In support of the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) UK Road Safety Week, Humberside Fire and Rescue Service (HFRS), along with other fire and rescue services across the country, will promote a week of road safety activities to local communities.
The Road Safety team at HFRS will deliver a timetable of events throughout the week in a bid to reduce incidents on the region’s roads.
This year’s message is; ‘Be Safe Out There’ and UK Road Safety Week provides an opportunity to raise awareness and promote targeted road safety messages to road users including pedestrians, car drivers, cyclists and motorbike riders.
Louise Marritt, HFRS Road Safety Team Leader, explains;
“We will be focussing efforts on high risk road user groups, one of which is young drivers.”
In 2013, 126 young people (16 to 24) were killed or seriously injured on roads across the Humber region.
“Young drivers are less likely to appreciate the dangers of risky driving behaviour, in particular using a mobile phone to make a call, send a text or to access social media whilst driving. Reaction times for drivers using a mobile phone are around 50% slower than when driving under normal conditions.”
“It really can only take a split second distraction and a break in concentration for a situation to arise that could result in a collision. I urge drivers to keep their eyes on the road at all times,” Louise added.
The first session will take place on Monday 9 June at Calvert Lane Fire Station. BTEC students from the Skills Funding Agency will be given a ‘drive4life’ young drivers safety presentation and will have the chance to experience the iCar which is a purpose built vehicle that offers crash simulation along with a bespoke training package aimed at raising awareness of the dangers young drivers and their passengers face.
Timetable of events during UK Road Safety Week
Mon 9 June
‘drive4life’ young drivers safety presentation and iCar experience for BTEC students from the Skills Funding Agency at the Learning Centre, Calvert Lane Fire Station (09:00 – 12:00)
Cycle safety campaign literature, Cycle Yorkshire’s ‘Urban Cycling Guide’ distribution to cycle dealerships in Hull and the East Riding during the afternoon
Tues 10 June
Scooter safety package, ‘Bare Bones’ to apprentices at Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA), Copenhagen Rd, Kingston upon Hull (09:00 -12:00)
Motorcycle safety campaign, BikeSafe, literature distribution to dealerships and garages in Hull and the East Riding during the afternoon
Wed 11 June
‘ride4life’ bike safety presentation and FireBike to students at Act Fast (Alternative Education Training), Kettering Road, Scunthorpe (13:00 -16:00)
Motorcycle and cycle safety campaign literature to dealerships and colleges in North Lincs and North East Lincs during the afternoon
Thurs 12 June
‘drive4life’ young drivers safety presentations and iCar experience for students at East Riding College. Beverley campus (09:00 -12:00) and Bridlington campus (13:00 -16:00)
Fri 13 June
‘drive4life’ young drivers safety presentation and iCar experience for BTEC students from the Skills Funding Agency at Goole Fire Station (13:00 -16:00)
Sat 14 June
‘The Wolds Trek 3.’ Sponsored 24 mile walk through the Yorkshire Wolds, starting and finishing at Kilnwick Percy Golf Club, Pocklington, in aid of the TOM Foundation. Further information can be found at www.tomfoundation.co.uk
