25/03/04 - It wouldn't kill you - Cumbria's Road Safety Campaign

A major countywide campaign to cut the number of deaths and serious injuries on Cumbria’s roads - will be launched on March 29 at 12.00pm at the Rheged Discovery Centre, near Penrith.

The “It Wouldn’t Kill You” campaign is being driven by Safer Roads For Cumbria, a unique partnership between Cumbria County Council, Highways Agency, Cumbria Constabulary, Capita (Road Safety), Chamber of Commerce, the Primary Care Trusts, the Freight Transport Association and Cumbria Safety Cameras and aims to change the attitudes to road safety in the county.  The campaign is not an alternative to existing road safety initiatives, but a joint and co-ordinated approach to reinforce and strengthen the road safety message in Cumbria.

“It Wouldn’t Kill You” will highlight many of the factors affecting road accidents including for example drink and drugs, use of mobile phones, in car distraction, road conditions, and inappropriate speed. 

This is an overall approach to road safety, which will target all road users with the single aim of reducing deaths and injuries on the roads.

“At risk” groups have been identified from the statistics, and the Safer Roads for Cumbria group is working together  to increase awareness of these groups as to how  they can drive more safely.

The first phase of the campaign will focus on motorbike riders, and this will then be followed by road safety messages for van drivers, haulage drivers and other road users at different times throughout the year, linking in with national road safety campaigns. A new Cumbria Road Safety Award of the Year with categories dedicated to key groups – HGV, LSV, PSV etc – is planned for later in the year to coincide with the emphasis of the campaign focusing on lorry and coach drivers.

The launch of the campaign will also highlight Cumbria Chamber of Commerce’s initiative to get businesses to sign up to the Safe Driver Scheme, which provides on-line road safety tests.

Cumbria County Council’s Cabinet spokesman for Highways and Infrastructure, Kevan Wilkinson says: 

“Cumbria County Council wants to see the number of people killed and seriously injured on our roads dramatically reduced. We believe the Safer Roads for Cumbria partnership, is crucial to achieving this goal. “I Believe It Wouldn’t Kill You”, our road safety campaign will help all road users change their attitudes to road safety and help reduce the number of accidents on Cumbria’s road network making Cumbria a safer place in which to travel.”

Creator of Driving Logic’s Safe Driver Scheme, a former traffic police officer, Ian Corrie says: 

“You need to ask yourself “How safe am I on the road”. Occupational driving is the most dangerous occupation in the UK today, according to official statistics by the Health and Safety Executive. 

We are aiming to help people raise their abilities and awareness to meet modern day driving and road conditions. This is why we are working for the Chamber of Commerce, who in turn are working with Cumbria County Council to deliver this training scheme to help people develop their existing driving skills.”

Cumbria Chamber of Commerce, Alan Weir says:

“’It Wouldn’t Kill You’ and Driving Logic’s Safer Driver Scheme actually complement the Health and Safety Executive’s information leaflet Driving At Work: Managing Work-Related Safety which was launched last year to alert employers and the self-employed to their responsibilities under current health and safety laws. Cumbria Chamber of Trade has long recognised that the true costs of accidents to companies and organisations are nearly always higher than just the costs of repairs and insurance claims.”

Cumbria Constabulary’s Chief Superintendent, John Taylor says: 

“Road collisions are the main killer in the UK. The UK is a relatively safe place to live – until you get onto the roads. This is a major problem that needs a partnership approach to tackle the real issues and cut the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads. There are things that can be done working in partnership through Safe Roads for Cumbria. Everybody has a role to play as well as statutory agencies.”

Cumbria Constabulary’s Traffic Management Officer, Richard Watt says:

“It is now widely accepted that promoting sound health and safety driving practices and a good safety culture at work can spill over into private driving, which, in turn, can reduce the chances of staff being injured in a crash outside work.”