Shock tactics of East Lancashire speed campaign

7:00pm Monday 15th October 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Tyrone Marshall, Reporter

Shock tactics of East Lancashire speed campaign Shock tactics of East Lancashire speed campaign

A SHOCKING image portraying a dead child is to be displayed across East Lancashire as part of a speed awareness campaign.

The mocked-up picture, which will be placed in bus shelters and billboards, shows two sides of a girl’s face to highlight the difference between being hit by a car at 20mph and 30mph.

Research by the Department for Transport shows that a person hit at 30mph is seven times more likely to die than a person hit at 20mph.

The hard-hitting image comes as 20mph signs have been installed on more than half of residential roads as part of Lancashire County Council’s programme to establish 20mph as the new limit on all residential roads, and outside schools, by the end of 2013.

County Council leader Coun Geoff Driver said: “Many areas of Lancashire now have 20mph limits and this campaign highlights why we’ve introduced them.

“Although accident rates have fallen in recent years, figures show that some parts of Lanc- ashire have among the worst accident records in the country.

“The images used are hard-hitting because our research suggests they will be an effective way of encouraging drivers to recognise the serious consequences the 20mph areas are designed to guard against.”

The county council recently announced promising results from three ‘pilot’ 20mph schemes which have been established for approximately 18 months.

In the three years before the 20mph limits were introduced the total number of casualties across the three areas was 137, but in the period since only 25 injury accidents have been recorded.

Those pilots were in South West Burnley, Morecambe West End, in Lancaster, and The Larches, in Preston.

Ian Walmsley, NWAS sector manager for East Lancashire, said: “In my 30-year career I’ve attended many accidents where people have been hit by cars, and those involving children are often the most distressing.

“There is nothing more harrowing than turning up to a scene where a child has been killed and you know that by reducing the speed by just 10mph could have saved their life.

“In the scheme of things that one minute extra on your journey is nothing when you are considering someone’s life.”

Comments (11)

7:28pm Mon 15 Oct 12

rilistic says...

Excellent - well done LCC. Everybody note Ian Walmsley's comments!
Excellent - well done LCC. Everybody note Ian Walmsley's comments! rilistic

7:41pm Mon 15 Oct 12

JayEss says...

This is worth repeating:
"There is nothing more harrowing than turning up to a scene where a child has been killed and you know that by reducing the speed by just 10mph could have saved their life."

Just slow down. The time that a child runs out in front of you might just mean a small bruise rather than death.
This is worth repeating: "There is nothing more harrowing than turning up to a scene where a child has been killed and you know that by reducing the speed by just 10mph could have saved their life." Just slow down. The time that a child runs out in front of you might just mean a small bruise rather than death. JayEss

7:47pm Mon 15 Oct 12

bikerjohn_uk says...

All well and good, but you can't educate people who don't care. And the vast majority of bad drivers don't care.
All well and good, but you can't educate people who don't care. And the vast majority of bad drivers don't care. bikerjohn_uk

8:11pm Mon 15 Oct 12

Enlightened Patriot says...

bikerjohn_uk wrote:
All well and good, but you can't educate people who don't care. And the vast majority of bad drivers don't care.
Quite true and there was a sad case today where an illegal motorcycle / motorcyclist killed a cyclist after doing up to 50mph on the PAVEMENT having tried to avoid a car. That said, and I have mentioned this before, too many parents and schoolchildren seem too engrossed in their latest mobile technology than to take proper care about what is going on around them when outside. I have has some close encounters with such.

The motorist cannot always be blamed - we don't want to return to having a man with a red flag walking in front of every horseless carriage. I also think that such speed restrictions should be only be applied between certain hours, as in some countries I believe.
[quote][p][bold]bikerjohn_uk[/bold] wrote: All well and good, but you can't educate people who don't care. And the vast majority of bad drivers don't care.[/p][/quote]Quite true and there was a sad case today where an illegal motorcycle / motorcyclist killed a cyclist after doing up to 50mph on the PAVEMENT having tried to avoid a car. That said, and I have mentioned this before, too many parents and schoolchildren seem too engrossed in their latest mobile technology than to take proper care about what is going on around them when outside. I have has some close encounters with such. The motorist cannot always be blamed - we don't want to return to having a man with a red flag walking in front of every horseless carriage. I also think that such speed restrictions should be only be applied between certain hours, as in some countries I believe. Enlightened Patriot

8:36pm Mon 15 Oct 12

wrigglers says...

