An awareness raising campaign targeting young drivers is being launched today by the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia. The campaign focuses on risky behaviour and the distractions that young drivers may be faced with when they are behind the wheel.

Young drivers are over represented in road traffic collisions. According to figures from the Safer Roads Partnership, 30% of all collisions in West Mercia involve drivers aged between 17 and 24 years old. Over the past 3 years* 10 people have been killed in Worcestershire and 48 seriously injured following a collision involving a young driver, with driver behaviour being noted as the main contributory factor.

The campaign brings home the consequences of being distracted when driving and graphically highlights, for example, the impact of using a mobile phone or speeding when driving.

The Partnership will be having a presence at Freshers Fayres and open days at schools and colleges within Worcestershire and the campaign will also feature on outdoor advertising and radio in order to reach as many young people as possible.

Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says: "This age group are one of the most vulnerable groups on our roads. This campaign is designed to target this particular group and raise awareness of how important it is to not be distracted whilst driving. It is designed to demonstrate that highly risky behaviour, such as changing a track on an ipod or texting a friend can lead to catastrophic results.”

Councillor Derek Prodger MBE, Worcestershire County Council's Cabinet Member for Transport and Safe Environment, added: "It takes time for new drivers to gain experience behind the wheel and as they do their accident rate then begins to fall. This campaign is all about raising the awareness of young drivers and encouraging them to drive in less risky ways by identifying potential hazards and assessing risk."

Superintendent Matt Mead of West Mercia Police comments: “West Mercia Police patrols will be supporting this campaign by taking a hard line against those drivers who flout the law. Being distracted by loud music, a phone conversation or text message means you will react more slowly to what is happening around you and take longer to brake. People who become distracted while they are driving are more likely to miss road signs and tailgate and find it difficult to maintain a steady speed or proper lane position. They also tend to drive faster placing vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians, at high risk of injury.”
 

An awareness raising campaign targeting young drivers is being launched today by the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia. The campaign focuses on risky behaviour and the distractions that young drivers may be faced with when they are behind the wheel.

Young drivers are over represented in road traffic collisions. According to figures from the Safer Roads Partnership, 30% of all collisions in West Mercia involve drivers aged between 17 and 24 years old. Over the past 3 years* 11 people have been killed in Herefordshire and 42 seriously injured following a collision involving a young driver, with driver behaviour being noted as the main contributory factor.

The campaign brings home the consequences of being distracted when driving and graphically highlights, for example, the impact of using a mobile phone or speeding when driving.

The Partnership will have a presence at various Freshers Fayres and open days at schools and colleges within Herefordshire and the campaign will also feature on outdoor advertising and radio in order to reach as many young people as possible.

Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says: "This age group are one of the most vulnerable groups on our roads. This campaign is designed to target this particular group and raise awareness of how important it is to not be distracted whilst driving. It is designed to demonstrate that highly risky behaviour, such as changing a track on an ipod or texting a friend can lead to catastrophic results.”

Barbara Isle, Road Safety Officer for Herefordshire Council said; “Drivers under 25 are involved in a disproportionately large number of road accidents when compared with the proportion of drivers who are over 25. In Herefordshire in 2009 over half of all those killed in road traffic collisions were 17-25 year olds. We hope that by highlighting risky behaviour such as inappropriate speed, texting and using MP3 players we will raise awareness among young people of the possible consequences, both to themselves and to other road users.”

Superintendent Matt Mead of West Mercia Police comments: “West Mercia Police patrols will be supporting this campaign by taking a hard line against those drivers who flout the law. Being distracted by loud music, a phone conversation or text message means you will react more slowly to what is happening around you and take longer to brake. People who become distracted while they are driving are more likely to miss road signs and tailgate and find it difficult to maintain a steady speed or proper lane position. They also tend to drive faster placing vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians, at high risk of injury.”
 

An awareness raising campaign targeting young drivers is being launched today by the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia. The campaign focuses on risky behaviour and the distractions that young drivers may be faced with when they are behind the wheel.

Young drivers are over represented in road traffic collisions. According to figures from the Safer Roads Partnership, 30% of all collisions in West Mercia involve drivers aged between 17 and 24 years old. Over the past 3 years* 9 people have been killed in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin and 54 seriously injured following a collision involving a young driver, with driver behaviour being noted as the main contributory factor.

The campaign brings home the consequences of being distracted when driving and graphically highlights, for example, the impact of using a mobile phone or speeding when driving.

