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Essex Safety Camera Partnership - 05.01.07
Don't be the killer in the community

50 per cent of road accidents where someone is injured or killed happen less than three miles from the driver or riders home, new data from the Essex Safety Camera Partnership (ESCP) reveals.

This amounts to 575 serious or fatal accidents in Essex which involved people who were driving/riding within three miles of home and another 2900 accidents involved slight injuries over the past 12 months.

25 per cent of injury accidents happen with in a mile of a driver/riders home address.

This week the ESCP launches a major new ' Stop Community Speeding Campaign' in a bid to cut casualties and fatalities caused by local drivers in their own communities.

ESCP Spokesperson, Roberta Everitt said "We get a huge amount of correspondence from Essex residents requesting safety cameras in their local communities because they feel speeding is such a problem, however this data also shows that a lot of the time it's local drivers who are causing the problem.

"Speeding anywhere is anti-social and dangerous but if you're also speeding in your own community you could be putting at risk someone you know, maybe even a neighbour or friend."

As part of the campaign a series of hard hitting radio advertisements have been scheduled on Essex FM and SGR Colchester describing the devastating consequences for a driver who has killed his neighbour's son after hitting him while speeding.

Posters showing a bereaved mother laying flowers by the side of the road and featuring the caption 'She knew her son's killer - he lived across the road.' will also appear on billboards and bus shelters throughout Essex, Southend and Thurrock.

The ESCP is also running a 'Speeding in the Community' Photographic Competition   judged by a high profile judging panel comprising Katie Brimley, Senior Road Officer for Essex County Council, Mike Rose, Essex Chronicle Series Picture Editor, Denise Langan Road Safety Manager for Thurrock Council and ESCP Campaign Photographer, Clare Banks.

An exhibition featuring all entries will be on display at County Hall, Chelmsford, the Civic Centre, Southend and the Civic Offices, Thurrock between Monday 29 January and Friday 9 February.

Roberta added, "We hope that this campaign will make drivers stop and think before they put their foot down and risk their lives and the lives of those around them."

For further information on the campaign visit the ESCP website at www.essexsafetycameras.co.uk.

For further media information or to arrange interviews or photographs please contact Roberta Everitt on 01245 437782 or 07786125447.

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