Date: 22nd February, 2023
‘See You On The Road’ is a campaign launched last year by Dorset Road Safe to encourage greater awareness of the risks of pedestrian distraction.
In 2021, there were over 100 young people aged between 11 and 19 who were seriously injured as pedestrians on Dorset’s roads. The main causes of these collisions were the casualty failing to look properly before crossing the road, and the driver failing to see the person on foot.
Last summer, a competition was held for young people aged between nine and 16 to design a poster, social media image or animation that highlighted the dangers in a way that would draw the attention of all road users.
Entries were shared across social media by the @DWFRSRoadSafety account before two winners were chosen by Assistant Chief Constable Steve Lyne, of Dorset Police; Chief Fire Officer Ben Ansell, from Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service; and Dorset’s Police & Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick.
A clever poster led to Holly Abbott (aged 12 at the time of entry) from Gillingham School winning the category for 9-12 year olds. She has received a certificate and a Monkey World adoption pack, kindly donated by Monkey World.
The winner in the category for 13-16 year olds was Jacob McCulloch (aged 14 at the time of entry) from All Saints Church of England Academy in Weymouth. He received a £50 Amazon voucher, kindly donated by Merck, for his animation – this can be seen on the DWFRS YouTube channel.
ACC Steve Lyne said: “Children are taught from an early age how to cross the road safely, but when they are with their friends, distracted by their phones or listening to music, they can forget. This was a campaign designed for children, by children, to remind them of the dangers of being distracted and encourage them to Stop, Look, Listen and Think before they cross the road, to ensure they are safe and that they have been seen.”
CFO Ben Ansell said: “The quality of entries was excellent. I am confident that the winning designs, which were produced by young people, for young people, will be successful in promoting road safety and reducing the number of people killed or seriously injured. As a fire and rescue service, we want to congratulate all who were involved and look forward to seeing the winning designs in action.”
PCC David Sidwick said: “I thoroughly enjoyed being part of the judging panel and seeing all the creative entries from young people across Dorset. Road safety is an issue that is high on my agenda, and I was impressed with the innovation and quality of entries and particularly pleased to see so many young people passionate and determined to take the message out there.”
The winning entries are now being used by Dorset Road Safe to promote road safety across the county, targeting both drivers and the young people who are most vulnerable.
Christine Sharma, road safety manager for Dorset & Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service, who ran the competition on behalf of Dorset Road Safe, said: “Because this campaign has been designed by young people, we are hoping that it makes a real difference to their peers across the county. However, it’s also vital that drivers understand the risks posed by pedestrians not seeing them. If everyone takes a bit more care, we can bring down the number of young people being seriously injured on our roads each year.”
More information about Dorset Road Safe can be found at www.dorsetroadsafe.org.uk
