Partnership campaign seeks to cut death toll on Devon’s roads

Devon and Cornwall’s police and crime commissioner has teamed up with a local haulier and a road safety charity to launch a regional road safety campaign.

The campaign will see ‘impactful’ safety messages, created by the Honest Truth charity, displayed across HGVs and buses during spring and summer 2019. The posters warn about the dangers of drink and drug driving, speeding, driving when tired, failing to use seatbelts and using mobile phones while driving.

The project has been co-ordinated and part funded by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon and Cornwall, with family-owned haulier Evans Transport, which has depots across Devon, supplying the space on vehicle backs for no charge. The adverts will also appear on 30 Stagecoach buses.

The Honest Truth is a Devon-based national charity which works with driving instructors to deliver safety messages to new drivers. The campaign uses animals to portray behaviours which can be dangerous behind the wheel.

 

The new campaign was the brainchild of Safer North Devon, a collaboration of police and partners which seeks to reduce the impact of crime on communities.

Evans’ vehicles bearing the messages will be regularly seen on the A361 North Devon Link Road during summer 2019, where a number of high profile crashes in recent years have had tragic consequences for several families.

Alison Hernandez, PCC for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – who is also national lead for road safety with the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners – said: “There were 63 deaths in the Devon and Cornwall Police force area in 2017 – 12 more than in 2016. In 2015 there were 36 road deaths.

“The toll is simply horrific and we should not just accept it as part of the risk of driving.

“With 12,500 miles of roads in the force area there’s no way that we can simply enforce our way out of this situation. We need to work in partnership with others, and with a greater emphasis on education.”

Annette Lloyd, chief executive of the Honest Truth, said: “We believe our campaign, highlighting risky driving behaviours, will cut through to drivers in an impactful and memorable way making them think about and ultimately change their driving behaviour so keeping them safer on the roads.”