‘NO EXCUSE’ PROJECT WINS ROYAL AWARD

 

Dorset Road Safe’s‘no excuse’ project has won a prestigious Prince MichaelInternational Road Safety Award.

 

The annual awards are presented toindividuals, companies or organisations in recognition of their outstandingcontribution to improving road safety.

 

The award was formally presented by His RoyalHighness Prince Michael of Kentat a reception held in Londonon Tuesday 6 December 2011.  

 

A formal ceremony was then held at the Dorset GreenTechnology Park,Winfrith, today – Thursday 8 December 2011 – where over 40 stafffrom partner organisations gathered to see Doctor Rob Törok, Consultant &Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine, Dorset County Hospital FoundationTrust, receive the award on behalf of the Dorset Road Safe partnership.

 

The award was presented by Tony Spalding, Chairman ofthe Prince Michael International Road Safety Award Committee.
 
The“no excuse” project was one of 50 short listed from several hundredinternational entries before being selected by His Royal Highness PrinceMichael of Kent and his committee to receive the international award whichallows the project to display the award logo on all their future projectliterature.

 

Brian Austin, ‘no excuse’Project Manager, said: “These awards are acknowledged globally as beingthe most prestigious of their kind, so we are extremely proud to have receivedthis award.

 

“The reduction in the number ofpeople killed or seriously injured on Dorset’sroads is very encouraging and all of the Dorset Road Safe partners have playedan important role together in trying to make our roads safer.”

 

In recognising Dorset Road Safe’s‘no excuse’ campaign, the award committee said:

“The judges were extremely impressed by your comprehensivedata-led approach for this excellent example of what can be achieved withsupport from all stakeholder partners.”

 

The latest road casualty figures acrossthe whole of Dorset reveal an 18% reduction in the number of people killed orseriously injured on Dorset’s roads comparing data from the 18 monthperiod after the launch of ‘no excuse’ with the 18 months prior to itslaunch.

 

The reduction in casualties across thelargely rural areas of Dorset is even moreencouraging, with a 25% reduction in the number of people killed or seriouslyinjured in the Dorset County Council area for the same period.

 

However, road fatalities and serious injuriesnationally have decreased by an average of 9% comparing 2010 with 2009 and morethan half of the local authorities in the South West region saw increases inthe number of casualties in their areas.

 

Brian Austin continued: “Evenaccepting that there are many factors that can affect road crash figures, suchas the downturn in the economy and periods of severe winter weather – whichboth affect traffic volumes – I believe the ‘no excuse’project has played a significant contribution towards the very encouraging fallin road casualties across Dorset.

 

“Dorset Road Safe partners are keento recognise the positive benefit that their education programmes are playingin encouraging motorists to take more responsibility for their actions.Changing the mindset of those who have not fully considered the risks of theiractions is one of the key objectives of the ‘no excuse’ project.

 

“We are not complacent and we will not rest on ourlaurels. The ‘no excuse’ project will continue to make use ofevidence-led covert and overt enforcement operations, innovative publicity,well researched and properly evaluated education courses and communityengagement operations such as Surround a Town.

 

“All of the Dorset Road Safe partners would like toofficially record their thanks to colleagues in the Essex Casualty ReductionPartnership, who provided evidence that a carefully researched, combined massenforcement and public education programme that positively influences motorists’attitude and behaviour can contribute to a reduction in casualties. 

 

“As a measure of the high esteem in which Dorset RoadSafe is held, the Essex partners have adopted Dorset’s‘no excuse’ branding and signage in their own area and aremirroring our approach to specialist operations such as Surround a Town.

 

“Additionally, we would like to thank the 14 otherlocal authorities and police forces across the country that have expressedtheir interest in, and support for, the project and their wish to launchsimilar projects within their own areas.”