Winners acclaimed for commitment to road safety

The winners of the 2016 Wales Road Safety Awards were announced at the annual Road Safety Wales Conference on 12 May.

The awards, presented by Sue Storch, chair of Road Safety Wales, recognise individuals, groups and organisations that have made a ‘real commitment to road safety, above and beyond what would normally be expected of them’.

The recipients were not necessarily road safety professionals but all have been ‘undertaking road safety professionally’.

South Hook LNG Terminal Company was recognised for its work supporting the Crucial Crew event. Now running for a 23rd year in Pembrokeshire, Crucial Crew teaches young children about the importance of personal safety.

Over and above financial support, the company has donated hi-viz jackets, torches, reflectors and an educational resource to every child who attends the event.

A road safety awareness campaign which provided support to elderly drivers in Rhondda Cynon Taf, picked up the Breakthrough Project award.

Devised with funding from local businesses, the campaign allowed elderly motorists to share their concerns with Shelly Bird of Age Connects Morgannwg and the local PCSO Cherylin Pryor.

The campaign proved to be such a success that an ‘intergenerational community road safety campaign’ took place during National Road Safety Week 2015, with workshops, presentations and activities attended by more than 80 members of the community.

Coleg Sir Gâr, a further education college with five campuses in South Wales, was recognised for promoting road safety through the Carmarthenshire Young Driver Programme (pictured), which it has been running since 2009. The number of students using the initiative has increased year-on-year and currently stands at almost 800.

The College was commended for its awareness of the vulnerability of its students as young drivers, and as passengers in vehicles driven by novice drivers, and for giving these issues a high priority within its educational system.

Jennie and Digby Rees, who run the Three Horseshoes Public House, were recognised for allowing the local Peterstone Super Ely Primary School to use their car park to ease congestion when pupils arrive and leave the school.

Daisy Lambe picked up an award for her long-term commitment to Pembrokeshire’s School Crossing Patrol Service,  having started as a mobile SCP more than 30 years ago in 1984.

Picture: @Carmsroadsafety via Twitter.