A crash course in road survival
Last updated 15:09, Friday, 24 October 2008
Five years ago a shocking statistic spurred the county into action: it was revealed that Cumbria had the worst rate of people killed or seriously injured in road traffic accidents, per head, in the country.
The Safer Roads for Cumbria campaign, a partnership involving local authorities and business groups, was launched and targets were set.
Consequently, the number of casualties has fallen dramatically and the latest figures show in the first nine months of 2008 there has been a further drop in the three casualty areas: fatal, serious and slight.
“There is no one single reason why the figures are down,” says Richard Watt, Cumbria Police traffic management officer. “It is due to the various areas of the partnership; the efforts of the police force, the safety camera partnership and road awareness training with younger drivers. All of these, added together, are slowly working.
“We have also established strong links with local driving instructors and there is now a pass plus+ scheme for younger drivers. It comprises six practical modules that cover aspects of driving skills which are not covered in the main test – for example driving in bad weather, on rural roads, at night and so on.”
The overall reduction in the number of casualties will be universally welcomed but Richard points out: “Though the statistics have been going down steadily, it is proportionate, so it is still high in the younger age group. Of the fatal and serious casualties, 30 per cent will be motorcyclists and 28 per cent aged 17 to 24. The campaigns aim to target these two specific groups.”
One of these campaigns is the Bike Safe programme, which aims to improve biker safety awareness. So far, it is having a positive outcome: of all those who have completed the programme in the last two years, no-one has gone on to have a serious road traffic accident.
“As a motorcyclist, normally it’s a matter of time before you are among the statistics, so further training can only be a good thing,” says PC Paul Owen, a police officer for 21 years and regional co-ordinator for Bike Safe. “It’s about learning the road craft and being aware of the different elements. We teach them the five phases: info, position, speed, gear and acceleration, so that drivers learn motorcycle control. Bike Safe is funded by Safer Roads for Cumbria, whereas in other parts of the country there is a charge, so it is a good opportunity for motorcyclists.
“I am happy with the growing number of people taking part and want to see that continue. We are definitely making progress and the training leads to people riding safer and smoother.”
Where young drivers are concerned, it is widely agreed that the most effective way to get the safety message across is by giving them the cold and gruesome facts, leaving no stone unturned.
The road awareness training programme, run by the fire and rescue service, graphically illustrates the effects of bad driving and what happens when a car is involved in a collision.
The programme is delivered to all Year 11 pupils at school. “The idea is to catch them early,” explains Dave Edgar, group manager for Cumbria Fire Service. “Firefighters will show them hard hitting pictures and videos, with images from local crashes. We are working in small communities, so the pupils probably know the firefighters, who have been affected by attending incidents and know someone that knows someone who has been in a crash.
“It’s about making that link, that connection and bringing the message home before they start driving.”
Inspector Paul Kissack, of the Road Policing Unit, also works with young people. He says: “When you sit your test, you can start the car and get from A to B. But you have little practice or experience of different conditions.
“And the problem is, young people often think they’re invincible. Programmes such as road awareness training use shock tactics, because that is what will get the message across. Otherwise people never see it until it’s too late.
“We delivered a safety awareness event at Newton Rigg just this week, where road policing officers did a talk and took questions.
“We use a local car recovery firm which brings in crashed cars, to really hammer home the importance of safety – 219 students attended, aged 17 to 24 and that is just the age group we need to target.”
Inspector Kissack has been in his role for 10 years, so has been the first on the scene at countless road traffic accidents across north east Cumbria. And despite his experience, he says that every time he witnesses the devastating aftermath of a crash, it stays with him.
“You mentally prepare yourself each time for the worst case scenario but the fact is you are entering a scene of carnage,” he says. “When you go to a collision, the worst sight is if the car has been on fire and people have burned to death, or if limbs have been severed. It is horrendous.
“But at the time, you don’t let it stand in the way. If we did we would all be gibbering wrecks. The professional side of you always kicks in. But afterwards you always think about it. Anyone who says they don’t, well I say either they’re lying, or they’re not human.
“Your over-riding priority is to preserve life and if there are possible survivors we check their pulse and that they’re still breathing. The paramedics are not far behind but we provide first aid if necessary. The fire and rescue service will arrive. Anyone seriously injured has to be extracted carefully, they might have a broken neck or back.”
Keeping professional at all times is essential, not just to aid crash survivors. The team also have to do a site survey, which involves assessing apparent causes and preserving evidence, from tyre marks to every last piece of debris and speak to witnesses.
Little wonder, then, he is keen to get the safety message across. He helps co-ordinate a multi-agency group, Casualty Reduction and Safer Highways – or CRASH – where road safety officers and representatives from the police, fire and rescue, ambulance services, Cumbria County Council and the Institute of Advanced Motorists meet to discuss progress and future plans.
Someone else targeting young people is still a teenager himself. Adam Kirkbride from Whitehaven is just 17 but has launched Be Fit – Be Safe to teach his contemporaries about road safety. He had been involved with a review the fire and rescue service were carrying out into the current road awareness training programme and suggested targeting sports clubs in West Cumbria to educate young people on road safety.
Adam is a rugby league referee and knows for himself how well-attended sports clubs are. “West Cumbria is a tight community and sports clubs are a big thing,” he explains. “I wanted to take a different angle to going into schools – you normally have a set time there, say 50 minutes to cram everything into.
“At the sports clubs we tend to get parents there too. We are really starting to get people’s attention. We can show videos and pictures of actual crashes. Because they are local, the audience can relate to them and they might even know people involved or who have been affected. It gives them a different perspective.
“We do about 10 to 15 projects a month. We’ve had a positive response and are looking to push the project further.”
As a result of his efforts, Adam was highly commended earlier this month in the young volunteer category, by the West Cumbria Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership.
There’s no doubt road safety is a vast, complex area where there are no quick answers. Those who have been involved with bringing the number of casualties down admit it is an uphill struggle and as a result Safer Roads for Cumbria and the various initiatives it encompasses will continue indefinitely.
“The obvious target for casualties is zero but that is of course a utopian figure,” says Mr Watt. “Most accidents are down to drivers making errors, going too fast for the road. They get held up and are chasing the clock all the time, they have always got to be somewhere. A-class roads are also busier and faster – there’s no magic to it, these factors will result in accidents. It is a natural consequence of speed.”
And from Sunday, when the clocks go back and we enter winter, we can also expect a rise in accidents. “At this time of year, people get caught out. Leaves drop and the roads get slippy,” says Inspector Kissack. “It’s not just motorists who should beware, cyclists and motorcyclists need to check their lights and wear reflective jackets. Darkness brings its own danger and collisions rise.”
Mr Watt adds: “The message when the clocks go back is for people to check their vehicles are safe, the engine and lights are working properly and to give yourself time to adjust to the change in light. Also give yourself plenty of time for your journey, so you don’t get frustrated and start making mistakes.”
