Latest road safety campaigns

The Road Safety section aim to promote road safety to all road users.

Child car seats

On Monday 18 September 2006 the law changed for child car seats.

New legislation means you must use the correct car seat for your child. There is a new law to ensure children are properly protected when travelling in cars and goods vehicles. In the past, most children in cars have only had to be in an ‘appropriate restraint if available.’ This loophole has disappeared with the introduction of the new regulations.

Using an adult seatbelt, alone, before a child is sufficiently developed may put them at a higher risk of internal injury, should the car they are travelling in be forced to stop quickly or is involved in a collision. Especially if the belt is sitting too high across the stomach.

The new law means:

In vehicles where seat belts are fitted, children three years to 135cms in height (4ft 5”) must travel in the appropriate car seat, booster seat, or booster cushion. Children of 12 years and above must use the seat belt, if available.

Rear facing baby seats must never be used in a front seat with an active frontal airbag. This is because the restraint will be too close to the dashboard and in an accident the expanding airbag is liable to cause serious or fatal injury to the child.

It is hoped with introduction of the new law, over 2000 child deaths or injuries could be prevented each year.

Is your child properly protected? Think!. Use the right car seat for your child. Visit the useful websites above and attached documents for more information.

Young drivers

The council’s Road Safety Team has run a campaign aimed at young drivers, highlighting the fact that they are more likely to have crashes while carrying passengers of their own age. 16 to 25 year olds account for 28% of people killed and seriously injured on UK roads each year, despite only representing 9% of the population.

Under the ‘Three’s a crowd’ campaign, posters carrying the message: ‘Young Drivers are twice as likely to die when carrying passengers their own age’ were displayed in prominent places where younger drivers were likely to see them. Over the last few months there have been a number of crashes on our roads involving young drivers with young passengers. This campaign aimed to remind younger people to think a little more when out driving with friends.

Drink driving

3,000 people each year, on average, are killed or seriously injured in drink drive collisions. Drivers who are over the legal alcohol limit are involved in nearly one in six deaths on the road. Drink driving occurs particularly in men aged 17-29 in casualties and positive breath tests after a collision.

The legal limit is 80 milligrammes of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood but alcohol has many effects:

• reactions are slower
• judgement of speed/distance is poorer
• the field of vision is reduced
• stopping distances are increased
• confidence is increased so more risks are taken

Each person is different and to stay under the legal alcohol limit depends on weight, sex, age, metabolism, stress levels, an empty stomach and the type of alcohol. Many people do not realise that they could still be over the limit the following morning.

Mobile phones

It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone or similar device while driving. The penalty is £60 and 3 penalty points. If the case goes to court, it's a maximum fine of £1,000 (£2,500 if driving a bus, coach or heavy goods vehicle), discretionary disqualification and 3 points. Drivers can still be prosecuted for using hands-free phones if they fail to have proper control of the vehicle.

Belt up the bump

Like all drivers or passengers, pregnant women must wear a seat belt, unless their doctor certifies that they are medically exempt - there is no automatic exemption. If you wear your seat belt correctly, it will be comfortable and will also keep you and baby safe!

In cars fitted with air bags, the front seat should be pushed back as far as practicable.

The seat belt should be:
1) over the shoulder
2) between the breasts
3) across the hips, fitting comfortably under the bump

Do not allow the seat belt to be slack, loose or twisted. It must be snug and comfortable to be effective.

We support The Department for Transport THINK! Campaigns, which include:

• child car seats
• hedgehogs
• teenagers
• horse sense
• motorcyclists
• mobile phones
• driver tiredness
• seatbelts
• drink drive
• slow down

For more information go to the THINK website by following the link on this page.

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