Police have been asking motorists to help prevent any more road deaths in Nottinghamshire in line with a national campaign.
It comes just a day after a 46-year-old van driver died in Church Road, Greasley, after a two-vehicle collision.
Since January this year, there have been 19 fatal collisions resulting in 20 fatal casualties. That compares with 20 fatal collisions resulting in 21 fatal casualties throughout 2020.
Project Edward (Every Day Without A Road Death) launched a national road trip this week and stopped off in Nottinghamshire yesterday to support officers taking part in the campaign.
The Radford Road neighbourhood team, Operation Reacher and operational support roads policing officers staged an operation in Gregory Boulevard, near to the Forest Recreation Ground, between 8am and 12pm.
It centred around the ‘fatal 4’ causes of serious collisions being use of mobile phones, seatbelts, speeding and drink and drug-driving.
It also tied in with a national speed safe day run by the National Police Chiefs’ Council which also took place yesterday with a focus on keeping vulnerable road users such as pedal and motor cyclists, pedestrians and horse riders, safe whilst out on the forces roads.
During the operation, several drivers were stopped and spoken with for offences around not wearing seatbelts, using mobile phones while driving and speeding.
Operation Reacher Sergeant Mark Westlake, who led the event, said: “It’s extremely disappointing to witness these offences anywhere, but taking place on an a really busy boulevard outside a heavily populated area and just outside the Djanology Academy is particularly concerning.
“The tragic fatal collision in Greasley this week is a stark reminder that we are so vulnerable when we use the road, whatever road user we are – driver, rider or pedestrian. Concentration is everything and that is why it is so important to abide by the laws, share the road with others and fully concentrate on what is happening on the road ahead. The belief being that if every motorist did this then there wouldn’t be any fatal collisions on our roads.
“It was great to take part in the Project Edward campaign and to meet the organisers who were really grateful of our work to support their efforts this week.
“We met many members of the public, including parents with children, students, cyclists and motorcyclists who came up to us and told us that they were happy to see the police out conducting the operation, keeping them safe.”
The team was presented with certificate of appreciation by Project Edward and took part in a live broadcast to be issued on their social media channels.
They also handed out high-vis backpacks and vests to cyclists and motorcyclists in line with the NPCC vulnerable road users campaign.
Roads policing operations have been taking place throughout Nottinghamshire since Monday in conjunction with both national initiatives.
In Wollaton, this resulted in three drivers being issued with traffic offence reports – a notice that they face prosecution – in relation to excessive speed with one motorist recorded at driving at 45mph in a 30mph zone.
A driver was also dealt with for not wearing a seatbelt and another motorist received a ticket for using a mobile phone while driving.
Newark also conducted fatal 4 enforcement which resulted in traffic offence reports being issued for driving without insurance, driving without due care and attention and riding a motorcycle pillion without a helmet. Two vehicles were also seized in connection to the incidents surrounding driving without insurance.
Neighbourhood Constable Adam Shaw who ran the operation said “All of the drivers that we spoke with could easily have been involved in a road traffic collision with another road user.
“A total number of 573 vulnerable roads users have been killed or seriously injured in road traffic collisions in Nottinghamshire between 1 Jan 2019 to 31 March 2021, and this campaign highlights the importance of safe practices whilst driving, by using your mobile phone or travelling at excessive speed you reduce your concentration and thinking time making accidents more likely.
“Seatbelts are designed to save people’s lives and work alongside airbags and must be worn unless medically exempt. Drink and drug-driving is completely unacceptable.”
A Project Edward spokesperson said: “Our 2021 theme is ‘Fit for the Road’ – which means we want drivers to be in the best possible physical and mental shape to make the many decisions required on their journeys.
The #ProjectEDWARD team were delighted to join Sgt Westlake and the Op Reacher team. We were really pleased to see some fantastic examples of strong and inspiring road safety management that underpin the principles of the safe system. We know this work is vital if we are to achieve positive road safety outcomes in the years to come.”
Project Edward is a campaign going from strength to strength each year with every road safety organisation fully committed to supporting its aim of ‘Every Day Without A Road Death.’
Nottinghamshire police asks all road users to help achieve this to prevent the needless loss of life which occurs every year on the road networks.
