'Majority of collisions are preventable, so education is paramount' says PCC ahead of Brake Road Safety roadshow.

As part of Brake Road Safety Week 2022, Durham Police and Crime Commissioners Office will be holding roadshows to raise awareness around safer road practices across County Durham and Darlington.

The roadshows will be appearing at Barnard Castle farmers market, Darlington Dolphin Centre and Bowburn service station during the 14th to the 17th of November 2022. The roadshows hope to educate and raise awareness of the ‘fatal four’ areas of harm that are the biggest cause of road traffic accidents. These four areas (alcohol and drugs, mobile phones, seatbelts and speed) are priorities addressed by Commissioner Allen’s Police and Crime Plan, Safer Road theme.

On average 5 people are killed on our roads every day, with many more suffering life changing injuries. There has already been a decrease of 19.2% in the total volume of all road traffic collisions from 817 in 2019/2020 to 660 in 2021/2022 across County Durham and Darlington, since the introduction of Community SpeedWatch campaigns, Operation Tutelage and ANPR cameras. Therefore, it is hoped that the increased focus on education and prevention techniques throughout the awareness week will be a further move in the right direction.

Commissioner Allen said “It is so important that we raise awareness around dangerous practices on our roads that increase the risk of being killed or seriously injured. We have already done a lot of work to reduce the numbers of road traffic collisions across County Durham and Darlington, but we know there is still a long way to go. Majority of collisions are preventable so education is paramount to help raise awareness that it is not only car drivers that have a responsibility to follow the highway code. We all have a part to play in keeping each other safe, whether you are a passenger of a vehicle, pedestrian, cyclist, or any road user. We all have the power to make a difference.  

I am delighted we have been able to work with Brake to get these messages out and I hope that the roadshow will enable us to engage with our local communities and share road safety advice with them. My team are really looking forward to meeting local residents and hearing about road safety concerns in their area and sharing road safety advice and merchandise.”

Brake is a road safety charity who have campaigned to stop the tragedy of road deaths and injuries and supported people bereaved and seriously injured on roads, since 1995. Brake’s Road Safety Week theme for this year is ‘safe roads for all’, which aims to bring together communities and professionals to call for everyone's right to make safe and healthy journeys on safe roads.

Chief Executive of Brake, Mary Williams OBE, said “We all use roads and it’s crucial that we feel safe when we do so, whether we walk, ride or drive. Yet, every year, a staggering number of people are killed or seriously injured on UK roads. That’s why Road Safety Week is such an important campaign - bringing families, schools, and communities together to take action and raise awareness. Roadshows like this are a fantastic way of educating ourselves and others about our shared responsibility. We urge everyone to come along, or visit the Road Safety Week website for other ways to take part in the campaign.”  

If you would like to come and see us at one of our roadshows, see our schedule below:

• Monday 14th November (10am-1pm)- The Dolphin Centre, Horsemarket, Darlington, DL1 5RP

• Tuesday 15th November (12pm-3pm)- Bowburn Service Station, Tursdale Rd, Bowburn, Durham, DH6 5NP

• Wednesday 16th November (8:30am-1:30am)- Barnard Castle Market Place, Barnard Castle, DL12 8LY

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