City of York Council has launched a new campaign which asks drivers to make a pledge to help make the city’s roads safer.
The campaign, York iPledge, is designed to make more people think about road safety and ultimately tackle the key issues often referred to as the ‘killer five’ by emergency services: failing to look; travelling too fast; using a mobile phone; not wearing a seatbelt/using a child car seat; and being under the influence of drink/drugs.
All iPledges are uploaded onto an interactive map to keep a track of individuals and businesses that have signed-up.
The iPledge gives people the option to pledge to one or all of the following: respect all road users; stay within the speed limit; not use a mobile; always wear a seat belt; and not drive under the influence of drink or drugs.
The campaign is supported by North Yorkshire Police, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue and the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and Berwick Kaler who is described as “Britain’s longest-running panto star”.
Berwick Kaler, who is appearing in the 2013 York Christmas Panto, said: “Adverts for road safety disappear from our memory quite quickly. By asking drivers and cyclists to put their signatures on a piece of paper and send their pledge off to the council we are hoping that this commitment may live in their memories longer until not using a mobile while driving becomes the norm.”
Cllr Dave Merrett, cabinet member for Transport, Planning and Sustainability, said: “This is a unique campaign for York – aimed at all road users however they travel. I encourage everyone to pledge and think about improving our road use habits.”
For more information contact Kathryn Mackay, City of York Council, on 01904 01904 551387.
If road safety initiatives are data driven is there any empirical evidence that such pledges help? They seem to be cropping up all over the place.
Keith
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