Monday, 10 November 2008 00:00

The campaign will run throughout Sussex during November and December. It will be wide-ranging in its coverage and highly visible featuring a specially prepared crashed car and giant red bows.

Promoted by the Sussex Safer Roads Partnership (SSRP), the launch at Heathfield will be the start of a package of road safety messages and events across the county aimed at making the area’s roads safer over the festive period and into 2009.

Across Sussex, in the last three years, drink driving has been the cause of a staggering one-in-five road fatalities during December and January.

Superintendent Steve Barry, Head of Roads Policing Unit (RPU) for Sussex Police comments,

"Sussex Police is a key partner in the Safer Roads Partnership. By working with the other agencies and authorities, we are aiming to make our roads safer than ever this Christmas; during the next two months there will be increased focus on drink and drug driving enforcement, in conjunction with further activities to educate drivers.”

He continues, “In the coming weeks, I am sure the public will notice an increased level of visibility of policing on the roads of Sussex."

An additional public event will take place at Chichester College, on Monday 17th November at 11.30am and further high profile events will occur across Brighton and Hove throughout December. The campaign will be prominent in other communities, such as Worthing, Shoreham (Coronation Green, 9th December 5-9pm), East Grinstead, Haywards Heath, Horsham (Swan Walk 18/19/20th December) and Crawley (12th/13th Queens Square) amongst others.

The Heathfield event, which runs from 10am - 2pm, in addition to warning of the dangers of drink-driving and drug-driving, will also highlight the problem of speeding, the misuse of mobile phones at the wheel and the non-wearing of seatbelts. Local Police Community Support Officers (PCSO’s), East Sussex based cycle trainers and local fire fighters will also be on hand throughout the day.

Neil Hopkins, Communications Manager at the SSRP says,” The statistics in Sussex are concerning. 60% of drink drivers were within five miles of home and some would say, surprisingly, drivers aged 30 and over were responsible for almost half of the drink drive collisions over the last three years in December and January.”

He continues, “If you are particularly concerned any anti-social driving/drink or drug driving this Festive Season or at any other time, please contact Operation Crackdown on 01243 642222 or go www.operationcrackdown.org.”

Sussex Police RPU will be reinforcing this publicity campaign with high profile roadside stop checks of motorists and handing out an SSRP Christmas card to drivers who are stopped during the campaign. These cards will also given out by local PCSOs and Road Safety Officers at the events across the county. Posters and banners will be visible at fire stations and town centres and specially selected sites across Sussex to remind drivers of this timely message.

Sussex police are members of the SSRP, along with the fire and rescue services of East and West Sussex and local authorities.