Drivers are asked to Slow Down to help protect pedestrians and other road users on National Safe Speeds Day
Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is supporting National Safe Speeds Day today 15 September 2021 and is asking drivers to please slow down particularly in residential areas and safely #ShareTheSpace to help protect pedestrians and other road users.
National Safe Speeds Day is part of Project Edward (Every Day Without A Road Death) and takes place during the national Vulnerable Road Users Campaign 6-19 Sept and officers, staff and volunteers including the Special Constabulary and Warwickshire’s 56 Community Speed Watch groups will be out monitoring speeds across the county with a particular focus on residential areas.
Sergeant Dave Valente said “Driving at speeds inappropriate to the conditions or in excess of the limit in residential areas puts lives at risk, as pedestrians are four times more likely to die if hit by a vehicle travelling at 40mph than at 30mph. During a two week anti speeding campaign in July and August 2021, 3907 drivers were caught speeding in Warwickshire. Shockingly 51 of these drivers were stopped for speeding offences in 30mph residential zones where there are more pedestrians including children. This is not acceptable and our communities feel the same.
“We are asking drivers to please slow down and safely #ShareTheSpace with pedestrians and other road users because we need to work together if we are to reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads. Speed kills but we are hoping that there will be no deaths or serious injuries during the 24 hour Safe Speeds Day period.”
To help local communities feel safer, WRSP has distributed Slow Down bin stickers via Warwickshire’s 56 Community Speed Watch groups as a reminder to drivers who will see the bins on driveways in residential areas. If residents would like a bin sticker, they should please contact their local police team.
The nights are also starting to draw in as we move into autumn making visibility more challenging and to help counter this, WRSP is supplying partners and local police with high vis item to offer to pedestrians and other road users.
WRSP also welcomes the anticipated update to the Highway Code which it is hoped will include new measures to protect pedestrians. The proposed changes include a new hierarchy of road users that ensures road users who can do the greatest harm have the greatest responsibility to reduce the danger they may pose to others and also strengthened pedestrian priority on pavements and when crossing or waiting to cross the road.
Members of the public can also help improve road safety in Warwickshire by reporting and submitting digital footage showing potential traffic offences including driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists as part of Operation Snap https://www.warwickshire.police.uk/operationsnap
The public consultation on Warwickshire’s road safety ‘Strategy to 2030’ closes on Wednesday 15 September 2021 and all road users are encouraged to take part. The details can be found at www.warksroadsafety.org
Please follow and like us on Facebook @WarwickshireRoadSafety and on Twitter @WarksRoadSafety or search #SharetheSpace. Please remember, we need your help to make our roads safer for everyone.