‘Footprints’ winners announced

The winner and runner up in the Footprints photography competition, which ran as part of Global Road Safety Week 2013, have been announced.

Footprints, developed and managed by Road Safety GB, challenged young people aged 11-18 years to snap away on the theme of pedestrian safety.

The winner and runner up, chosen by a public poll in which more than 1,600 people voted, are Rukayya Bilal-Thompson and Jake Mallinson.

With more than 50% of the public votes, 15-year-old Rukayya Bilal-Thompson from Luton was the clear winner. Her winning photograph featured a mysterious young woman walking across a zebra crossing, transfixed by her phone and paying no attention to the possible dangers of her surroundings. The caption to her photo reads: “When you’re on the road pay attention, or you won’t like the consequences.”

With more than 17% of the votes, 16-year-old Jake Mallinson from Huddersfield was the competition’s runner-up. His photograph shows the aftermath of a collision involving a young pedestrian distracted by his headphones. Jake’s clever caption reads: “Pull the plugs from your lugs.”

Su Ormes, who organised the competition on behalf of Road Safety GB, said: “Congratulations to all our short listed entries, and particularly to Rukayya and Jake for being named winner and runner up.

“The purpose of the competition was to encourage young people to think about the dangers they face as pedestrians, and I think we achieved this aim.”

The winners will be presented with their prizes of photographic equipment in the coming weeks.

For more information contact Su Ormes on 01634 331710 or David Frost on 07450 415291.