“Drivers feel constantly threatened by other drivers 'sitting' directly behind them in an attempt to push them to go faster”

Kent and Medway drivers deserve considerable praise for staying within the legal limit and contributing to the massive 54% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured at camera sites across the county (July 2002 to February 2003.) This reduction is not just down to enforcement, but also to a variety of road safety education campaigns run by the Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership.

Stickers for safety
Back off, I’m keeping my speed down! car stickers have been produced and the Partnership has been inundated with requests for them. Rachel Moon, Communications and Promotions Officer, says: “We often hear from drivers who say they stick within the speed limit, but feel constantly threatened by other drivers ‘sitting’ directly behind them in an attempt to push them to go faster. They say the only way they feel they can escape the threat is to speed up. This not only means they might end up breaking the law by exceeding the legal limit, but that if they do have a crash their injuries will be a lot more severe compared to if they stuck within the limit.”

Get your sticker now. E-mail rachel.moon@kent.gov.uk or lorraine.collins@kent.gov.uk

Street lights mean 30mph
Junior Road Safety Officers from Phoenix Community Primary School and St. Mary’s CE Primary School in Ashford have helped to make sure motorists know when they should be travelling within the 30mph speed limit. In a campaign featuring posters, leaflets, bus shelter and bus back adverts and newspaper adverts, motorists are reminded that "street lights mean 30mph unless otherwise advised". After a recent survey, surprising results showed that 74% of road users did not know how to tell if they were travelling on a 30mph road – this initiative has set out to eliminate any confusion.

Speed down!
Four-year-old Joseph Penny has helped launch a countywide bus back campaign to encourage road users to keep their speed down. The bus backs – which feature Joseph’s face – ask drivers ‘If I make a mistake will your speed kill me? What can you live with? Speed down’.

Kent County Show

“After a recent survey, surprising results revealed that 74% of road users did not know how to tell if they were travelling on a 30mph road”

Out and about
Getting to meet the people of Kent and Medway and answering any questions and concerns is extremely important to the Partnership, which is why its exhibition trailer is taken to as many events throughout the year as possible. This summer, the team is off to the British Motorcycle Federation Show, the Kent County Show and many more.

For further information about the Partnership and its campaigns, visit:
Website: www.kentandmedwaysafetycameras.org.uk
E-mail rachel.moon@kent.gov.uk/lorraine.collins@kent.gov.uk

The Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership was launched in July 2002 and comprises Kent County Council, Medway Council, the Highways Agency, Kent Police and Her Majesty’s Courts Service.