Last updated 11:25, Monday, 10 November 2008

Five years ago Cumbria had the worse rate of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents in the country.Chris Wills, of Better Ways to School, an initiative run by Cumbria County Council to help reduce unnecessary car journeys and improve safety on the route to and from school, has written to schools and colleges in Cumbria asking them if they would consider making it a requirement for students who park their cars on their premises to have taken the Pass Plus+ course.

Saving lives: Road Safety Week starts today with campaigning taking place across the county. There have been many campaigns aimed at shocking people into taking more care, as illustrated here

Now, thanks to work by local groups and organisations, the figures have fallen and the latest figures show that in the first nine months of 2008 there was a further drop in the number of accidents causing fatal, serious and slight injury in the county.

But there is still work to be done and Road Safety Week, taking place from today aims to highlight some of the issues.

Organised by road safety charity Brake, this year’s theme is Family Safety: Stop. Imagine. Change.

The charity hopes to raise awareness of the need for parents to protect the ones they love.

David Kerry, senior road safety officer for Cumbria, said: “Safety is a particular issue at this time of year and we need to make sure that people, from dog walkers to cyclists, realise they should wear bright clothes when they are out on the roads.

“Reflective items aren’t expensive and could save your life.

“Parents should make sure that when they are picking up their children from school they get in the car on the pavement side.

“In-car safety is also crucial – wearing a seatbelt can save your life.”

There are events taking place locally that will help raise awareness of road safety during the week.

Children’s Traffic Club has been set up in West Allerdale by Safer Roads For Cumbria and Barnados and will be officially launched on Friday at 2pm.

The club has been organised by road safety officer Bridget Stanley and will be held at Flim by Child and Family Centre. It aims to provide road safety education for children and parents using characters such as Sammy Seatbelt and Rhonda Red.

Road safety will be on the menu for primary school pupils across Cumbria this week when they take part in special themed lunches.

Cumbria County Council’s premises unit is holding a one-day Kids’ Kitchen promotion.

‘Belt up in the back’ pasta bolognaise, ‘wait on the kerb’ garlic bread and ‘traffic light’ salad are being dished up, while a road safety code card will be given to each child staying for lunch on the day of the promotion.

Each school can choose which day next week they run the Kids’ Kitchen but in every location the aim is to get across the importance of road safety, particularly during the winter months when darker evenings and bad weather make pedestrians and drivers more vulnerable.

The road safety code cards, which are about the size of a credit card, contain a code of conduct for children to follow when using the roads.

School crossing patrollers have also been invited to the lunches.

Alan Clark, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member responsible for road safety, said: “Getting the message about road safety across to children is vitally important, and the Kids’ Kitchen promotion is a way of doing this in an informal and entertaining way.

“I’m sure that as well as learning potentially life-saving information pupils will have a good time and give more thought to how to keep themselves safe.”

While Road Safety Week highlights the issues involved, organisations are continually working throughout the year to increase awareness of roadsafety.

In 2006 14 young people aged between 16 and 20 died on Cumbria’s roads.

Pass Plus+, which is specifically aimed at new drivers, has now been subsidised by Cumbria County Council and is free for drivers aged 17 to 20 who have passed their test in the past 12 months and have attended a road awareness session run by Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service.

These attitude and behaviour sessions have been added to illustrate the consequences of bad driving and to show what happens when a car is involved in a collision.

Pass Plus+ has six modules which cover driving in town, in all weathers, on rural roads, at night, on dual carriageways and on motorways.

Some insurers offer discounts on car insurance for those drivers who have successfully completed the Pass Plus+ course.

In order to help older drivers stay safe while driving Check Drive has been introduced.

These free sessions are run by local Institute of Advanced Motorists groups, and are an informal assessment of driving.

It is not a test and nobody will take away the driver’s licence

You will drive your own vehicle for about 40 minutes and be accompanied by an assessor from the Institute of Advanced Motorists who will observe the driving.

While the number of casualties on Carlisle roads increased in 2007, the number of people killed or seriously injured has fallen in both Carlisle and Eden.

Chief Inspector Paul Duhig, from Cumbria Police, said: “Between 2006-2007, we have seen a marked reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions across Cumbria.

“Road traffic accidents are a real priority for police and we are working hard to reduce these figures across the county, but it is down to each and every road user to take responsibility for the way they drive, respect other motorists and ensure they are driving in accordance with the law.

“As the weather becomes colder and road conditions worsen, it becomes even more vital that motorists take care and avoid driving at excess speeds to reduce the likelihood of accidents. We are urging all motorists to be vigilant, sensible, ensure their vehicle is roadworthy and make sure all drivers and passengers are wearing seatbelts.

“Cumbria police are trying to prompt this by increasing patrols around problematic areas, using speed cameras to prompt motorists to slow down at accident hotspots and conducting stop checks to make sure cars are roadworthy. We are working hard to enforce and educate drivers but need the help of the community. By working together effectively, we hope to drive these figures down further.”

EMorley@cngroup.co.uk