The Partnership will have a presence at various Freshers Fayres and open days at schools and colleges within Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin and the campaign will also feature on outdoor advertising and radio in order to reach as many young people as possible.

Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says: "This age group are one of the most vulnerable groups on our roads. This campaign is designed to target this particular group and raise awareness of how important it is to not be distracted whilst driving. It is designed to demonstrate that highly risky behaviour, such as changing a track on an ipod or texting a friend can lead to catastrophic results.”

Councillor Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: "Car passengers can play an active role in keeping themselves and their drivers safe. They need to be aware that their actions can distract their driver, but they should also be prepared to speak up if they feel the driver is driving unsafely."

Councillor Adrian Lawrence, Cabinet Member for Environment, Telford & Wrekin Council said; “It is vital we do all we can to educate young drivers to behave responsibly on the road. The distractions of mobile phones, ipods and loud music in vehicles all contribute to people taking their eyes off the road and the consequences of that often prove fatal. This campaign aims to reach youngsters at schools and colleges to warn them of the dangers if they are distracted while driving, we must reduce the number of deaths and injuries in the borough particularly amongst our young people – the group most vulnerable”.

Superintendent Matt Mead of West Mercia Police comments: “West Mercia Police patrols will be supporting this campaign by taking a hard line against those drivers who flout the law. Being distracted by loud music, a phone conversation or text message means you will react more slowly to what is happening around you and take longer to brake. People who become distracted while they are driving are more likely to miss road signs and tailgate and find it difficult to maintain a steady speed or proper lane position. They also tend to drive faster placing vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians, at high risk of injury.”
 

The Safer Roads Parthership in West Mercia is launching a new mobile speed enforcement site next week in direct response to concerns from Webheath residents and parents of children attending Webheath First School worried about the speeds of vehicles travelling on Church Road.

Church Road is a designated ‘Walking Bus Route’ and specific concerns have been raised regarding vehicle speeds during the times that this is in operation and the potential dangers this creates for the young children using the route. In response to these concerns, a speed camera van will now enforce the 30mph limit on Church Road during term time.

Following the collection of speed data on Church Road in Webheath, it is clear that there is a speeding issue. The latest data from the Safer Roads Partnership shows that half of all vehicles break the 30mph speed limit and 15% of all drivers travel above 37mph.

The issue has been raised by concerned residents at the local PACT (Partners and Communities Together) meeting on many occasions. PC Richard Waterhouse, the local policing officer, has responded by enforcing the speed limit using a handheld speed detection device. A vehicle activated sign which indicates to a driver that the speed limit is 30mph has also been used on Church Road to help reduce driver speeds and encourage greater compliance with the speed limit.

However, speeds on Church Road are still too high and residents wanted further action to be taken to improve the safety of the road. Katy Jenkins from the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, comments: “The message to drivers from the local community living in and around Webneath is clear: slow down on Church Road. Concern has come from many sections of the community and I would urge all drivers to be aware of the vulnerability of many of the road users using this stretch of road and slow down – especially during the times when the Walking Bus is in operation. The use of speed enforcement at this site clearly benefits the community and has the support of local residents.”

Dave Clee from Worcestershire County Council said: "The community concern project is something that we are pleased to be an active part of. The value of addressing local community speed concerns undoubtedly leads to improved quality of life and peace of mind for numerous residents within these areas."

One concerned resident contacted the Safer Roads Partnership directly and has been actively involved in moving the issue up the local agenda. Jan Anderson says: “I was very concerned about the speeds along Church Road. The children using the Walking Bus will be much safer now, as will the families out for walks. This is what a community that is prepared to take action can achieve."

The 30mph speed limit will be enforced on Church Road using either a speed camera motorcycle or van from week commencing 6 September. There will be an initial period of enforcement during which time speed data will be collected to monitor the impact of enforcement on driver behaviour.

The site forms part of the ‘Community Concern’ scheme which allows the Safer Roads Partnership and its member agencies to respond directly to requests from local people for speed enforcement and other road safety activity.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia and its partner agencies receive a huge number of requests from local people for speed enforcement. The Safer Roads Partnership and its partner agencies respond to these requests for action to be taken against speeding drivers through the ‘Community Concern’ programme. In cases where there is a significant level of concern from local people supported by speed data to demonstrate an enforceable speed problem the request can be considered as part of the scheme.
 

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is launching a new mobile speed enforcement site this week on the A46 Sedgeberrow bypass near Evesham, Worcestershire, due to the high number of collisions and speeding problem on the road. An enforcement site already exists on the A46 Evesham bypass.

