Newroad safety campaign launches

“Stop liking and start looking!”

That’s the clear message from South Lanarkshire Council (SLC) as they launch a new road safety campaign.

It comes after research showed not looking properly is the most common contributory factor to pedestrian injuries in road accidents, with mobile phone distraction raising the risk.

In response, the council has launched a campaign to highlight the importance of looking and listening for traffic, saying it is “always more important” than hitting a ‘like’ button on your phone.

Road safety chairman for SLC, Councillor Julia Marrs, told the Reformer: “Smartphones have changed the world and brought many benefits.

“But the stats show pedestrian distraction is a serious factor in too many road accidents.

“We all now recognise that drivers using their phones while at the wheel are putting themselves and others at risk, but we need to realise just a moment’s distraction can also be a danger when walking, especially when crossing the road.”

SLC’s campaign will be taking the safety message to social media, and also to the wider public through street signs and leaflets at selected locations.

There are 23,000 pedestrian casualties recorded in road accidents in the UK every year, with around 5000 of those resulting in serious injury or death.

A report published by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) in August 2018 identified failure to look as the most common contributory factor in pedestrian injury accidents which is replicated within South Lanarkshire.

The ‘Distractions for Pedestrians’ page on the council website has more information.