Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service is taking a leading role in one of the biggest safety pushes ever seen on our roads.
Friday July 22, will see firefighters, safety advocates and colleagues from a range of partner agencies take up position on motorways across the service's area. At the same time, fire and rescue services around the United Kingdom will be doing the same in their areas for what will be an unprecedented day of coordinated awareness raising.  
Armed with the latest intelligence on road deaths and injuries and with the backing of the Chief Fire Officers Association, the message to motorists will be clear and uncompromising: keep your distance and reduce your speed.
Crews and personnel from at least seven Cheshire fire stations will be in the following locations between 10am and 4pm:

  • M6 Knutsford services both north and south
  • M6 Sandbach services both north and south
  • M6/M56 Lymm HGV services
  • M56 Hapsford (Chester) service area
  • M62 Burtonwood service area.

They will engage with drivers who have time to take a few minutes out of their journey, with the aim being for there to be at least 200 one-to-one contacts at each location during the course of the day.  
"In 2010 we had 39 deaths on our roads in Cheshire, Halton and Warrington and almost 4,400 injuries," explained Martin Dowle, Road Safety Manager for Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service.
"Compare that to the eight fire deaths and 40 fire-related injuries in the same period and it's plain to see why road safety is now as high on our agenda as fire prevention in the home.
"Fatalities have fallen in recent years as a result of extensive work with partners, but still too many people are dying on our roads. As professionals committed to saving life - not merely extracting its remains from smashed up vehicles - that's a situation fire and rescue personnel cannot accept." 

 

Posted: 11.18, 15.7.11, rachael.haydon@pavpub.com