March sees the start of Tower Hamlets road safety awareness month

A joint road safety awareness initiative, involving Tower Hamlets Homes, Tower Hamlets council, the Police, Safer Neighbourhoods and the Fire brigade starts this week. The initiative, which runs throughout March, hopes to raise awareness about road safety amongst children and other road users in Tower Hamlets.

As well as traffic operations on the major roads in the Borough, March will see higher levels of traffic enforcement to tackle anti-social driving behaviour on highways and estate roads; and a number of initiatives to highlight road safety risks at primary and secondary schools.

A series of road safety competitions will run in the Boroughs’ primary and secondary schools including designing a poster to remind children that they should always hold hands with a grown up when walking on the pavement or crossing the road; and producing a short rap or jingle to warn road users of the dangers of wearing headphones. We will be encouraging as many children to take part as possible and prizes will be awarded for the top 3 winners in each category.

Reflective toys in the shape of bugs, hedgehogs and lions will be distributed to families through Tower Hamlets Homes Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations as well as reflective stickers with smiley faces and cats on them that can be attached to children’s rucksacks and clothes to make them visible.

Last year, the Council worked with a group of older people to produce a DVD highlighting road safety risks faced by the over 60 age group.  The DVD will be given out to Tower Hamlets Homes Tenants’ and Residents’ Associations and Senior Citizen luncheon clubs across the Borough.

A Road Safety Advertising Campaign will be launched in April after the first phase of the operation is complete. A bus poster campaign is set to focus drivers’ minds on the potential threats they can cause to other road users such as cyclists and motorcyclists.

For more information about Road Safety Awareness campaign, contact Claire Demmel – Tower Hamlets council’s Community Safety Operations Team on 020 7364 0517 or email: claire.demmel@towerhamlets.gov.uk

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