As summer draws to an end and people return from their holidays, attention turns to what will be in store over the next few months.

For me, that’s planning my retirement as I hang up my Safer Roads hi-vis vest and pass on the baton to someone new after 10 years working for the partnership.

Even though that’s the end of the Safer Roads journey for me, there’s still a long road to travel. And it doesn’t stop me from having hopes for the partnership and for road safety in South Yorkshire in the years to come. I’m a South Yorkshire resident, so safety on our roads is still a big concern to me.

We need road safety to be a hot topic. People are talking about climate change, sustainability, health and wellbeing. Road safety impacts directly on each one of these agendas but isn’t getting similar attention.

We are, however, at a key point in the development of road safety both nationally and locally. The Government is due to launch its new Road Safety Strategic Framework this Autumn. Hopefully that will set some direction and show some strong leadership for those working at the local level to follow. Without road safety being given a higher priority nationally, our councils and emergency services will have a tough time securing the funding required to deliver a whole range of road safety programmes.

I wish the Partnership well in its endeavours and I shall be keeping an eye on progress. It has been a pleasure and an honour to have this role, knowing that I was coming to work every day to make a difference to the safety of the travelling public in South Yorkshire. The Safer Roads central team has achieved so much and delivered road safety messages to so many people across South Yorkshire, of all ages and all road user groups. I thank them whole-heartedly for everything that they have done.

So, it might be time for me to go, but the road safety job will never be over. Every year a new set of road users set out on our roads: as pedestrians or cyclists, motorcycle riders or car drivers, bus, lorry or van drivers. Each needs guidance and information, training and practice to be the best they can be, to keep themselves and others safer on the roads.

Just one person killed on the road network is one too many and we want to prevent families, friends and communities from having to go through that pain and suffering. So many road traffic collisions are avoidable incidents.

The majority of drivers make the right choices not to drink and drive, to stick to the speed limit, to not use their mobile phone whilst driving and to wear a seat belt for every journey. Thank you for that. To do otherwise is frankly anti-social behaviour and is putting all road users at risk. Help us to challenge these actions with your friends, family and colleagues and encourage them to look out for other road users.

Individually we all have a responsibility to do the right thing and together we have the power to save lives.

Be part of the solution as the Safer Roads Partnership moves into the next phase of its work to save lives and make South Yorkshire roads safer.

Stay safe, now and in the future.

Joanne