Family Safety Week, 2nd – 5th May 2017

Safety

Accidents are the biggest threat to you and your family for most of your life

In fact, more than 14,000 people die as a result of accidents across the UK each year, while thousands more are maimed and millions are injured. Businesses are ruined. Families are devastated. Children grow up without parents, parents without children.

Yet despite the scale and severity of the problem, accidents are still too often discussed with a shrug of the shoulders. There is a pervasive belief amongst some people that accidents are somehow inevitable. That they can’t be stopped.

Imagine if we took the same attitude towards child abuse. Or cancer.

For almost 100 years, RoSPA has been quietly working behind the scenes to change both legislation and attitudes surrounding accidents. From the compulsory wearing of seatbelts and the campaign to stop drink driving, to the Cycling Proficiency Test and to the more recent ban on handheld mobile phones behind the wheel, RoSPA has been instrumental in shaping our society for the better, preventing millions of deaths and serious injuries along the way.

Accidents are the biggest killer of children and young people.

Every week at least one child under five is killed because of an accident, with disadvantaged children most at risk.

Yet it doesn’t have to be like this.

Family Safety Week 2017 focuses on protecting some of the most vulnerable members of our community — babies, toddlers and children under five.

Whether you’re a parent or carer, a grandparent, a health visitor, a nursery nurse, or a company director, we’ve got stacks of facts, tips, advice and resources to help you keep under-fives safe at home and on the move. Click on the links below to get involved.

Together, we can help save little lives.

Keeping Kids Safe

Odd bumps or scrapes are part of growing up. They are how we learn about the world around us. As parents we accept this: but we won’t accept the tragic consequences of life-changing accidents…

Sadly, accidents involving children continue to devastate lives with those under-5 particularly at risk. On average, half of under-5s attend A&E every year following an accident that didn’t need to happen.

By getting down to our kids’ level and seeing the world through their eyes, we can spot dangers, and help to keep them safe.