Wednesday 21 September 2016 marks the first European Day Without A Road Death, also known as Project EDWARD.

TISPOL, the European Traffic Police Network has been inviting people to sign up and pledge to drive and ride safer today, and so far over one hundred thousand people all across Europe have made that pledge.

TISPOL’s ultimate aim is that nobody will lose their life on roads today and that the day will encourage all road users to reflect on their road behaviour and amend their driving and riding attitude in the long term, making our roads safer to travel on.

North Yorkshire Police, working in partnership with the 95 Alive Road Safety Partnership and Highways England and alongside numerous organisations across Europe, are supporting the day. A week of action on our regions roads has been planned to achieve the aim.

The week of action will look to highlight safety on our roads and target those who choose to ignore advice and continue to drive and ride dangerously putting themselves and other innocent road users at risk.

The Roads Policing Group will be out in force all this week, and will be present on key routes across our region, monitoring traffic and cracking down on drivers and riders who speed, drive dangerously, drive without seat belts or use mobile devices whilst behind the wheel. They’ll also be looking for drink and drug drivers.

Officers will also be using an unmarked HGV provided by Highways England, to ensure HGV drivers are also driving their vehicle carefully and within the law.

Speaking about the week of action and TISPOL’s goal, Inspector Rich Champion of the Roads Policing Group said:

“This is the first European Day without a Road Death and the North Yorkshire Police Roads Policing Group will be out in force. We are determined to do everything we can to achieve the TISPOL target of no road deaths today and hope that the day makes a positive change in driver attitudes for the long term.”

“The message that TISPOL is promoting is important and of course is relevant every day we get behind the wheel of car or on a motorbike. The aim of the day is that all road users stop and think about their road behaviour. Consider if you are driving as safely as you can – or are you taking unnecessary risk and endangering yourself and others without realizing it.”
“Small changes in driving behaviour can make a massive difference – preparing your route before you set off, giving yourself an extra 5 or 10 minutes to get to work, ensuring you and your passengers are safely belted and just slowing down. These minimal things can ultimately save your or someone else’s life.”

Anthony Thorpe, from Highways England, said:

“Road safety is a priority for Highways England and that’s why we’re working with North Yorkshire Police on this initiative to tackle poor driving behaviour.

Doing what we can to reduce incidents on our network not only improves safety but it reduces congestion and provides more reliable journeys for drivers.”

North Yorkshire County Councillor Don Mackenzie, Executive Member for Highways, said

“We welcome the TISPOL Project Edward initiative as a way to unite the focus of police forces throughout the country and across Europe in encouraging people to try to play their part to achieve one day when no-one is killed on our roads.

And if we can do it once, we can do it again and again. Road crashes and casualties are not inevitable and we must keep working to make ourselves and our driving and riding safer for ourselves and everyone sharing the roads with us.”

For more information about TISPOL European Day Without A Road Death go to www.northyorkshire.police.uk/what-we-do/road-policing/edward/