RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, has applauded a significant step in changing the language used to describe road collisions.

Police forces across the UK will now be able to replace ‘Police Accident’ signs with ‘Police Collision’ signs, following approval from the Department for Transport (DfT). The change aims to reflect the preventable nature of most road crashes and promote greater accountability.

For years, RoadPeace has led the “Crash Not Accident” campaign, challenging the use of the term ‘accident,’ which suggests road crashes are unavoidable rather than the result of human error or system failures.

This latest development aligns with the charity’s commitment to honour those killed or injured in road collisions and to advocate for a shift in societal attitudes towards road safety.
Howard Jones, CEO of RoadPeace, the national charity for road crash victims, said: “This is an important step forward in changing the language around road crashes. Referring to incidents as ‘collisions’ rather than ‘accidents’ helps to reflect the reality that most crashes are preventable, not inevitable.

“Words matter, and this shift aligns with the need for greater accountability and understanding of road harm. At RoadPeace, we have long campaigned for this change, and we welcome the DfT’s decision to update police signage. It’s a small but significant move towards recognising and addressing the devastating impact of road collisions.”

The move comes after a review of the Road Collision Reporting Guidelines, which found that many police forces had already begun phasing out the term ‘accident’ in public communications.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), alongside road safety campaigners and bereaved families, has advocated for this update as a key measure to improve understanding of road harm.
The DfT’s approval will enable police forces to update road signage and in-car digital displays with the new terminology. Blue roadside signs that warn drivers of incidents will now use ‘collision ahead’ instead of ‘accident ahead.’

This change follows a recent commitment by National Highways to eliminate the word ‘accident’ from its communications, responding to pressure from bereaved families and road safety organisations.

RoadPeace remains dedicated to addressing the root causes of road deaths and injuries and continues to emphasise the importance of language in creating a culture of safety and accountability on the roads.

Updated on: 11 December 2024