School Holidays and Road Safety

01/07/2008

Archived item. This item is published here for historical reasons. The information below may be out of date.

School Holidays & Road Safety.

As school children throughout the county finish up for their summer holidays the Councils Road Safety Officer has issued a timely reminder to all parents/guardians, drivers, and children to be careful when out and about on the roads during the holiday period. July and August are two very busy months on our roads with families on the move taking day trips, visiting family and friends and making regular journeys to holiday homes. A total of 120 lives were lost in the months of July & August in the two year period 2005 to 2006. July is statistically one of the most dangerous months of the year to use our roads with an average of 38 road deaths.

At this time of year there is a marked increase in the numbers of children out and about playing within housing estates, cycling, and generally walking near roads. Roads should never be thought of as play areas. The Council is urging parents to make sure their children are aware of the safe places to play and to make sure they can deal with the roads they are likely to use. Parents/guardians have a responsibility to teach their children how to use the roads safely and responsibly.

Drivers are urged to slow down and be vigilant especially in residential areas and other areas where children may be present. Young children are unpredictable and can act impulsively. Remember it only takes a fraction of a second for an accident to happen with tragic consequences.

Although this is holiday time it is not a time to be complacent or lax about driving:

• Always drive at an appropriate speed for the conditions and circumstances.
• Never drink & drive.
• Wear your seat belt and ensure all passengers are wearing theirs.
• Ensure children are appropriately restrained in an approved child restraint.
• On long journeys take frequent breaks to avoid tiredness/driver fatigue.
• Be extra alert especially for children.
• Remember it is illegal to use a hand held mobile phone when driving. Any person found holding a mobile phone faces up to 4 penalty points and a fine of 2000 if convicted. Research shows that you are 4 times more likely to have a crash if you use a hand held or hands free mobile phone when driving.
• Drive with care and consideration for others.

Issued on 1^st July 08