Road Safety Wales : Press Releases

25/8/09: 2009 ALL WALES SEATBELT CAMPAIGN

“Your seatbelt can save your life” - this is the important message that Welsh emergency services hope all drivers and passengers will take away from this year’s All Wales Seatbelt Campaign.

Gwent Chief Constable and National ACPO lead for Roads Policing, Mick Giannasi will be launching the campaign at Tesco, Ebbw Vale at 11.30am on Tuesday 25 August.

From September 7, 2009 Gwent Police will lead the All Wales Seatbelt Campaign warning motorists and passengers that they are risking their lives by not wearing belts and issuing fixed penalty notices to those who choose to flout the law. The two-week campaign involving Gwent Police, South Wales Police, Dyfed Powys Police and North Wales Police will run from Monday September 7, 2009 until Sunday September 20.  The first week of the campaign coincides with a similar Europe-wide campaign by TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network.

Teaming up with Capita Symonds and South Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the police-led campaign will focus on education, to raise awareness of the dangers and possible consequence of not wearing a seatbelt, and enforcement.  Officers will be out on the roads stopping and fining drivers and passengers of all ages not wearing seatbelts.

Motorists and passengers who chose to risk their lives by not taking the simple step of wearing a seatbelt could receive a Fixed Penalty Notice – the price of which has recently doubled from £30 to £60 – or be summonsed to court where they could face fines of up to £500.

As an alternative to prosecution, motorists and passengers will be given the opportunity to attend a showing of a film on the dangers of not wearing seatbelts.

2866 people were caught not wearing seatbelts in the 2008 campaign which ran between September 8 and 21.

Gwent Police Roads Policing Inspector Lee Ford said:

"We run seatbelts campaign every year and although the majority of people understand the risk they face by not wearing a seatbelt there are those who continue to ignore the dangers. Seatbelts can be the difference between life and death and every year in Wales people die needlessly because they are not wearing them. We are determined to target the problem.  There will be a particularly strong emphasis on seatbelt use during the two-week campaign, but education and enforcement will continue all year round. By taking the simple step of fastening their seatbelts drivers and passengers can significantly increase their chances of survival in a collision.  The extra care and couple of seconds to click it into place is undeniably worth it.”

Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Kevin Barry, from South Wales Fire and Rescue Service added:

"Like all Emergency Service workers, Firefighters attend road traffic collisions every day, and have to deal with horrendous and disturbing scenes.  We welcome this chance to join our policing colleagues in emphasising how important it is to use your seatbelt - it could save your life".

Dyfed Powys Police Road Safety Officer Susan Storch said:

"Wearing a seat belt is such a simple, easy thing to do. Unfortunately, police officers see the consequences of driving without a seat belt all too often at crash scenes.

"While you'll face a fine if you are caught without your seat belt on, the key message we are trying to get across is that wearing a seat belt really could mean the difference between life and death - and that applies just as much to passengers as it does to drivers."

At the launch of this Christmas’ Welsh Assembly Government and Police anti drink drive campaign in Caernarfon, the family of Amanda Coulton of North Wales, who was tragically killed by a drink driver, gave a personal account of how it has affected them.

And North Wales Police, representing the four Welsh police forces, launched the annual drink drive crackdown with a stern warning to motorists out over the festive period; “We will take robust action if you are caught drinking and driving.”

Last year 19,554 drivers were breathalysed on the roads of Wales during the Christmas campaign and 587 of those tested positive.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Deputy First Minister and Minister for the Economy and Transport, launched the latest advertising campaign.

The campaign highlights the problems associated with drink driving and reminds drivers to watch out for the dangerous ‘Moment of Doubt’ times, as it takes less than you think to become a drink driver.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Deputy First Minister and Minster for the Economy and Transport said:

I am pleased to be here at my first Anti Drink Drive launch since becoming Minister for the Economy and Transport. For over 30 years the Government has been campaigning to change attitudes and help cut alcohol-related road deaths, but there are still too many families and too many individuals whose lives are being shattered by drink-drive related injuries and fatalities.

Although only a small minority of motorists continue to flout the drink-driving rules, this minority of irresponsible drivers still accounts for one sixth of all road deaths in this country.  I ask these drivers to consider the potentially devastating effect that their behaviour may have on innocent victims, and stop being utterly thoughtless.

The Department for Transport have recently consulted on new anti drink drive measures including proposals for more effective enforcement which I hope will help root out and deal with this dangerous minority of drivers.

Over the next four weeks thousands of motorists face being stopped as teams from the four forces – North Wales, Dyfed Powys, South Wales and Gwent conduct road checks at various locations across the country.

