Shoppers in Barrow will have a special floral road safety message spelled out to them on Wednesday 9th March.
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.
County Councillor Kevan Wilkinson, spokesman for transport and infrastructure said:
"Driving just a few mph over the limit vastly increases the risk of injury if you crash. The Cumbria Road Safety partnership is committed to reducing the number of people killed and seriously injured on the county's roads. Too many people are being hurt on Cumbria's roads every year and this is a great way to encourage drivers to slow down".
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".
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 hearse will be outside MacDonalds in Barrow Town Centre (Dalton Road pedestrian area) from 10.30am - 2.30pm. Police Officers and Road Safety Officer Ken Hanson will be available to answer any road safety questions.