THE RECREATION of a car crash is aiming to help make Warwickshire’s roads safer.
Last year, 49 people were injured, 236 people were seriously injured and 19 people killed on the county’s roads.
To help improve safety across the county, Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service (WFRS) is reminding people of the dangers and outcomes of the ‘fatal four’ behaviours behind the wheel – drink and drug driving, not wearing a seatbelt, using a mobile phone and speeding – with the recreation of a road traffic accident at Nuneaton Fire Station.
The simulated two-car collision will be in place for the next month and shows the devastating consequences of the ‘fatal four’ behaviours.
The main focus week of this awareness campaign runs from Monday (August 14), aligning with a police national road safety initiative.
Throughout the month, WFRS and Warwickshire Police will be at Nuneaton Fire Station offering road safety and safer driving advice around the ‘fatal four’. They will also be able to talk about the installation and the impact they are hoping it will make.
Warwickshire County Council’s community safety spokesman Coun Andy Crump said: “This installation in Nuneaton us a powerful reminder of the consequences that irresponsible driving has.
“We all need to be aware of the ‘fatal four’ behaviours and educate ourselves of the dangers they pose both to ourselves and other road users.
“I encourage local residents to visit the installation, have a chat with the crews there and take advantage of this valuable insight into the potential consequences of unsafe driving habits.
“Together, we can make our roads safer and protect the lives of our loved ones.”
Insp Jem Mountford, from Warwickshire Police Roads Policing Unit, said: “As police officers and firefighters we regularly see the consequences of the fatal four. People think it won’t happen to them, but it can and does.
“Hopefully when people see the installation, they will take the time to reflect on their driving and how it can impact on others.”
Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service is part of the Warwickshire Road Safety Partnership, working collaboratively with the aim of reducing the number of deaths and injuries on Warwickshire roads and create a safer road network for all.
The partnership has implemented a ten-year Road Safety Strategy, setting out how together we can achieve a target of a 50 per centreduction in road deaths and serious injuries on Warwickshire’s roads by 2030.
Visit warksroadsafety.org to find out more about the WRSP.