Data collected on the A46 between Twyford and Beckford by the Safer Roads Partnership shows both a collision history and a speeding problem. For the 36 month period to the end of July 2010, there has been one collision resulting in two fatalities, six collisions where someone was seriously injured and 46 slight injury collisions.

Speed data collected on the Sedgeberrow bypass also supports the need for enforcement. The latest figures show that 28% of vehicles exceed the 60mph speed limit and 15% of drivers travel at more than 65mph.

There has also been strong support for speed enforcement at this location from local road users worried about the speeds of some vehicles and the number of crashes on the road.

Katy Jenkins, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, comments: “We have launched a new mobile enforcement site on the Sedgeberrow bypass due to the collision history on this section of the A46 and a demonstrated speeding problem. Local road users and the local policing team have also expressed their concern about the safety of the road. Excess speed not only causes collisions but also has a direct impact on the seriousness of a collision. Speeding may seem harmless to the driver but it can put themselves and other road users at increased risk.”

A speed camera van will enforce the 60mph speed limit on the A46 Sedgeberrow bypass.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is made up of 13 partner agencies including Worcestershire County Council, the Highways Agency and West Mercia Police. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour.
 

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is to commence mobile speed enforcement on the A449 on the Ombersely Road between the Claines roundabout and the junction with Barbourne Road.

Over the last three years there have been 12 collisions causing personal injury along this stretch of road and 2 collisions that have caused serious injury. Speed data shows that 15% of motorists travel over 36mph, well in excess of the 30mph limit.

Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says: “Camera enforcement activity at this site is in direct response to the number of collisions that have occurred along this stretch of road and the speeds that some motorists feel it is acceptable to travel at. We have been working with Worcestershire County Council to establish this site and we are confident that the presence of one of our mobile cameras will have the positive effect of making people more aware of the speed they are travelling and will help reduce the number of collisions.”

Dave Clee, Safer Roads Manager for Worcestershire County Council says:
“We are all often reminded that speed plays a big part in traffic collisions and their consequences. It is important to reduce vehicle speeds wherever limits apply, even more so on a route such as this where large numbers of pedestrians and pedal cyclists are at risk”.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is made up of 13 partner agencies including Worcestershire County Council and West Mercia Police. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour.

 

The number of drivers breaking the speed limit on the A483 in Pant, Shropshire, is down by 26% since the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia introduced a new mobile speed enforcement site in the village in November last year.

Speed enforcement activity in the village was introduced in direct response to community concerns over the safety of the road. A speed camera van has been enforcing the 30mph limit as part of the ‘Community Concern’ enforcement programme which targets activity in communities where there is a high level of concern around speeding vehicles and the dangers they represent to other road users.

Katy Jenkins, of the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says: "It is great news that the number of drivers breaking the 30mph speed limit is down by 26% on the A483 in Pant. Local residents told us that the speed of vehicles travelling through their village was affecting their quality of life and the safety of pedestrians and other road users.”

“We have taken action to support the local community. The message to drivers from people living in and around Pant is to slow down while travelling on the A483 through the village. Please consider other road users who are put at greater risk when drivers speed.”

Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, said: “This is fantastic result and I hope that people will continue to travel with care through the village.”

Cllr Arthur Walpole comments: "The significant reduction in the number of speeding vehicles is a great result for the local people in improving the safety of this busy A road which runs through the centre of the villages of Pant and Llanymynech. A number of local people had told me they believed that there had been improvement as a result of the presence of the speed camera van and this is borne out by the figures. Overall we should all be pleased with this very positive result - but not complacent and always looking for further improvement."

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia and its partner agencies receive a huge number of requests from local people for speed enforcement. The Safer Roads Partnership and its partner agencies respond to these requests for action to be taken against speeding drivers through the ‘Community Concern’ programme. In cases where there is a significant level of concern from local people supported by speed data to demonstrate an enforceable speed problem the request can be considered as part of the scheme.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is made up of 13 partner agencies including Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour.
 

As national summer drink drive figures are released today, the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is reporting a drop in those people that provided a positive breath test after being stopped and breathalysed. During 1st June – 30th June just over 13% of those tested either refused to give a test or tested positive for drink or drugs; over the same period last year this was 16%.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, working with its partner agencies, launched a new awareness raising campaign over the World Cup period aimed at reducing the number of people who drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs.

At the heart of this activity was a month long advertising campaign covering radio, outdoor advertising, pubs and clubs. The campaign, which was very much focused on the World Cup theme campaign was designed to make people think about the consequences of drink or drug driving. This activity was enhanced by local initiatives from other partner agencies, such as the local councils, Fire & Rescue services, local Community Safety Partnerships and also extra targeted enforcement activity by West Mercia Police.

