Is it worth the Risk? - Maresfield Parish Council

The Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP) and DriveSmart, Surrey are launching ‘Is it worth the risk?’ road safety campaign from today (Monday 1 February) which coincides with the National Police Chiefs’ Council’s month of action against using a mobile phone behind the wheel.

Using a mobile phone while driving is one of the Fatal Five offences that contribute to incidents of those killed and seriously injured (KSI) on our roads. In order to reduce the number of KSIs and improve road safety for all road users, the campaign seeks to highlight the dangers and consequences of being distracted at the wheel when using a mobile phone.

The Casualty Reduction Officers, working with the Safety Camera Team will be out across Surrey and Sussex deploying the camera van at locations to spot those flouting the law, giving out advice and enforcement activity where appropriate.

The SSRP and DriveSmart are urging the public to be aware that using a handheld mobile phone while driving or riding is both dangerous and illegal yet we continue to see people risking their life and the lives of others on a daily basis.

Distractions whilst driving can have serious and potentially fatal consequences for the individual and other road users, which we unfortunately continue to see on roads across Surrey and Sussex.

This campaign seeks to educate the public on the risks of using a mobile phone across a multitude of everyday scenarios. Encouraging people to ask themselves that before they get in their car, what is likely to be so important that they need to use their phone whilst driving? The message is clear, don’t risk a near miss, being stopped by police, or causing a collision. Do the right thing and pull over to use the phone.

If you are a social media user please support the SSRP and DriveSmart by sharing or retweeting their social media posts from Monday through to Sunday 21 February. They are using #ItCanWait, help share their message.

If you’re interested to find out more about the SSRP road safety initiatives, visit their website here.