Drive SMART message goes out at Wings and Wheels
02/09/2010 14:06:48
Anti-social driving remains one of the top issues for people in Surrey if the level of interest in the Surrey County Council and Surrey Police Drive SMART display at Wings and Wheels is anything to go by.
Hundreds of people took the opportunity to visit the stand to catch up on the progress of Drive SMART at the show in Dunsfold over the August Bank Holiday weekend - with more than 600 information packs handed out.
Staff from Surrey County Council and Surrey Police mingled with thousands of members of the public at the annual airshow on Sunday and Monday, handing out the information packs and talking to people about their experiences of the kind of anti-social driving targeted by the initiative. Visitors to the Drive SMART exhibition area also had the opportunity to view the inside of a safety camera enforcement van and a police car and to chat to police officers and civilian staff about road safety issues and Drive SMART, which celebrates it's first anniversary in early September.
The Drive SMART initiative, launched in September 2009 by Surrey County Council and Surrey Police, encourages drivers to be more considerate and change driving behaviours that negatively affect the lives of other road users or local residents. These include speeding, tailgating, bad or inconsiderate parking, using a hand-held mobile phone at the wheel, drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt and generally thoughtless or reckless driving.
Superintendent Rachel Tills, Surrey Police 's lead officer for Drive SMART, said: "It was clear from the feedback from many Surrey people visiting the event that anti-social driving by others can have a significant effect on their daily lives. Residents believe this is an area we should be concentrating on, and the positive response we received shows that we are tackling this anti-social behaviour with the right balance of education and enforcement."
Surrey County Council Leader Dr Andrew Povey said: "Events like Wings and Wheels provide an ideal opportunity to spread the Drive SMART message. Surrey residents told us anti-social driving was a key concern for them which is why we have been working with Surrey Police to make sure our county is a safer and more pleasant place to drive. I'm delighted so many people took the opportunity to learn more about our campaign over the bank holiday weekend."