Targeting young people (those aged between 17 and 30 years of ages) was the main focus of the campaign as they are over represented in collision statistics in the West Mercia region. Figures from the Safer Roads Partnership indicate that over one in three collisions in West Mercia that have alcohol or drugs as a contributory factor involve a young driver.

Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says: “It’s encouraging that the number of positive breath tests we are seeing is reducing however, there are still a significant number of motorists ignoring the simple message that drinking or taking drugs and driving ruins lives. Driving after drinking or taking drugs will continue to be a focus for our campaigns over this year to ensure West Mercia roads become safer for all”.

Superintendent Matt Mead of West Mercia Police comments:
“Despite our many warnings over the World Cup period and throughout the year about not driving if you’ve had a drink, there are still far too many irresponsible drivers ignoring the devastating consequences that drinking and driving can cause for them, their family, friends and other road users. Anyone who drives after they have been drinking is gambling not only with their own lives, but also with the lives of their passengers and the lives of other road users”.

“Anyone arrested for drink driving faces a driving ban of at least 12 months, a fine of up to £5,000 and the possibility of up to six months in prison. A drink driving conviction could affect future job prospects and also carries with it the stigma of irresponsibility and recklessness. Enforcing the drink driving law is a year round activity for West Mercia Police. Our message to motorists is if you are drinking, don’t drive – it really is as simple as that. Drinking and driving is unacceptable and will not be tolerated in West Mercia.”
 

A second enforcement location has been introduced by the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia on Hollywood Lane in Wythall following feedback from local residents. The new site, which is further down and oppostite Lynbrook Close, will enhance the enforcement activity along Hollywood Lane helping to reduce the number of speeding drivers even further.

In a recent PACT meeting, Katy Jenkins of the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, revealed that during the first three months of operation the number of speeding vehicles had reduced by 13%. Data collected also shows that during times of enforcement there is an average of 21 speeding offences per hour – that is one every three minutes. It is hoped the new enforcement site will help to reduce this number.

Katy Jenkins comments: “We have collected speed data during the first three months of enforcement activity and there’s been a 13% reduction in the number of speeding vehicles indicating a good downward trend. We hope that the second site on Hollywood Lane will continue to bring the number of speeders down even further. We are seeing too many offences along this road and speeding is affecting the quality of life for the local community. We enforce the 30mph speed limit at the request of the local residents and would urge drivers using the road to slow down and consider how their driving behaviour may be affecting other road users.”

Dave Clee from Worcestershire County Council said: "The community concern project is something that we are pleased to be an active part of. The value of addressing local community speed concerns undoubtedly leads to improved quality of life and peace of mind for numerous residents within these areas."

The site at Wythall, launched on 8 March 2010, forms part of the Community Concern programme launched by the Safer Roads Partnership which seeks to respond directly to requests for speed enforcement activity.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is made up of 13 partner agencies including Worcestershire County Council and West Mercia Police. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour.
 

The number of women taking to two wheels has increased significantly during the last 18 months and this now represents a large proportion of moped, scooter and bike sales for the motorcycle industry.

As a result of this trend, road safety officers in West Mercia adn Warwickshire are actively promoting a series of free and subsidised 'Take Control' rider assessment courses to women, in the hope that they will want to develop their riding skills.

Director of Safety at the Coventry-based Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) Karen Cooke has recently tried a Take Control course for herself and commented: "I have been riding motorcycles for 28 years and I am always nervous when anyone else anayses my riding technique but my instructor was great and really put me at ease. Even though I have completed refresher training in the past, he still came up with some helpful suggestions and I was able to iron out one or two bad habits that naturally develop over time. I would encourage all moped and motorcycle riders to learn Take Control techniques and particulary hope the increasing number of female riders will make a commitment to this sort of self-improvement. There is no bravado, no test and no pressue and it helps you to become a safer rider."

Katy Jenkins of the Safer Roads Partnership adds: "Just ten years ago, most women wearing leathers and a crash helmet were presumed to be pillion passengers but that is simply not the case now. We even know of a few women only bike clubs. They are often more receptive to advice and more willing to learn and we have variety of half-day and full day courses that can be tailored to the needs and level of the individual."
 

A second mobile speed enforcement site in Hanley Swan is being launched this week by the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia following requests from local residents concerned about the speeds of vehicles travelling close to the primary school. The new site will be located on Welland Road and will enforce the 30mph speed limit. An existing site is located in the 30mph zone on the B4209 in the village.