Chief Superintendent John Turton from North Wales Police’s Operational Support Division said:

Despite previous campaigns, drink driving remains one of the essential themes in our strategy to reduce the number of serious injuries and deaths on the roads of Wales.

There will be a zero tolerance approach, both before and after Christmas and if you break the law and drive over the limit you not only run the risk of disqualification and a criminal prosecution, but you risk your own life as well as the lives of other road users.

He added:

We are determined to do everything we can to make the roads of Wales safer; however we cannot work in isolation. We need the support of the public to be able to make a real impact. I urge everyone to play their part – drink drive limits cannot be calculated and the only safe way is for you not to drink and drive.

Supporting this year’s launch are Angela and Derek Coulton, whose daughter, Amanda was killed following a collision in January this year.

Angela Coulton said:

There are no words to describe the devastation that’s been caused to our family. Too many innocent people are killed by unfit drivers leaving family members and friends grieving.

Amanda loved everything she did and had so many expectations. Her last words on her Bebo page were ‘I have the perfect life’ – how cruel for someone so happy in life to have it taken away.

My son has now become an only child. My husband would have been the proudest man alive walking Amanda up the aisle – I will never get the chance to be the mother of the bride. We will never see Amanda have children and look after them.

A child is the most precious thing a person can have. Unless anything like this has happened to you, you cannot even begin to imagine the trauma caused when your child is taken away.

The Deputy First Minister also presented the four regional winners of the Road Safety Wales Anti Drink Multi Media competition, in which young people were invited to deliver a anti drink drive message in the medium of their choice.

A DVD entitled the ‘Naomi Story’ by Emily Gronow, which was created for a competition to create a message targeting young drivers and passengers, as part of a Road Traffic Collision Reduction Initiative organised by Penarth Fire Station was also shown at the event. The DVD is based on the anti drink drive poem ‘Went To A Party Mum’ and will be used in future initiatives. Earlier this year Emily won the individual Road Safety Award for 2008.

The 9th Wales Road Safety Awards, in recognition of outstanding contribution to road safety, will be held at the Future Inns, Hemingway Road, Cardiff Bay on Monday 29 September. The presentation ceremony will take place during the annual Road Safety Wales Conference dinner and awards will be presented by the Welsh Assembly Government’s Deputy First Minister, Ieuan Wyn Jones.

This year’s recipients include a student from the Vale of Glamorgan, a school crossing patrol from Cardiff, a cinema manager from Neath Port Talbot, a car dealership from Rhondda Cynon Taf and two secondary schools from Carmarthenshire.

Award recipients will be presented with a souvenir and a cash award. The Deputy First Minister said, “It is a pleasure to be here today to present these awards and I congratulate all of the award winners on their commitment to improve road safety. Improving road safety in all areas of Wales is one of our ‘One Wales’ commitments and since 2000 we have allocated over £54 million directly to local authorities to help them deliver and implement road safety projects and initiatives in their local areas. In addition we have allocated over £27 million to our popular Safe Routes to School initiative and this year £10 million has gone to local authorities to help them implement projects that enhance safe routes in the community.”

Photographs of the recipients receiving their Award will be forwarded to the media following the presentation. Chevron has supported the Awards since their inception.

For further information contact Steve Baker or Michelle Harrington on 02920 250 600
Click here for a list of award winners

‘Not belting up can kill’, young people will be warned as part of an All Wales campaign stressing the dangers of not wearing seatbelts.

From 8th September 2008, South Wales Police will lead the All Wales Seatbelt Campaign, warning drivers they are risking their lives by not wearing belts and cracking down on motorists and passengers who flout the laws.

The two-week campaign by South Wales Police, Dyfed Powys Police, Gwent Police and North Wales Police, will run from Monday 8 September 2008 until 23.59 hours on Sunday 21st September and will particularly focus on young drivers.

In Wales so far this year, as in previous years, officers have seen a number of young people killed in collisions who were not wearing belts.

As part of the campaign officers will be educating young people, particularly in the 17 to 25 age group, about the dangers of not wearing belts.

Officers will also be on the roads stopping and fining drivers and passengers of all ages who flout the law.

Officers will be issuing £30 fixed penalty notices and some people could find themselves summonsed to court where they could face fines of up to £500.

The campaign launch will take place at the Norwegian Church, Cardiff Bay at 10.30am on Monday 8 September.

Following the recent success of the All Wales Summer Anti Drink Drive campaign, the Welsh police forces are joining together for a campaign targeting drug drivers. Dyfed Powys Police are leading the All Wales Anti Drug Driving Awareness Campaign which will be launched at 11a.m on Monday the 21st of July at the YFC stand in the Royal Welsh Show.

