Our history
Our origin story began during the First World War in response to rising road accidents during blackouts, leading to the formation of the London "Safety First" Council in 1916 and later the British Industrial "Safety First" Association in 1918. These efforts united under the National "Safety First" Association in 1923, expanding into home safety in the 1930s. With strong royal support, including the Duke of York (later King George VI), who served as President and then Patron, the organisation was granted the title The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in 1941, a name we still proudly carry today.
Our timeline
RoSPA has shaped key safety laws on roads, in homes, and product design, protecting lives through decades of vital campaigning.
RoSPA's poster archive
Throughout the last century, RoSPA used posters to help people learn about accident prevention.
Tufty
Tufty Fluffytail is RoSPA’s iconic red squirrel who was instrumental in helping millions of children to learn about road safety from the 1950s-1990s
Leave a gift in your will
RoSPA’s Annual Review of Accidents brings together the latest available UK data on accidental deaths and hospital admissions across road, home, work and leisure settings. It shows that accidents remain a leading cause of preventable harm, with tens of thousands of people killed or seriously injured each year.