Police launch country roads safety campaign

Police in Norfolk are urging drivers to anticipate potential hazards as they support a national Think! campaign aimed at improving road safety on country roads.

The campaign, launched at the end of October, will run for five weeks and focuses on driver habits on country roads.
 
Think! will be sharing messages and videos on social media to raise awareness about dangerous speeds and driver behaviours, including “Break before the bend, not on it”.
 
Nationally, 59% of all fatalities happen on country roads, about 10 times higher than those killed on motorways.
 
In 2015, 10,307 people were killed or seriously injured on country roads in the UK. The highest contributing factor to those crashes was loss of control, which is frequently associated with inappropriate speed at bends.
 
Chief Inspector Kris Barnard, head of roads policing, said: “This campaign is particularly relevant for our counties with the majority of the road network being rural. Dual carriageways and motorways are inherently safer because there is a physical barrier between vehicles travelling in the opposite direction and fewer junctions.
 
“There’s much more that drivers need to be aware of on country roads, such as upcoming bends, hidden dips and blind summits. The best drivers read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards, adjusting their speed accordingly. It’s always best to expect the unexpected.”
 
In Norfolk this year (January-October) there have been 30 fatalities in 28 collisions.
 
Police work closely with partner agencies, including Think! Norfolk Road Safety Partnership to educate drivers and improve safety. A lot of work is focused on the fatal four motoring offences of drink driving, speeding, using a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt.
 

  • Contact Reepham Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) by calling non-emergency number 101 or email

 

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