Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership has been named Road Safety Partnership of the Year by TyreSafe, the UK’s charity dedicated to promoting tyre safety, in recognition of its outstanding efforts to improve vehicle safety and tackle the causes of preventable road collisions.

The award was presented at the National Motorcycle Museum in Birmingham during the TyreSafe Conference, where Warwickshire was praised for its collaborative and innovative work, including increased community engagement, targeted vehicle checks and a pioneering campaign to support young drivers and riders.

The TyreSafe judges in particular praised the Partnership for its ‘Garage Anxiety’ initiative, saying: “By directly tackling young drivers’ reluctance to maintain their vehicles through innovative after-hours garage evenings, they’ve empowered a new generation with essential safety knowledge, especially around tyre safety. This unique collaboration has not only had a tangible impact but has also forged a vital new partnership model.”

Reacting to the news of the award, Warwickshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner and Partnership Chair Philip Seccombe said:

“This is a fantastic honour and testament to the dedication of all the partners working together through Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership. Whether it’s running monthly vehicle checks, delivering practical education in schools or breaking down the barriers faced by young people, each activity has a direct impact on making our roads safer.

“I particularly want to thank those behind our young driver garage anxiety campaign, which has shown the real difference we can make when we listen to concerns and act on them. Every safer vehicle on the road brings us a step closer to our goal of halving the number of people killed or seriously injured on Warwickshire’s roads by 2030.”

Among the Partnership’s recent achievements:

• Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, working with Warwickshire County Council’s road safety education team, has delivered monthly vehicle safety checks across the county, supporting initiatives such as the car seat event weeks.

• A countywide communications push on tyre safety has reached thousands of residents through social media, school programmes, and interactive online sessions aimed at young drivers and riders.

• A first-of-its-kind campaign tackling ‘garage anxiety’ was launched following a survey of 15-24 year olds. The results showed that 50% of respondents had delayed or avoided a service over concerns about cost or being taken advantage of.

With the backing of Protyre Autocare, Just Nice Clean Cars and Whitmoore Auto Centre, four garage open evenings were held as part of the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s Young Drivers Campaign, allowing young motorists to meet mechanics, gain confidence, and learn simple vehicle checks. Plans are already in place to repeat the campaign in July.

The Tyre Safe award was accepted on behalf of the Partnership by its Co-ordinator, Fay Cannon, who was co-presenting at the event alongside national road safety advocate Heidi Duffy MBE. On behalf of the National Young Rider Forum, they spoke about the importance of empowering young people to take responsibility for basic vehicle maintenance.

Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership brings together organisations including Warwickshire County Council, Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, National Highways, and others, all working towards the shared ambition of making the county’s roads safer for everyone.