Write a commentNewry Neighbourhood Policing Team are taking part in this year’s Road Safety Week (17-23 November), as part of a national campaign coordinated by Brake, the road safety charity, encouraging all road users to look out for each other and save lives on roads.
As part of the campaign, Newry NPT are running a number of operations and events over the week aimed at educating road users about road safety and detecting and deterring motoring offences. Police are adopting a multi-agency approach and will work with their colleagues in Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Driver and Vehicle Agency Enforcement Team as well as local schools to ensure their message is as far reaching and all encompassing as possible.
Newry NPT are joining thousands of other organisations, schools and community groups across the UK promoting life-saving messages as part of Road Safety Week, the UK’s biggest road safety event.
The Road Safety Week 2014 theme, look out for each other, is all about everyone, especially drivers, showing patience, consideration and responsibility towards other road users, especially the most vulnerable. To help avoid tragedy, Brake is particularly urging drivers to protect people on foot and bike by slowing down to 20mph in communities, looking longer and taking it slow at junctions and bends, and giving people plenty of room. People on foot and bike are also being encouraged not to take chances, and make sure they can be seen.
In 2013, five people were killed and 61 seriously injured every day on UK roads [1][2]. Road Safety Week is an opportunity for everyone to spread the ‘look out for each other’ message and reduce that toll to zero.
As part of the campaign, Brake is revealing statistics on the UK’s most careless drivers. Find out more in the Road Safety Week newsroom from Monday 17 November, or email news@brake.org.uk to request an embargoed press release for your region the week before.
Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, said: “We’re delighted Newry NPT are doing their bit to save lives on our roads by getting involved with Road Safety Week and helping to spread the look out for each other message. Local support for the road safety cause is vital if we are to achieve our goal of putting an end to road deaths and injuries and the terrible suffering they cause. We can go a long way to achieving this if we all commit to look out for each other on roads, especially drivers helping to protect those on foot and bike, who are most vulnerable. So slow down to 20 in towns and villages, look carefully, and be considerate. Ultimately, we are all just human beings trying to get around, with equal right to use the roads, not competing tribes.”
Constable Conor Valentine, Newry NPT, said: “Keeping people safe on the roads is a priority for us and Road Safety Week is the perfect opportunity to reinforce our message. So far this year 69 people have died on roads across Northern Ireland with 18 deaths in E District alone (11 in Newry and Mourne, 1 in Craigavon, 4 in Banbridge and 2 in Armagh). We do not want to see anyone lose their life.
“We all have a responsibility to make our roads safe and while we continue to educate, prevent and detect, I would ask all motorists to slow down, wear your seatbelt, don’t use a mobile phone while driving and never ever drink and drive.”