Its not just drivers that need to be targeted regarding road traffic accidents. Pedestrians also need to learn how to cross a road safely as well. Ive seen many a person crossing the road outside a shop and almost being hit all because they couldnt be bothered walking 20 yards to a pelican or zebra crossing
Its not just drivers that need to be targeted regarding road traffic accidents. Pedestrians also need to learn how to cross a road safely as well. Ive seen many a person crossing the road outside a shop and almost being hit all because they couldnt be bothered walking 20 yards to a pelican or zebra crossing wrigglers

8:38pm Mon 15 Oct 12

wrigglers says...

And one other thing instead on concentrating on uninsured motorists how about making not having a license more of an offence.
And one other thing instead on concentrating on uninsured motorists how about making not having a license more of an offence. wrigglers

10:25pm Mon 15 Oct 12

jellybiff says...

perhaps when they start to educate the kids the rates will go down especially the tossers on bikes..
perhaps when they start to educate the kids the rates will go down especially the tossers on bikes.. jellybiff

10:53am Tue 16 Oct 12

Izanears says...

Mikeee47 wrote:
Yet another waste of time and money, More police back on the roads IS the answer.
How many times do we hear about some one killed as a result of a joy rider ploughing into some innocent pedestrian then speeding off, NO LICENCE, NO INSURANCE,
Most drivers see a speed camera slow down for it then speed up again, I've even seen the police themselves do it.
These people have no morals, concience & Blo!!ocks to the consequenses. Untill you raise your voice over police cuts, posters wont work,
Well said Mikeee47.
[quote][p][bold]Mikeee47[/bold] wrote: Yet another waste of time and money, More police back on the roads IS the answer. How many times do we hear about some one killed as a result of a joy rider ploughing into some innocent pedestrian then speeding off, NO LICENCE, NO INSURANCE, Most drivers see a speed camera slow down for it then speed up again, I've even seen the police themselves do it. These people have no morals, concience & Blo!!ocks to the consequenses. Untill you raise your voice over police cuts, posters wont work,[/p][/quote]Well said Mikeee47. Izanears

10:56am Tue 16 Oct 12

Womble says...

BikerJohn is right, some people just don't care.

There's a 30mph speed limit through Knowle Green, but I was nearly hit by a driver doing at least 70mph, according to the estimates of witnesses. A friend was nearly knocked off her horse by someone speeding and overtaking in the village.

Only last week, I was obeying the speed limit, when a car overtook me at great speed. I'm not normally a fan of speed cameras, but I think they need one there; there's been too many accidents.
BikerJohn is right, some people just don't care. There's a 30mph speed limit through Knowle Green, but I was nearly hit by a driver doing at least 70mph, according to the estimates of witnesses. A friend was nearly knocked off her horse by someone speeding and overtaking in the village. Only last week, I was obeying the speed limit, when a car overtook me at great speed. I'm not normally a fan of speed cameras, but I think they need one there; there's been too many accidents. Womble

3:55pm Tue 16 Oct 12

Major Tom says...

They always blame the driver. If parents did a bit of parenting instead of collecting the taxpayers cash (kiddie benefits) they might develop a sense of danger.
I'm sure they walk around all doped up waiting for a insurance claim.
They always blame the driver. If parents did a bit of parenting instead of collecting the taxpayers cash (kiddie benefits) they might develop a sense of danger. I'm sure they walk around all doped up waiting for a insurance claim. Major Tom

8:54pm Tue 16 Oct 12

rilistic says...

What a pity that so many of you don't seem to care about the numbers of children killed and seriously injured on Lancashire's roads. Of course there should be more road safety education but surely it doesn't matter if the child is at fault - it's proved that he/she is 7 times less likely to be killed at 20mph than 30mph?
What a pity that so many of you don't seem to care about the numbers of children killed and seriously injured on Lancashire's roads. Of course there should be more road safety education but surely it doesn't matter if the child is at fault - it's proved that he/she is 7 times less likely to be killed at 20mph than 30mph? rilistic

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