South Wales Fire and Rescue Service is backing the national charity Brake's Road Safety Week this November with the release of a hard hitting radio advert on Capital FM and the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service website.

Within the advert, on air until Sunday 27th November, listeners are urged not to give into temptation and send a text while driving as this can take a life.

From April 1st 2010 until March 31st 2011, there were 6,856 recorded road traffic collisions (RTCs) across Wales with emergency response teams often having to deal with horrific scenes. 

Of the 6,856 RTCs, 89 people were killed, 998 seriously injured and 8,868 people were slightly injured

The theme of this year's awareness week, which runs from the 21st to 25th November, is  'Too Young To Die' and is the brainchild of national charity Brake, who exist to improve road safety in the UK.

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service runs and organises events all year round to promote road safety and during Road Safety Week this year will be taking 'Domino', 'Operation Options' and the 'Ford Cruize Car' to colleges around the South Wales area .

Neil Brown, Head of Road Safety for South Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: "We work closely with our communities throughout the year to give advice on a number of safety issues affecting them. Road safety is always key to our talks, particularly to young people who are statistically more at risk. It makes sense to support Road Safety Week, which is highlighting the dangers to young drivers.

"These incidents are renowned for sending horrific shock waves throughout immediate families, close relatives and the local communities. Some of the incidents that South Wales firefighters attend are horrific, and the less people who have to suffer the trauma of losing someone in tragic circumstances like these the better.

"However, these incidents are preventable and are more often than not are caused by the person driving too fast, driving dangerously, driving whilst using a mobile phone, driving whilst under the influence of drugs or alcohol or becoming tired whilst at the wheel and the drivers and passengers not wearing a seat belt."

By delivering the 'Domino', 'Operation Options' and 'Cruize Car' within colleges throughout the area, South Wales Fire and Rescue Service will be raising awareness of the fact that road crashes are the biggest killer of young people. During this Road Safety Week, SWFRS will be encouraging young people to look out for themselves and their friends as drivers and passengers and speak out against dangerous driving behaviour.

For more information visit: www.southwales-fire.gov.uk 

 

Posted November 16th, 2011 at 0920 by Andrew. Comment by emailing: andrew.lynch@pavpub.com