MERSEYSIDE ROAD SAFETY PARTNERSHIP TACKLES AN AGE OLD PROBLEM

WITH the population of the UK ageing at a steady rate , the number of older drivers on Britain’s roads increases every year . With age comes experience, but figures show that it can also lead to a deterioration in road skills. This is reflected in Merseyside’s casualty figures which show that in the past three years, among drivers over the age of 60, there were five people killed, 58 seriously injured and 715 slightly injured in collisions.

This problem is not only restricted to drivers. In the past three years, 2,007 road users over the age of 60 were injured in collisions on the region’s roads and of these, 18 per cent were pedestrians and 12 per cent were travelling on a public service vehicle.

As part of its ongoing activity to ensure the safety of the region’s roads, Merseyside Road Safety Partnership (MRSP) is addressing this issue through a series of road safety awareness events aimed at the over 60s age group.

The events will aim to improve driver awareness for older road users to enable them to stay independent for as long as possible, and will raise awareness of the availability of alternative modes of transport.

The first of the free road safety awareness events from MRSP will took place on 9 September 2009, at the Ramada Plaza hotel on The Promenade in Southport, with the aim of improving the driving skills and road awareness of the over 60s age group.

Attendees will received advice on how to stay safer when using the region’s roads while retaining the independence that driving offers. Free health checks and eye tests where available on the day and a mobility stall.

Robert Gifford, chair of PACTS (Parliamentary Advisory Committee for Transport) was the keynote speaker at the event, and addressed the issue of safer mobility for an ageing population.

The Driving Standards Agency, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service and the Institute of Advanced Motorists also attended the event, along with representatives from the Merseyside Road Safety Partnership.

Dave Foulkes, partnership manager for MRSP, said:- “Merseyside Road Safety Partnership is working with older people in the region to improve their experiences of transport and to help them feel secure and happy in their mobility choices. We want to support older drivers by helping to increase overall road awareness, ultimately allowing them to remain independent and safer when using their own cars or selecting alternative modes of transport.”  (Audio on page 2.)

Residents where unable to attend the event will be please to know that their are plans to hold similar events in all five borough areas on Merseyside.

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