Longhurst Group Supports Road Safety Week

Safety aware Longhurst Group is proud to support this year’s Road Safety Week (23-29 November 2009) which is coordinated by Brake, the national road safety charity.

The Midlands affordable housing provider is holding a Brake Road Safety session at its Head Quarters in Boston on November 27th to remind staff to check their vehicles during the winter months and educate them on the affects of drink and drugs when driving to support this year’s Brake Road Safety Not a Drop, Not a Drag theme.

Dean Geraghty, Longhurst Groups’ Head of Health and Safety, said: "I am delighted to hold road safety sessions especially after last year’s success with over 130 employees attending. We want to remind staff to check their vehicles especially through the winter as issues such as low pressure in tyres could easily cause an accident.

“With Christmas festivities just around the corner, we also want all drivers to commit to not drinking even a drop of alcohol before driving by presenting them with stories from bereaved families who have lost loved ones due to drink or drug driving."

15,935 people in the UK were killed or hurt by drink and drug-drivers in 2007. That’s 1,328 people every month, 306 people every week, 44 people every day and two people every hour.

Brake is a road safety charity (registered charity no 1093244) with two aims – preventing road crashes through education and campaigns and supporting people bereaved or seriously injured in road crashes. Brake founded and runs Road Safety Week as an annual event to stimulate community involvement in promoting road safety awareness year-round.

Drink driving facts
• Nearly 1 in 5 convicted drink-drivers are caught the morning after drinking.

• 51% of people are estimated to drive the morning after a moderate night out completely unaware they are still over the legal drink drive limit.

• An endorsement for drink driving offence remains on a driving licence for 11 years, so it is 11 years before a convicted driver will have a “clean” licence again.