News of Dorset Road Safety Partnership’s recently launched ‘No Excuse’ campaign has reached ‘across the pond’ with features in several US newspapers including the New York Times.
One of the project’s objectives is to improve driver behaviour and attitude by implementing and publicising a targeted roads policing presence to make drivers think the risk of ‘getting caught’ for a range of driving offences is now much greater.
In the first 6 weeks of the project, the dedicated enforcement team has detected a staggering 2,300 offences.
The New York Times sent its London-based reporter out with one of the police patrols and her report appeared in the paper on 19 February. Click here to read the article.
Robert Smith, Dorset’s road safety manager said: "We measure the value of free publicity for all our projects and this one looks like generating the greatest ever as it also included national TV coverage in the UK."
For more information contact Robert Smith on 01305 224680.
Many thanks for the thumbs-up. Dorset is replicating the successful approach adopted by Essex CC. Targeted evidence-led enforcement backed up with appropriate publicity and education, long-term has to be the way forward.
Robert Smith Road Safety Manager, Dorset County Council
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Well done Santa’s Little Helper for voicing a comment which the majority of Road Safety Officers would like to see published.
Norma Sheppard, Darlington
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We are sinking in a sea of evidence that roads policing is the major contributor to road safety. Those who are staying afloat are politicians, senior police officers and some motorists who feel victimised. It behoves all of us in the profession, at any level, to do what they can to ensure the reinstatement of dedicated Traffic Divisions in UK forces. As Santa’s Little Helper so rightly said, education and publicity can fail, enforcement usually wins. 2,300 offences detected in six weeks says it all.
Roy Buchanan, Principal Road Safety Officer, London Borough of Sutton
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Well done Dorset, if we got back to a Policing system that carried out constant on-road enforcement UK wide, given the information the Police have said in the past, that this type of scheme has a positive knock on reducing other small petty crimes (no crime is petty) in the same area, then the Country would be better off all round. We can offer education and publicise campaigns till we are blue in the face, but it needs the enforcement to add strength to the message. Mobile phone use as a prime example.
Santa’s Little Helper Rochdale
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