Over 100 people signed a pledge to drive safely at an event to mark Yellow Ribbon Day held at Queen’s Road Neighbourhood Centre in Halifax.
Calderdale Council, West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service (WYFRS) and the Halifax Central Neighbourhood Police used the event to raise awareness of road safety.
To help get the message across they created a mock crash scene, which was attended by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and included actors playing the part of accident victims.
Local primary and secondary schools, Calderdale College and residents were invited and were asked to sign the Yellow Ribbon Day pledge, which includes a promise to wear a seatbelt, stick to the speed limit and not use a mobile phone whilst driving. The signed pledges have been tied to the railings on Queen’s Road.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Communities, Cllr Susan Press said:
“The consequences of poor road safety can be devastating. By putting your phone on silent, driving carefully and matching your speed to the road conditions, drivers can easily reduce their risk of causing an accident.
“I’d urge everyone to sign the pledge to help make Halifax a safer place to live.”
Inspector Colin Skeath of the Halifax Neighbourhood Policing Team said:
“This event was a fantastic opportunity to further highlight the dangers of the fatal four to the community. We know that speed, the use of a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt and drink or drug driving have a significant impact on the number of fatal collisions on the roads.
“We are proactively targeting dangerous and antisocial drivers, to make Calderdale a safer place for all road users. By demonstrating the catastrophic consequences of what can happen if you’re not being responsible behind the wheel, and educating people about the small changes they can make when on the roads, we hope to reduce the number of incidents and fatal collisions on the districts roads.”
A West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service spokesperson said:
“The Yellow Ribbon Day is an ideal opportunity for us to educate youngsters, through a realistic scenario, on the consequences of dangerous driving before bad habits can be formed. This education helps create the safe and responsible drivers of the future.”