The road safety minister, chair of Road Safety GB and CFOA lead for road safety will attend an event in York on 9 June which will mark the start of UK Road Safety Week (9-15 June).
The theme for 2014 UK Road Safety Week, ‘Be safe out there’, is intended to give stakeholders sufficient flexibility to deliver a range of themed events based on national or local trends. Target groups for the campaign include pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and young drivers.
The week is being coordinated by the Chief Fire Officers Association (CFOA) in partnership with key road safety stakeholders including Road Safety GB, ACPO, DfT, Highways Agency and Brake.
The week coincides with Brake’s annual Walking Bus event for primary schools which will take place on Wednesday 11 June.
The launch event in Parliament Square, York will focus on cycling safety. It will provide an opportunity for cyclists to sit in a heavy goods vehicle in order to gain a greater understanding of the blind spots faced by a lorry driver.
Robert Goodwill, road safety minister, will be attending as will Dave Etheridge, road safety lead for CFOA and Honor Byford, chair of Road Safety GB.
Honor Byford said: “This event sees the start of a national week of events with fire and rescue services, local authority road safety teams and police officers working together alongside commercial companies and charities to focus everyone’s mind on respecting each other on the roads.
“All of us who travel in cars, vans and lorries need to look out for cyclists and pedestrians who are more vulnerable. This event shows how we make better use of our shared resources by working together to make our roads safer for all our communities.”
Andy Trowsdale, deputy chief fire officer from North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue, said: “With the Tour de France Grand Depart taking place over the summer, more people are likely to be taking to two wheels. We want to ensure they take reasonable precautions and are aware of the measures they can take to keep themselves safe, such as being aware of drivers’ blind spots and wearing a helmet.
“We would also ask drivers to be aware of other road users. Simple measures like checking your mirrors before you turn and giving as much room as practically possible when overtaking a cyclist can reduce the chances of an accident.
For more information about UK Road Safety Week 2014 contact Rebecca Wallis (01827 302313) or Katie Cornhill (07918 887857) at CFOA.
Footnote: UK Road Safety Week is a separate event to Brake’s annual Road Safety Week which was established in 1997 and this year will be held 17-23 November 2014.
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