Trust provides funding to support compassionate return of loved ones’ belongings to bereaved families
The Road Safety Trust has provided new funding to road safety charity Brake for an initiative which will ensure the compassionate return of loved ones’ possessions following fatal road traffic collisions.
Returning personal items such as jewellery, motorcycle helmets and other belongings after a fatal collision can be a significant and emotionally triggering process.
Currently, items are returned to victims’ families in police evidence bags. Brake has responded to the impersonal nature of this deeply significant moment for loved ones by replacing the police bags with high-quality white boxes and bags, which will be funded by the Trust.
The boxes and bags come in various sizes to meet the specific needs of each tragic incident. They also contain details about Brake’s National Road Victim Service, so families and individuals impacted by their loss can access practical and emotional support following a road death.
Ross Moorlock, Chief Executive at Brake, said: “We are delighted to be working with The Road Safety Trust on this important initiative. We’re also grateful to receive this funding, which will enable this important resource to be made available nationally.
“Much of the work we do here at Brake acknowledges the difficult tasks undertaken by family liaison and roads policing officers following fatal road crashes. It’s therefore important that we support them in their roles, by integrating trauma-informed resources into their practice. The boxes offer a more sensitive means of carrying out the incredibly difficult task of returning personal items to a family after a road death.”
The funding from the Trust follows a successful trial by Brake in 2025, which saw several police forces in England and Police Scotland pilot the new boxes. Feedback received was overwhelmingly positive, with officers praising the initiative for being a far more compassionate alternative to police evidence bags.
Ruth Purdie OBE, Chief Executive of The Road Safety Trust, said: “As a former police officer, I know how harrowing that moment is for families when an officer returns the personal belongings of a lost loved one – and of course, it’s difficult for the officer, too. That’s why I was keen that we help and I was deeply moved when I first heard about this excellent initiative.
“We are not only committed to supporting projects that enhance road safety, but also those which bring comfort and resilience to families in extremely challenging times. I hope that the boxes and bags provide dignity and respect for those who, very sadly, receive them.”
Funding for the boxes and bags continues a thematic partnership with Brake to support those who have been bereaved as a result of road collisions.
In 2024, funding was provided to enable the printing of thousands of support books, which provide comfort and helpful information for both children bereaved in road crashes as well as their adult carers.
Boxes such as these are being used to ensure the compassionate return of loved ones’ belongings
14 January 2026