WIRRAL Council has teamed up with Merseyside Police to curb the upward trend in road casualties across the borough before rolling the operation out force wide.

The borough has seen a 5.6% increase in the number of people either killed or seriously injured on its roads in 2014, compared to the previous year.

The total number of road casualties was 133, with eight deaths, compared to 124 in 2013, when nine people died.

In 2014 there were a total of 601 road casualties, with 29 people killed on the roads across Merseyside.

This equates to nearly an 8% rise, compared to the same period in 2013, which saw 557 incidents, resulting in 23 deaths.

According to roads policing officers, speed, not wearing seatbelts and distracted driving including using mobile phones all contribute to road traffic collisions.

The campaign – dubbed Operation Parkstone – will see officers from the Roads Policing Unit will be working with Wirral Council throughout the month of February.

The operation will see police patrols stepped up on roads that experience a high number of collisions and see officers encouraging motorists to drive safely by enforcing traffic legislation.

Sergeant Paul Mountford of Merseyside Police’s Roads Policing Department said: “Too many drivers are adopting a more relaxed attitude towards the road traffic laws. Despite road safety awareness campaigns highlighting the dangers, some motorists continue to speed, use their mobile phone while driving and not wear their seatbelt.

“These behaviours are inherently dangerous, not only for the driver, but their passengers, other drivers on the road as well as pedestrians. While they represent a minority of drivers, they are putting themselves and other people at risk and driving a few miles an hour slower can make the difference in stopping.”

Lead road safety officer for Wirral, Dave Rees said: “Police officers will be patrolling during peak times, in the morning and afternoon, where we have collisions.

“We hope that by working with Merseyside Police in this way, that we can not only detect those who flout the law, but with an increased police presence patrolling these roads, will have an influence on how the wider public use them.”

As well as increased police patrols, officers will be conducting static speed checks and also be paying particular attention to incidences of pavement parking.

Sergeant Mountford added: “Pavements are for pedestrians. People should not be forced to walk in the road and be placed in danger because of lazy and inconsiderate driver.”

Sue Worsley - mother of a 23-year-old Emma, who was tragically killed following a road traffic collision in May 2007 - is backing the road safety operation launched today, Monday.

Emma was hit by a car in Toxteth while crossing a pelican crossing on Princes Avenue.

She suffered head injuries, as well as other injuries, and died later in hospital.

Sue said: “It is coming up to eight years ago since I lost my precious daughter. This month I should have been celebrating her 31st birthday.

“She was the light and focus of my life and it hurts so much that she is not here with me. I am a different person now, I may look the same, but don’t be fooled by appearances.

“Emma was doing everything right; she was meticulous when crossing the road, always using designated pedestrian crossings, as she was on that fateful day; and her death was avoidable - totally unnecessary and senseless.”

Sue added: “If, by telling my story I can have an impact on driver behaviour, make people stop and think about the way they use our roads, particularly those who continue to show a complete disregard for the law, then maybe, just maybe, I can begin to feel that Emma's death has not been in vain, which I can only hope will help to ease the indescribable pain I've carried with since she was killed.

"At the end of the day, not only does no one want to be the parent or person in my place but, as a driver myself whose focus has now been drawn to this whole issue, through Emma's death, I can say with certainty that no one would want to be the driver who put me where I am. I truly hope we can make a difference."

Drivers caught committing road traffic offences will be given the option to attend an offender rehabilitation course to educate them and prevent re-offending.

 

Penalties for road traffic offences are:

  • Drink/drug driving – up to a 12-month driving ban and a £5,000 fine
     
  • Exceeding speed limits and using a hand held phone while driving – 3 penalty points and up to £100 fine
     
  • Failing to wear a seatbelt – up to £100 fine
     
  • Unnecessary/wilful obstruction – up to £30 fine
     
  • Driving on a footway - £50 fine