A new road safety campaign has been launched by Lancashire Constabulary focusing on roads around Lancaster, Morecambe and Fleetwood.
Operation Bramble will run for the month of October, with the aim of reducing the number of casualties, particularly among vulnerable road users. This will be done via a combination of educating road users and increased enforcement efforts in the local area.
This is in response to a recent rise in the number of people who have been killed or seriously injured on the roads around Lancaster, Morecambe and Fleetwood. It is felt these rises are due to the good summer weather leading to increased use of the roads by more vulnerable road users, specifically cyclists, motorcyclists and pedestrians.
Sergeant Nigel Ralphson of Lancaster Police’s Road Policing Unit, said; “Most collisions have been caused by road users not giving the road their full attention. Furthermore, it should be said it is no one group’s fault. For example, in the majority of cases when a pedestrian or motorcyclist has been knocked down, it is actually the pedestrian or motorcyclist who is at fault, whereas when a cyclist has been knocked down, it is generally not the cyclist’s fault.
“Everyone, whether they are on foot, two wheels or four, has to play their part to ensure we can reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads”.
“In particular, I would strongly encourage the region’s motorists, particularly motorcyclists, to take advantage of the variety of courses offered by Lancashire County Council. Many of them are free, and will do a great deal to help you be safer on our roads.”
As part of their enforcement efforts, Lancashire Constabulary will be focusing on the following roads:
- A683 between Lancaster and Kirby Lonsdale- The majority of collisions have been due to the driver taking the corner too quickly. In a third of cases, the driver has been a teenage female
- A588 between Poulton and Lancaster- Most collisions have occurred due to the driver taking corners too quickly. Again, in more than a third of cases, the driver has been a teenage female
- A586 between Garstang and Poulton
- A587 between Cleveleys and Fleetwood
- A6 between Lancaster city centre south and Galgate
- A6 around Morecambe
- A6 around Wyre
- A585 between Poulton and Fleetwood
- Lancaster Road, Morecambe
- B5268 between Poulton and Fleetwood
• The government runs a number of ‘Bikeability’ courses for cyclists. For more information, please visit www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability
• Lancashire County Council also runs a number of road safety courses for motorists, some of which are free. For more information, please visit www.lancashire.gov.uk/online/services/roadsafety