Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership is running a week-long initiative to remind drivers to think before they park and leave enough room for emergency vehicles to get through.
The initiative is designed to reinforce a long-running Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service campaign which highlights that drivers need to leave roughly three metres – or approximately the width of two cars – for emergency vehicles.
The campaign encourages drivers to take ‘five easy steps to park it right’:
- Park close to the kerb
- Mirrors in
- Park straight
- Straighten your wheels
- Junctions and bends – vehicles need more space than you might think
Throughout the week, the partnership will be sharing social media posts and schools will be contacted to remind parents to think about where they are parking when on the school run.
Fire crews are also carrying ‘park it right’ leaflets to educate any inconsiderate parking they come across, while police safer neighbourhood teams will be involved in promoting the message in communities.
Cllr Wallace Redford, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for transport and planning, said: “We are reminding all when you park your cars to please consider who might need to get past in a hurry.
“Always leave room for emergency vehicles to get through and never park on the yellow markings outside our fire stations.”
Sally Bunyard-Spiers, inspector for Rugby’s safer neighbourhood team, said “The extra time taken to reach an incident can cost lives.
“We are asking that everyone thinks before they park, allowing emergency services to reach the residents of Warwickshire in the quickest time.”
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