Road safety campaign reinforces ‘Clunk Click’ message
03/02/2010 13:33:59
Complacent drivers and their passengers are being warned to belt up on every journey in a renewed road safety crackdown by Surrey Police and Surrey County Council this week.
As part of the year-long Drive SMART campaign to tackle anti-social driving, Surrey Police and Surrey County Council are reminding motorists that they are putting themselves and others at risk of death or serious injury by failing to wear a seatbelt.
The countywide crackdown follows on from a number of Roadside Education and Enforcement Days (REED) held last year across the county which showed a high number of motorists still risk their lives by driving while not wearing a seatbelt.
Drivers were stopped by police and council road safety officers for a range of offences. On one day, some 44 drivers were stopped for not wearing a seatbelt compared to four for speeding (on a road with a 30 mile per hour limit) and four for using a hand-held mobile phone behind the wheel. Where appropriate, motorists were offered road safety education on the spot rather than a penalty.
The days were part of the Drive SMART campaign which encourages drivers to be more considerate and change driving behaviours that negatively affect the lives of other road users or local residents. As well as not wearing a seatbelt, these also include tailgating, bad or inconsiderate parking, using a hand-held mobile phone, speeding, drink and drug driving and generally thoughtless or reckless driving.
Head of Surrey Police Roads Policing Unit, Chief Inspector Dave Mason, said: “This latest countywide campaign is aimed at those complacent motorists and passengers who think they will not get caught. This campaign reinforces the message that they are risking their lives as well as breaking the law. If they are involved in a collision, whether they are correctly wearing a seatbelt could be a major factor in the extent of their injuries. The decision to belt up could prove to be a life saver.”
He continued: “Although we are aiming to show motorists the error of their ways by raising their awareness about road safety and the consequences of not wearing a seatbelt, we will not hesitate to issue a £60 fixed penalty notice if this is deemed to be more appropriate.”
The campaign also coincides with the launch of the national THINK! ‘Three Strikes’ campaign this month, which uses a mixture of powerful TV, radio, cinema and outdoor advertising to reinforce the message to drivers and their passengers that if you don’t wear a seatbelt you could suffer fatal injuries, even at low speeds.
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