"; that road crash victims are no longer treated as "third class victims, but as people who have undergone a terrible trauma and who therefore need justice, respect for their rights, care, support and acknowledgement of their loss and suffering". The also work to reduce 'road danger' to that of other everyday activities and to improve services and criminal and civil justice in order to greatly reduced number of road crash victims.
History
RoadPeace was founded by Brigitte Chaudhry MBEMBE
MBE can stand for:* Mail Boxes Etc.* Management by exception* Master of Bioethics* Master of Bioscience Enterprise* Master of Business Engineering* Master of Business Economics* Mean Biased Error...
following the death of her son in 1990 after which she was shocked at the 'shabby' treatment of his innocent death when is discovered that the response to a road death was very different from the response to any other form of violent death from any other cause. Chaudhry decided to challenge the casual attitude to road casualties and offer support to the victims.
The first Roadpeace meeting was held in 1991, the organisation was established in 1992 with the first ever helpline for road crash victims with Chaudhry was National Secretary; the organisation was publicly launched in April 1993.
RoadPeace organised the first World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims takes place on the third Sunday in November every year as the appropriate acknowledgment of victims of road traffic crashes and their families. It was started by RoadPeace in 1993 and was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in...
in 1993 which now takes place in many places on every continent on the third Sunday in November every year (a week after Remembrance Sunday
Remembrance Sunday
In the United Kingdom, 'Remembrance Sunday' is held on the second Sunday in November, which is the Sunday nearest to 11 November Armistice Day. It is the anniversary of the end of hostilities in the First World War at 11 a.m...
which takes place each year in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and which remembers the dead from wars). with the European Federation of Road Traffic Victims
European Federation of Road Traffic Victims
The European Federation of Road Traffic Victims is an Non-Governmental Organisation that provides emotional, social and juridical assistance to road traffic victims or/and their relatives and supports organisations in many countries to achieve this aim...
, which was also founded by Chaudhry.
The first trees were planted in the RoadPeace Wood is within National Memorial Arboretum
National Memorial Arboretum
The National Memorial Arboretum is a national site of remembrance at Alrewas, near Lichfield, Staffordshire, England. It gives its purpose as:-Origins:...
in 2001 and the wood was dedicated in 2002. An annual ceremony of remembrance for road traffic victims is now held on the second Saturday in August every year.
In 2005 the World Day of Remembrance was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly
United Nations General Assembly
For two articles dealing with membership in the General Assembly, see:* General Assembly members* General Assembly observersThe United Nations General Assembly is one of the five principal organs of the United Nations and the only one in which all member nations have equal representation...
Brigitte stepping down from day to day involvement in April 2008 to concentrate on international work. She is currently president of RoadPeace.
The organisation won a Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
Charity Award in 2008.
Guides
The organisation publishes the following guides:- Guide for families of cyclists killed by HGVs
- Inquests and road deaths
- Road death investigation guide for bereaved families
- Writing a testimony
- You and your Family Liaison Officer (FLO)
- A guide for World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims published
It also publishes various briefing sheets:
- Crash not accident
- Roadside memorials
- Victim surcharge and speeding