PHA promotes safer driving in Banbridge, Bangor/Ards, Carrick/Larne and Enniskillen

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is helping to fund the ‘Roadwise’ initiative to promote safer driving in the Banbridge area. (Other areas included are Bangor/Ards, Carrick/Larne and Enniskillen. See below for attached press releases.)

The initiative, from the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM), is available to drivers and passengers aged 17–24. It aims to make young people more aware of the risks they face when driving, and how to reduce them – helping to make them safer on the road and cheaper to insure.

The one-day course, which normally costs £99, is now available for £24 locally on 4 March or 19 March.

With input from the emergency services and advanced driver tuition, young people are taught to develop their driving, reducing the likelihood of crashes. There is no test, so no ‘failure’, but participants should be more attractive to motor insurance companies.

Stressing the need for young drivers to be more aware of risks on the road, Gerry Bleakney, PHA Head of Health and Social Wellbeing Improvement (South), said: “The PHA is part funding this training day to help reduce accidents and promote safer driving on our local roads. PSNI statistics for 2009/10 show that there were 6,187 road traffic collisions resulting in 9,675 casualties, of which 101 were killed and 995 were seriously injured. We know the main causes of road traffic accidents are lack of attention and excessive speed for the road conditions. This course is a great opportunity as it will help our young people to appreciate the dangers and adjust their behaviour as drivers and passengers, and so reduce the death and destruction on our roads.”

James Cameron of IAM said: “Young drivers in the 17 to 24 age bracket account for around 11% of our licensed drivers, yet were responsible for 38% of fatal collisions in recent years, young males are still vastly over-represented in road fatalities and so all young drivers to take extra care”.

Further information on the course is available from Craig Cook, REACT, 5 Castlewellan Road, Banbridge, on email craigreact@aol.com or see www.iam.org.uk/table/iam_roadwise_ireland

Once the course is completed, participants are invited to contact a leading local insurance broker who aims to better their present written insurance quote. This initiative involves the PHA, Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service and PSNI, working with IAM.