Dear Sir/Madam,
Vulnerable Road Users Campaign: 19 to 25 June 2017
As head of Police Scotland’s Road Policing Division I seek your support ahead of our national Vulnerable Road Users Campaign.
As the summer break approaches, and excitement grows, I fully appreciate the challenge of capturing the attention of children and young people whose focus may already be drifting towards their chosen holiday destination.
While, understandably, road safety may not be at the forefront of everyone’s mind, it features most prominently in mine.
In 2016, 12 children died on Scotland’s roads with a further 167 serious injured. Given your role, and the daily contact you have with children, I’m sure you can imagine the devastation such incidents cause.
As the weather improves and children and young people venture out on foot and bike to enjoy it, I seek your help in pushing the road safety message. I would encourage your students, pupils and staff alike to take responsibility for their own safety and to be mindful of the hazards walking and cycling on the roads present.
I should reassure you this request forms only a small part of our campaign strategy and I will be urging other road users and motorists to share our road space respectfully and responsibly too. Between Monday 19th and Sunday 25th June, my officers will be out engaging with the public to both educate and, where necessary, enforce, to positively influence attitudes and road user behaviour. You can find out more about what we’re up to on Facebook and Twitter using the hash tag #GoSafeRoadSafe.
With your help, we can reduce the number of children and young people affected by road collisions. A Scotland where no children are seriously hurt or killed on the roads is my ambition. It isn’t out of reach; help me make it a reality.
If you wish to know more about how best to deliver the road safety message, www.roadsafetyscotland.org.uk and www.cyclingscotland.org are excellent sources of information and resource.
Yours faithfully
Andy Edmonston
Chief Superintendent
