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The campaign, which is in partnership with
Kent Fire & Rescue Service and Medway Council, launched
in Canterbury at Whitefriars Shopping Centre. The 'Streetlight
Singers', dressed in 9ft street light costumes, performed a
variety of recognisable tunes, as well as the 'Slow Down Steve'
song featured in the campaign's advert on Invicta FM. The singers
were joined by the rest of the team who handed out free goodies
and helpful information.
Katherine Barrett, Communications Officer,
said: " A recent study showed that 73% of drivers are unaware
that a streetlight generally means that you are driving in a
30mph zone unless otherwise stated. Our campaign is to highlight
in a light hearted way but with a serious message that a streetlight
means 30."
As the drama unfolds and the emergency services
arrive on the scene, the faces on film literally step onto stage.
Pausing the film for a moment, they speak to the audience about
their experiences, the reactions of the driver and passengers,
the medical implications and how seeing such trauma affects
them personally.
Members of all the emergency services stand
up to describe their experiences, as well as those who have
suffered in a crash themselves or lost someone in their family.
The show - a fun and interactive way to educate
road users - tours the county at various shopping centres. Those
who know their stuff about speed limits, stopping distances
and safety cameras get the chance to win a digital radio and
entered into the free draw to win the ultimate prize which is
a Canon SLR digital camera.
The campaign also has a website www.knowthelimits.org
where drivers can take part in the quiz. There is even a local
version of Know the Limits on KMFM radio where the public can
test their knowledge - in a phone-in - of the speed limits in
their own town and have a chance of winning a DAB digital radio.
To test your knowledge click
here
Speeding or using a mobile
phone (both hand-held and hands-free) dramatically increases
the risk of having a road crash.
This is the message we are highlighting
to those who drive for a living through their Driving Business
- Safely! campaign.
The campaign aims to highlight
to companies the responsibilities they have to their staff when
they are out and about driving in a work related capacity and
for those behind the wheel to take responsibility for the way
they behave on the road.
Since the campaign launched
in February more than 500 companies have requested over 6,000
driver packs to help raise awareness amongst their staff about
driving safely on the county's roads.
Companies supporting the campaign include Mid-Kent Water, Royal
Mail and TNT.
Educational literature is available
free to companies to bring to light the messages behind the
campaign. This includes posters to display around the workplace,
information leaflets to give to drivers, promotional items such
as speed limit reminder cards, tax disc holders and note pads
highlighting stopping distances.
For further details about the campaign click
here
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In the last three years alone
nearly 500 young people (aged 17 - 24) died or were seriously
injured on the roads in Kent and Medway.
As many people know, young drivers are at
risk on our roads. They are vulnerable to peer pressure and
risk-taking which leads to them driving too quickly and over-estimating
their driving ability. This means that they are more prone to
killing or injuring themselves, their passengers and other road
users.
To highlight this issue, the Partnership
and Kent Fire and Rescue Services launched 'Grow up. Slow down.'
in October 2006.
The campaign is based on research carried
out earlier in the year, which concluded that young drivers
thought the worst thing that could happen if they drove too
fast was that they could kill or injure another person, particularly
a child. The campaign therefore aims to shock young drivers
into realising what could happen if they drive at inappropriate
speeds.
The campaign consists of mobile scooter-ads,
mobile adtrucks, banners, and a building wrap. These were positioned
at key roadside locations, leisure and retail parks, shopping
centres, static and mobile safety camera sites, sixth forms,
colleges and universities, high streets, nightclubs and pubs,
and sporting venues. In addition, footage was projected onto
the side of a mobile truck in cinema car parks.
As part of the campaign a website has
been created to help young drivers understand the importance
of appropriate speed - click
here for more information.
Ride With Attitude?
(funded by the Partnership, Medway Council and Kent County
Council) is a website www.ridewithattitude.com
written by bikers for bikers. It is packed with information
aimed at helping the county's motorcyclists get more out of
their machines while encouraging them to think more carefully
about their riding.
Although motorcyclists represent just one per cent of traffic,
they account for more than a quarter of all the county's road
fatalities with 27 biker deaths in Kent and Medway in 2005.
In 70% of the crashes involving motorbikes on Kent roads, the
bike was the only vehicle involved with most of these being
caused by loss of control at bends. However, in Medway most
crashes are right of way violations involving another vehicle. The site is full of useful features contributed
by members of the biking community including maintenance tips,
camera locations, reviews of bikes and biker cafes, as well
as maps of the county's most popular riding runs. There is even
a 'rant-line' where bikers can get any grievances about riding
in the county off their chests.
The second stage of Ride With Attitude? uses
posters and radio adverts with the strapline Turning
Right Think Bike! to encourage motorists to take
more time to look out for motorcyclists.
A leaflet Open your mind
before you open your throttle was launched the
Garden of Eden Motorcycle Show and is full of top biker tips
on how to get the most out of your riding, the best clothing
to wear and giving your bike the skills its deserves.
For more information log onto www.ridewithattitude.com
The head injuries charity Headway
helped the Partnership launch the second stage of its Speed
Shatters Life campaign which highlights to motorists
that fixed cameras are working and have reduced casualties.
The initiative saw red and white
posters erected by fixed speed cameras showing the reduction
in the number of casualties at the site since the camera was
installed. The first part of the campaign was launched in 2004
when green and white posters showed the number of casualties
before the camera was installed (See below).
The Speed Shatters Life
initiative sees posters erected by each
fixed safety camera showing the number of casualties at each
site three years prior to the camera being installed. "Speed
Shatters Life" aims to make all road users aware that our fixed
cameras are not there to make money but that each camera acts
almost as a memorial for those who have been killed or seriously
injured and has been introduced to stop such a tragedy reoccurring.
We hope that by giving this information motorists will slow
down and think about their driving not only at the camera sites,
but also on all other roads in the county.
Rachel Wall, Communications Manager, says:
"Speed Shatters Life aims to make road users think about the
tragedies that have occurred before a camera was installed.
I hope that on seeing the posters motorists will slow down and
stick within the legal limit for everyone's safety."
Handle It Or Lose It
is a motorcycle safety initiative dedicated to reducing the
number of biker injuries and fatalities across the county.
Funded by the Partnership, the campaign encourages
motorcyclists to log onto www.handleitorloseit.com
to register their 'pants filling moments' - every biker
has had one! Once online an interactive site delivers
safety and training messages alongside invitations to download
maps showing 'great rides on great roads' and detailing hazards
that can be expected on the roads in the region. Riders are
also able to tell other riders and the 'Handle It Or Lose It'
team where they have encountered their problems.
Rachel Wall, Communications Manager, for
the Partnership says: "This campaign is extremely important
as motorcyclists represent less than 1% of road traffic but
account for almost 18% of deaths and serious injuries. 'Handle
It Or Lose It' is educational, engaging, informative but more
importantly it's fun! We are well aware of the serious issue
here but want to avoid a heavy-handed approach and instead work
with the bikers to keep them alive."
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