Campaign launched to cut road deaths
THE Safer Roads Partnership in Warwickshire and West Mercia, Warwickshire Police and West Mercia Police are supporting a European day of action, Wednesday 21st September and are urging all road users to make the first 'European Day Without A Road Death' - Project EDWARD - a reality across our region.
Project EDWARD is the first of its kind and has been devised by the European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL) to draw attention to the average of 70 deaths occurring every day on the roads of Europe.
In Warwickshire and West Mercia, reducing road collisions and road casualties remains a year-round priority for both police forces. Project EDWARD will support this commitment by encouraging every road user to take a moment this Wednesday to reflect on their attitudes and behaviour and think about their safety on the roads - whether they're drivers, pedestrians, cyclists or motorcyclists.
Targeted police enforcement will take place on high harm routes across Warwickshire and West Mercia to proactively educate and enforce road safety issues such as speeding, mobile phones, drink driving and drug driving.
Alongside this operational activity, members of the public are being urged to make a pledge to reduce risk and improve safety on all journeys on 21st September, and every day after that. So far, more than 82,000 people have signed the pledge, which can be found at www.tispol.org/edward
Vital education work is also taking place with our drivers of the future, through a local 'Dying2Drive' multi-agency road safety scheme in Herefordshire, aimed at reducing death and serious injury among young road users in the county. *See Notes to Editors for further information.
TISPOL President Chief Superintendent Aidan Reid comments: "A day without a road death is of course the vision we should strive for every day, not just on 21 September. But as a simple way of raising awareness, I am convinced that Project EDWARD can be a great success, whether or not we achieve zero deaths on the day itself.
"Each day, an average of 70 people across Europe will set off on road journeys, but they won't make it home. On 21 September - and every day - please think about the way you drive, ride or cross the road. Think about how you can reduce risk by always wearing a seatbelt, keeping to speeds that are both legal and appropriate for the conditions, not driving after drinking alcohol or taking drugs, and not using a mobile phone at the wheel.
"If everyone commits to making small changes, then the road safety improvements will be huge and we will achieve big reductions in the number of people who are killed or seriously injured."
