Put your best foot forward for Road Safety week

November 23, 2015 by Southend Borough Council

Put your best foot forward for Road Safety week

Friday 20th November 2015

Meet Ziggy the cat, Southend’s popular Road Safety mascot who is helping launch Brake Road Safety Week on Monday 23rd November.

On that day, captivating Ziggy will be making a guest appearance at Leigh North Street School to promote road safety and safer parking near the school.

This is just one of a host of Southend activities being staged to mark the week’s special national campaign organised by the road safety charity, Brake.

Selected schools in the borough will also be flying ‘No Excuse for Poor Parking’ banners to remind parents to park carefully if they drive their children to school.

On Wednesday 25th November one of the Council’s Road Safety Team programmes for year five students is being held at St Nicholas School in Philpott Avenue, Southend.

For this ‘Walk It’ event, team members take small groups of students for short walks around their school pointing out dangers, distractions and how to cross safely between parked cars.

Meanwhile, on Thursday 26th November, the Council’s Road Safety Team and Essex Police officers are joining up at two key Southend locations for enforcement and engagement activities.

Police will use both Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras to identify vehicles without tax, insurance, MOT, or other issues, and will also spot drivers committing other motoring offences such using mobile phones or not wearing seatbelts while driving.

Once Police officers have dealt with any traffic offences, drivers and passengers are invited to speak with a road safety officer. This will highlight the dangers of their actions and the risks they are putting people through.

Their discussion then be reinforced by a short video graphically illustrating the vital importance of wearing seatbelts, not speeding and not using mobile phones.

The same day, the Road Safety Team will be stationed in Southend High Street to speak with residents and visitors about a whole range of safety issues. They will be there with the Fire Service Community Wheels Vehicle and also the Council’s Public Health Team’s Stop Smoking team.

Meanwhile, also on Thursday, a Roadster programme will get under way at South East Essex College.

It is specially aimed at year 12 students and focuses on becoming drivers and/or being passengers in cars driven by newly qualified drivers.

There are six sessions for them to attend during the day delivered by Essex Police, Essex Fire and Rescue Service, Paramedics, Trading Standards staff, and Road Safety Officers, and also they get a chance to drive in a driving instructor’s car.

These road safety activities will be supported by a display all week at the Forum Southend-on-Sea in Elmer Square.

Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Martin Terry said: “Road Safety is an essential part of everyday life so we want to do all we can make sure people of all ages are constantly aware of how best to avoid risks and keep safe, whichever means of transport they are using.

“This special week will help bring road safety issues to the forefront of everyone’s attention.”