Hampshire County Council is supporting the National Brake Road Safety campaign this National Road Safety Week (21 – 27 November) asking drivers to sign a pledge to stick to six elements which will help make the roads safer for everyone.
Councillor Rob Humby, Executive Member for Environment and Transport at Hampshire County Council, said:
The County Council’s road safety team work with the police and other partner organisations all year round to help people use the roads as safely as possible. This campaign asking people to pledge to drive safely by focussing on six elements shows that, individually, we can all make a difference to keeping the roads safe for everyone.
This National Road Safety Week, teams from the County Council and partners will be out in the community delivering targeted training to different age groups to help them stay safe on the roads including:
- working with primary school children on Your Time to Shine,highlighting the importanceof being seen while walking or cycling to school on dark winter days
- helping older drivers enhance their skills as part of the Driver Skills Scheme 60+
- running a Driving Instructors Day (Friday 25th November), working with approved driving instructors to extend their skills when teaching learner drivers
- providing Bikeability training to Year 5 and Year 6 children in schools across the county
- Hampshire Safe Drive Stay Alive performances – over 4,000 17-24 year olds will be attending a session, led by Hampshire Constabulary and supported by partners. This year’s events are being held on 22nd November at the Anvil in Basingstoke and 23rd and 24th November in Hedge End
The six elements of the National Brake Road Safety pledge for National Road Safety week are:
- Slow: Breaking the speed limit or travelling too fast for the conditions is recorded by police at crash scenes as a contributory factor in more than one in four (27%) fatal crashes in Great Britain
- Sober: Having even one drink before getting behind the wheel can affect your ability to drive. In 2013 one in 10 (11%) drivers/motorcycle riders killed in a crash had alcohol present in their body, even though they weren’t over the legal blood-alcohol limit
- Secure: Seat belts are still seen as an inconvenience by some drivers, yet using one reduces the chance of dying in a crash by 50%
- Silent: Drivers who perform a complex secondary task, like using a mobile, while at the wheel are three times more likely to crash than non-distracted drivers
- Sharp: Road crashes caused by poor driver vision are estimated to cause 2,900 casualties in the UK every year
- Sustainable: Walking, cycling or using public transport where we can benefit both the environment and our health and wellbeing.
Organisations, schools and colleges attending a Hampshire Safe Drive Stay Alive sessions in November include:
Farnborough Technology college – BCOT – Churchers College – Alton College – Fareham College
Havant College – South Downs College – Totton College – Ringwood Secondary – RAF Odiham
Hampshire Apprentices – Marchwood Barracks – St Swithuns School – Yateley Sixth Form