The two mobile speed enforcement sites at Hanley Swan form part of the community concern speed enforcement programme which was launched by the Safer Roads Partnership last year. Speed data collected at a location on Welland Road close to the primary school shows that almost two-thirds of all drivers were exceeding the 30mph speed limit with 15% driving above 39 mph.

Katy Jenkins, Communications Manager at the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, comments: “We have launched an additional speed enforcement site at Hanley Swan on Welland Road to address concerns from the community about the speeds of vehicles travelling near the primary school. With two sites now fully operational in the village it is hoped that speeds will be significantly reduced. We would urge drivers to slow down and observe the 30mph zones in the village.”

Dave Clee from Worcestershire County Council said: "The community concern project is something that we are pleased to be an active part of. The value of addressing local community speed concerns undoubtedly leads to improved quality of life and peace of mind for numerous residents within these areas."

Speeds will be enforced on Welland Road by a speed camera motorcycle and on the B4209 by a speed camera van for an initial period of six months during which time speed data will be collected to monitor the impact of the site on driver behaviour.

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is made up of 13 partner agencies including Worcestershire County Council and West Mercia Police. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour.
 

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is increasing the level of speed enforcement at key locations in Bridgnorth in direct response to concern raised by local residents and police. Residents and the police are particularly alarmed at the speed some motorcyclists travel at when using these routes for popular bike meets over the summer.

Mobile enforcement sites already exist along the A454, A458, B4368 Corve Dale and the B4176 ‘Rabbit Run’. Speeds along these routes regularly exceed 80mph (in the 60mph limit), reinforcing the need for enforcement activity to take place.

Rod Reynolds, Partnership Manager of the Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia, says:
“I am pleased that we are able to assist local residents and the local policing team and address their concerns regarding speeding traffic through this area. Speed data that we’ve collected indicates that there is a particular problem along these routes at certain times, for example motorcycles during the summer months. The sites we are operating from utilise the mobile camera technology which allows us to be more effective and flexible to meet the needs of the local community.”

Martin Taylor-Smith, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for Strategic Planning & Transport said; “I very much welcome these measures. Hopefully they will discourage motorcyclists and other motorists from speeding, and therefore improve safety along these routes.”

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is made up of 13 partner agencies including Shropshire Council and West Mercia Police. The aim of the Partnership is to reduce the number of casualties and make the roads safer for all users in West Mercia through speed enforcement and by seeking to change attitudes and behaviour.
 

The Safer Roads Partnership in West Mercia is today welcoming the recommendations that have been put forward by the North Review on Drink and Drug driving.

In the first major review of drink and drug driving law since 1976, Sir Peter North has recommended that the drink drive limit is reduced from 80mg/100ml to 50mg/100mml. There is also the recommendation that there should be a reassessment on the drug driving problem in the UK, making various changes as to how drug drivers are identified and prosecuted.

Over the past 3 years 190 people were killed or seriously injured in West Mercia as a result of collisions involving drink or drugs.

The immediate consequences for someone if they are caught drink or drug driving include a minimum 12 month driving ban, up to 6 months in prison, a fine of up to £5,000 and a criminal record. However, a conviction for drink or drug driving can have a major impact on the future prospects of a young person. For example, it may lead to job loss and significant problems when applying for a job in the future.

Driving after drinking or taking drugs significantly increases the chances of a person being involved in or causing a collision. The maximum penalty of being convicted of causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink or drugs is 14 years’ imprisonment, an unlimited fine, disqualification from driving for at least 2 years and a mandatory extended driving test.

Vicki Bristow, Communications Manager for the Safer Roads Partnership says:
"Driving under the influence of drink or drugs is a factor in many collisions throughout West Mercia and has lead to many unnecessary deaths and serious injuries. We welcome the publication of the North Review and the opportunities it will give to reduce drink drive limits nationally. We are confident that a potential reduction of the limit will lead to fewer deaths and serious injuries on our roads.”

The publication of the North Review comes at a time when the Safer Roads Partnership is working locally to warn people of the dangers of drink driving during the World Cup.

With a month of televised football at home or on big screens in pubs or clubs people may be enjoying an alcoholic drink or two during these games. The campaign from the Partnership, entitled ‘Don’t let the Side Down’, aims to raise awareness of the consequences of driving after drinking and focuses on a group of friends who have been watching a World Cup match. It highlights that the risk of being caught or being involved in a collision after drinking and driving simply isn’t worth it.