Can we manage a death-free day on Europe’s roads?
Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) is lending its support to the European-wide campaign to reduce road deaths this 21st of September.
TISPOL, the road policing network for the continent, is appealing to all motorists and other highway users to bring down the number of those killed as they travel throughout Europe. They have come up with the initiative ‘Project EDWARD’ (‘European Day Without A Road Death’), where road users are invited to sign up to a pledge to improve their driving skills, amongst other things. The idea is to raise awareness about just how many people die on the roads of European, and how, as highway users, we can all help to get that number down.
In 2014, 25,900 people lost their lives as a result of a collision in Europe. Despite the fact this number was double that thirteen years previously, there is still vast scope for improving this figure. To support the campaign, SSRP are working closely with Surrey and Sussex Roads Policing Unit to deploy high-visibility patrols and unmarked cars, and set up extra patrols with the Safety Camera Team. They will also be galvanising local Road Safety Action Groups, encouraging Community Speed Watch groups to set up extra speed checks that day, and calling on the public for their support in the project too.
“Despite Britain having some of the safest roads in Europe, we still had 42 fatal collisions in Sussex last year. A large causation factor here is driver and rider behaviour, with a lot of motorists failing to look at what’s happening on the roads in front of them,” said Sergeant Badman of SSRP.
Road users are encouraged to sign up to the pledge online here: https://www.tispol.org/edward, and get friends and family to do the same.
“Those that are closest to you can often have the greatest influence on your driving behaviour. If you don’t want to drive safely for yourself, you can always improve your road skills for them.”
So far this year, there have been 37 fatal collisions in Sussex, as of last Sunday the 18th. Given that we are so close to reaching last year’s total, and it’s only September, action needs to be taken now before other lives are needlessly lost. Support is essential in your communities, so sign up to the pledge and get the word out there
