By Darryl Preston
As a police officer, I dealt with far too many serious injury and fatal incidents on our roads.
Having to deliver that message to loved ones, was, for me, the hardest job in policing.
They use to be called RTAs – road traffic accidents – but of course most are not.
They are avoidable – by us all taking personal responsibility and driving safely.
It’s Road Safety Week
This year's Road Safety Week is centred on a No need to speed campaign.
I welcome this initiative by BRAKE.
It’s an opportunity for everyone to take action on road safety and think about the wellbeing of ourselves and others when we’re driving.
As BRAKE says, speed limits are a maximum, not a target.
Your safe speed will depend on the weather, type of road you’re driving on and the vehicle you’re driving.
Speeding is often emotional
For many individuals, choice of speed is simply down to how they feel at that moment.
But we must recognise acting on negative emotions – such as time pressure – could increase the risk of a crash significantly.
Whatever one thinks about a particular situation, about other road users and however frustrated one may feel, we must control our emotions.
They are just as important as keeping our distance from other vehicles (including bikes) and driving according to the hazard level and the speed limit.
Far too many causalities
39 people were killed on our roads in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough last year and nearly 400 were seriously injured.
We must do more to reduce this terrible casualty rate.
Having personally dealt with fatal road collisions, I am particularly aware of the devastating impact this has on families, friends and local communities.
For this reason I also fully support the Vision Zero Partnership, a Cambridgeshire and Peterborough multi-agency plan to reduce deaths and serious injury on our roads.
It highlights why we need better preventative actions.
In particular, we need to be more data driven and utilise the information we collate from accidents to inform our decisions.
At the same time, we need to continue proactively surveying our roads, making sure they are safe.
If I am elected...
I will be working with the Chief Constable to make sure we have more road safety operations and increased police visibility.
I know Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council are working very hard on this.
They have my full support and I am determined to make sure we achieve zero deaths and serious injuries by 2040.
Not only will I be working with all the partners involved in this initiative but I will listen to what residents have to say.
You know your communities better than anyone and I will put your ideas forward.
Please do contact me with your thoughts, either via the contact page on this website or by email to [email protected].
If we want ZERO deaths and serious injuries by 2040 a combination of actions will need to take place.
Actions from technical solutions, more appropriate speed limits and robust enforcement of our road traffic laws for those who choose to put others and themselves at risk.
We can all take action now!
Top ten tips to stay within the speed limit
1. Check your speedometer regularly, especially when entering cities, towns and villages.
2. Know the limits. Look for signs all the time, particularly at junctions.
3. Regularly spaced lights mean 30 mph or 20 mph, unless signs show otherwise.
4. Remember, speed limits are a maximum, NOT a target.
5. 20 mph is plenty when children are around – take special care around schools.
6. Try a lower gear – i.e. fifth in a 30 mph zone if your vehicle has a six speed gearbox, fourth if a five speed ‘box.
7. Be aware of what makes you speed – keeping up with traffic, being late, overtaking or being tailgated.
8. Concentrate – distracted drivers speed.
9. Slow down when driving through villages – many do not have pathways.
10. Give yourself plenty of time – there is no need to speed – you won’t get there any quicker but you are likely to stop more often, adding to your frustration, worsening your fuel economy and wearing out your vehicle.
Darryl Preston is the Conservative candidate in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Police and Crime Commissioner election in May 2021. There's more about Darryl on the About Darryl Preston page.
