Excessive or inappropriate speed remains a contributory factor in a significant number of fatal and serious road collisions, despite deterrents such as safety cameras, penalties and widespread educational campaigns.
Thames Valley Police, Bucks Fire and Rescue, and the County Council's Travel Safe Bucks team are joining up this week to promote 'Speed Week', an annual event by the European Traffic Police Network (16th – 22nd April). During the week there will be a combination of increased education campaigns and enforcement across Buckinghamshire.
As well as the additional enforcement and the online campaigns, there will be a pop up event at Tesco Buckingham on Wednesday 18th April, where police and road safety officers will be talking to drivers about the dangers and consequences of speeding.
Be a Healthy Driver
Travel Safe Bucks, the County Council road safety initiative to educate and train all road users on safe behaviours, have produced their own speed awareness campaign, 'Healthy Driver', to show similarities between speeding and other unhealthy behaviours, such as smoking, too much sugar, and binge drinking.
In the last 10 years 2,466 people have been injured on Buckinghamshire roads as a result of collisions where the driver was either exceeding the speed limit or driving too fast for the conditions.
County Councillor Mark Shaw, Cabinet Member for Transportation explained his personal connection to the Healthy Driver campaign:
"Road safety is very important to me personally – I sustained life changing injuries from a collision almost 20 years ago when a speeding driver hit my stationary car from behind, as I waited at traffic lights."
"The impact was enough to leave me with injuries requiring major surgery, and at only 32 I found myself with two replacement hips. This has had an ongoing impact on my health and I have had to make changes to my lifestyle since that day."
"I'm happy to support any campaign which brings home the very real consequences of not driving at an appropriate speed, within the speed limit."
Healthy Driver is an online and offline campaign that any concerned residents, parishes, or organisations are free to promote in their local area. Visit www.buckscc.gov.uk/speeding for more information, and to download resources.
