The people of Dyfed-Powys want road users in the area to change their attitudes towards safety, according to a survey of more than 800 local residents.
According to Christopher Salmon, Dyfed-Powys police and crime commissioner, the public used the survey to express concerns about speeding, drink-driving, mobile phones and seatbelts.
The survey was conducted in advance of the £335,000 ‘Road to Safety’ initiative headed up by Mr Salmon. The results highlighted a preference for activity around the region to improve attitudes (68%) rather than a focus on road skills training (32%).
Respondents said they would prefer to receive news of road safety activity via the local media (31%), social media (27%) and email newsletters (21%).
Mr Salmon says he will use these views to help format the Road to Safety programme through which organisations have been invited to put forward ideas to keep road users safe across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and Powys. The scheme is open to public sector, police force, private sector, voluntary or community organisations.
Mr Salmon is currently considering applications for the Road to Safety fund and the successful bidder and an outline of the programme will be announced before the end of the year.
Christopher Salmon said: “To save lives and reduce the number of injuries, we need to educate all types of road user; the public say attitudes towards safety must get better. Too many people die or are seriously hurt on our roads; I want to change that.
“I and Dyfed-Powys Police continue to work hard to preserve life but the public also have a great role to play in keeping all of us safe.
“I ask drivers, bikers and cyclists to consider the importance of road safety. The people best able to affect the safety of road users – weather and road surface included – are road users themselves. One death is one too many – I urge caution and care by all.”
There should be much more of the road safety message on TV and cinema where people will view the message and hopefully it will be retained. It need not be a complicated message but when it come to changing attitudes it needs to be something like the Space is Safe Campaign showing the obvious difference in dangers between tailgating or driving too close and the safety benefits of pulling back to a safe distance and showing how easily one simple change will make all road users safer.
Bob Craven lancs. Space is Safe Campaigner
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The Dyfed-Powys public appear to be referring to road users as though they are a completely different species, according to the survey. Each and every one of them could change their attitude to road safety if they so wished; they have been exposed to the influences for just as long as the rest of us. Society in general wants something done about road safety, but individuals consider their road use to be above reproach…
David, Suffolk
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