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80pc of road victims hurt in a 30mph zone: Drop your speed, say police
ALMOST 80 per cent of people injured on Calderdale's roads last year were in a 30mph zone at the time, new figures show.
Calderdale's road safety officers and police are now calling for all road users, drivers and pedestrians, to take extra care.
The statistics have been released as Calderdale Council launch their pedestrian campaign, Walk Smart to improve people's knowledge of road safety and prevent pedestrian deaths and serious injuries.
Road traffic Sgt Garry Alderson said: "It's very clear from the figures that we all need to take much more care when travelling on a 30mph road.
"The reason roads are classified as 30mph is because of the hazards we all face as road users on these types of road, all sharing one space.
"If we could improve our behaviour and attitudes in 30mph areas we could see significant reductions in the numbers of people being killed and injured on our roads."
Calderdale Council will work with police and the NHS on the Walk Smart campaign.
Pedestrians accounted for 109 – 14 per cent – of all injuries on the district's roads last year, only behind car occupants who accounted for 543.
The council's pedestrian campaign will look at taking road safety back into schools, encourage parents to use reins or wrist straps when out with toddlers, work with the police to carry out more speed enforcement and work with older people's charities to spread key road safety messages.
Deputy road safety officer Kate Marsh said children, teenagers and the elderly were the most vulnerable age groups to be involved in an accident as a pedestrian but she said that all pedestrian casualties were less likely to suffer life threatening injuries if the vehicle was travelling at 30mph or less.
She said: "One thing is clear. The faster the vehicle is travelling when in collision with a pedestrian will often determine the level of injury sustained by that pedestrian.
"Remember that even at 30mph there's a 20 per cent chance that if you hit a pedestrian they will die as a result of that collision."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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