Emergency services team up for Road Safety Week

A team from South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue will be taking the the streets of Rotherham town centre next Friday to spread the message being served up by UN National Road Safety Week, which takes place between May 6 and 12.

Officers will show videos about pedestrian and bicycle safety and also offer young drivers advice about safe driving practice with the help of the force’s Subaru Impreza sports saloon.

Among the tips that the fire service will be giving is the following:

Think speed: the risk of killing a pedestrian is four times higher at 30mph, than 40mph.

Keep your distance: leave at least a two second gap between you and the car in front.

Do not drink and drive: just one drink can affect your response times as a driver.

Fire service spokesman Delroy Galloway said that simple changes to the habits of drivers and pedestrians could make a “massive difference to casualty numbers.”

He added: “Safe driving is mostly common sense. So we’re asking people to drive at the appropriate speed, leave a decent gap between you and the vehicle in front and never, ever drink and drive. Not just during this week, but every single day.”

Every day around ten collisions result in injuries to motorists or pedestrians on South Yorkshire’s roads.

For more information about staying safe on the roads, visit www.lifewise999.co.uk/roadsafety.