For the launch, a Music Challenge will take place aimed at young people aged from 14 to 26 from all over Wales. The challenge involved getting a band/group together and producing a song about the issues and dangers of drug driving.

Each Local Authority will have a band to represent their county at the final. The overall winner will be judged and announced on the day. The winner of the Summer Anti Drink Driving Launch will also be there to perform their winning song.

Assistant Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police, Mr Nicholas Ingram said:
“The message that drinking and driving is illegal and will not be tolerated is well known and has been used for years - but it's vitally important for everyone to be aware that taking drugs and driving is also illegal and will not be tolerated. This is also a lethal combination - people who take drugs and drive run the risk of killing themselves and other innocent road users. By engaging with youngsters on this issue, and getting them to think of the dangers through a medium they enjoy - hopefully the message will stay with them for the rest of their lives.”

More drivers than ever before have been breath tested during an All Wales summer anti drink drive campaign, but less than 5 per cent were found to be over the legal limit.

Over 12,000 drivers were breath tested by the four Welsh forces in the campaign which ran from June 1 to June 30. This compares to 7,970 in 2007.

Of these 4.2 per cent proved positive which compares to 5 per cent for the previous year.

The percentage of drivers giving a positive test after collisions was 6.5 per cent.

The number of under 25s breath tested was 3,635 with 353 positive, refused or failed to provide; which equates to 4.2 per cent.

In Dyfed Powys Police one of those arrested was just 15 and found to be over the legal limit.

Deputy Chief Constable of Dyfed Powys Police, Andy Edwards, said: “It is pleasing that the percentage of positive tests has fallen.

“What is concerning is the number of people found to be over the legal drink drive limit following collisions. This clearly demonstrates the serious risk they are putting themselves and others at.

“All the Welsh forces target drink driving throughout the year and our message is simple – if you drink don’t drive.”

The Welsh police forces are joining together for a summer campaign targeting drink drivers. The campaign starts on June 10 and will involve increased stop checks by all the Welsh police forces.

People are being urged to think before they drink and not to get behind the wheel if they have consumed alcohol.

Acting Chief Constable Andy Edwards, of Dyfed Powys Police who are leading on the campaign, said: “In the summer many people take advantage to have parties and barbecues especially when the sun is shining."

“However as these events may take place over a number of hours they may lose track of how much they have had to drink. We would like to remind people there is no set amount of alcohol which can be consumed before legally getting behind the wheel."

“People who drink and drive run the risk of killing themselves, their passengers, and other innocent road users. If you are stopped and found to be over the limit you face being disqualified from driving and having a criminal conviction which can have a massive impact on your life."

“The best advice is simple - if you drink, don’t drive.”

During the campaign last summer 7,970 breath tests were administered in Wales with 400 (5 per cent) being positive.

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Twenty-five years after a successful RoSPA campaign to introduce the first seatbelt law, around 370 people a year are still being killed in road crashes because they do not wear a seatbelt.

Well over 50,000 lives have been saved by seatbelts since 1983. But Steve Baker, Head of RoSPA Wales, said: “It is shocking that a stubborn minority of people still do not belt up when they get into a vehicle. Research shows that about a third of car occupants receiving fatal injuries are not wearing seatbelts.

“We need to understand why they are still not getting the message and to ensure there are regular targeted campaigns so that deaths and injuries continue to reduce.

“It may be that some people simply forget to wear their belts and need to be encouraged to get into the habit. Others may not feel they are necessary or that it is not ‘cool’ to wear one. Perhaps it is time to consider giving drivers three penalty points when they fail to wear their belts.”

The first seatbelt law came in 25 years ago on January 31 after RoSPA’s then President, Lord Nugent of Guildford, won the day for compulsory wearing in the front seat of cars by introducing an amendment to the Transport Bill in the House of Lords. A law making it compulsory to wear seatbelts in the back of cars was introduced in 1991.

“Thousands of lives have been saved by seatbelts thanks to RoSPA and Lord Nugent’s efforts,” Steve Baker said. “Unfortunately, while around 94 per cent of people in the front of cars wear their seatbelts - and that is still too low - only about 70 per cent of adults wear them in the back.

“As television advertisements have shown, an unbelted rear seat passenger can be thrown forward and kill someone in the front of a car. In a crash at 30mph, if unrestrained you will be thrown forward with a force of between 30 and 60 times your own bodyweight.

“There is also a big problem with van drivers (69 per cent wearing rate) and their passengers (58 per cent) and we need employers to do more to ensure their drivers and other employees put on their seatbelts.

“Recent car seat laws have done more to protect children, but adults need to set an example by wearing their own belts so that children understand the true value of seatbelts as they grow too big for a child restraint.”

www.thinkseatbelts.com