Seatbelts save lives – that’s just one of the important messages being shared by Project EDWARD lead sponsor National Highways and Durham Police at a special event in the North East.
National Highways and Durham Police have been speaking to people visiting the A1M Durham Services about how together, everyone can reduce the number of deaths and casualties on roads in the region.
The event is in support of Project EDWARD – Every Day Without A Road Death – a national platform highlighting best practice in road safety which holds its yearly ‘Week of Action’ between 17-21st October. National Highways has endorsed the importance of Project EDWARD by becoming lead sponsor for this year.
National Highways and Durham Police are bringing the Operation Tramline HGV unit, which helps keep a watchful eye over drivers on the region’s motorways.
Watch a video clip of an Operation Tramline unit
Operation Tramline is a multi-agency campaign aiming to reduce incidents on the nation’s roads and highlight the risks of dangerous driving. Since its launch in July 2015, more than 31,000 offences have been recorded across England. The top three were:
• Not wearing a seat belt – 9,378
• Using a mobile phone – 7,925
• HGV drivers exceeding permitted hours – 2,417
Some 30% of people killed in cars on Britain’s roads last year were not wearing a seatbelt, according to data published by the Department for Transport (DfT). That is up from 23% during the previous 12 months and represents the highest annual percentage in records dating back to 2013, when the figure was just 19%.
National Highways Regional Safety Programme Manager Sarah Watson- Quirk said:
“Safety is always our highest priority at National Highways, and Project EDWARD is a very important campaign helping us to tackle dangerous driving and discourage people from taking unnecessary risks that put themselves and others in danger.
“Not wearing a seat belt, for example, or using mobile phones while in control of a vehicle are dangerous and the number of people caught doing this through Operation Tramline is still too high.
“We’re proud to unite with Durham Police and other forces across the country to engage with drivers on the A1, raise awareness of Project EDWARD and encourage motorists to consider their driving behaviour.”
The National Police Chiefs’ Council road policing strategy prioritises the ‘Fatal Four’ offences to reduce the numbers of people killed and seriously injured on the roads. The fatal four offences are:
• Speeding
• Drink and drug driving
• Driving while distracted
• Non-wearing of seat-belts
Strategic Roads Policing Inspector Kev Salter of Durham Police said: “Project EDWARD is about preventing road deaths and one of the major factors in achieving that goal is changing drivers’ behaviours and attitudes towards the Fatal Four.
“Whether you’ve just passed your driving test or you’ve been driving for decades, avoidable collisions can and do happen.
“All too often we end up knocking on someone’s door to tell them their loved ones have died in a collision – it’s one of the hardest things we have to do.
“Our message is simple: don’t get complacent behind the wheel and help us make sure we don’t have to visit to your loved ones.”
At today’s Project EDWARD event, information will be shared on:
• Vehicle checks
• The importance of wearing seatbelts
• Mobile phone use
• Tailgating
• Staying safe around HGV’s
• Securing loads