Shoppers in Whitehaven will have a special floral road safety message spelled out to them on Tuesday 5th April.
Fifty eight people were killed and 374 were seriously injured on Cumbria's roads in 2004. To reinforce the seriousness of this, SLOW DOWN will be written in flowers and displayed in the back of a funeral hearse. Shoppers will also be handed a single white carnation with a label on saying 'Don't say it with flowers' to really push the message home.
Speeding is a critical factor in many accidents. According to the RAC, 57% of drivers admit breaking the motorway speed limit and two-thirds break the 30mph limit. These figures are taken from a survey of drivers and compare with the actual vehicle speeds detected by the Department for Transport which concluded that 58% of car drivers break the 30mph limit.
Superintendent of Uniform Operations Steve Turnbull from Cumbria Constabulary said:
"Unfortunately some road users still think it's acceptable to break speed limits on our roads. Drivers should be aware that however good a driver they think they are and no matter how good a car they have, the difference between driving at 30 and driving a few mph over the speed limit, will lead to a much longer thinking and braking distance, which could lead to drastic consequences".
Community risk support watch manager Joe Little from Cumbria Fire Service said:
"It is vital that people are made aware of the dangers of driving too fast. Driving just a few miles an hour over the speed limit vastly increases the risks of injury if you crash. We see too many people being killed or seriously injured on Cumbria's roads every year. We will be in Whitehaven with our major rescue vehicle and fire appliance to support this key campaign message".
Drivers will also be asked to pledge their commitment to reducing their speed by filling in a speed commitment leaflet. By doing this their details will be stored on a data base and they will then receive a certificate confirming their intention to commit to speed reduction. The latest hard hitting Department for Transport speed campaign video will be on display to illustrate the dangers of speeding.
This event is just one of the themes Safer Roads for Cumbria is concentrating on as part of the 'It wouldn't kill you' campaign designed to tie in with the Department for Transport THINK! road safety programme.
The event is being kindly supported by the Co-operative Funeral Service.
The Fire Service vehicles, hearse and information unit will be in the Market Place at the end of King Street in Whitehaven from 10.30am - 2.00pm. Fire Officers and Road Safety Officers will be available to answer any road safety questions.