Police Scotland is urging all road users to obey the rules of the road this Summer and play their part in ensuring the safety of everyone.
With more daylight hours, better driving conditions and school holidays on the horizon, local officers under Operation CEDAR (Challenge, Educate, Detect and Reduce) will be carrying out additional proactive checks on routes in the North East to target those motorists who continue to compromise road safety for themselves and others.
Chief Inspector Stewart Mackie, lead for Operation CEDAR, said it is everyone’s responsibility to know the risks that can contribute to serious and fatal collisions.
He said: “The Summer will – hopefully – bring with it better weather, lighter nights and improved driving conditions, which means more opportunity to get out and see the sights and use our roads.
“Road safety is a complex area and both Police and other partners spend a considerable amount of time making sense of why collisions occur and identifying any areas where we can take steps to prevent and reduce future incidents.
“Time and time again we find that the causes of incidents were completely avoidable, like driving whilst using mobile phones, travelling at excessive or inappropriate speeds and even health issues which affect your ability to drive for example due to eyesight, medication or medical conditions.
“I can assure the public that officers along with partner agencies do everything possible to challenge driver behaviour and influence attitudes to road safety, however we all have to challenge and take personal responsibility. If you are a passenger in a vehicle and you are uncomfortable with the speed or manner of driving, then challenge the driver.
“If you are at a BBQ and are aware someone is about to drive under the influence of alcohol, challenge their behaviour. If you think you need to read a text message while driving, consider ‘is it really worth it’? It’s no secret what types of driver behaviour contribute to injury and harm on our roads, drink driving being one, and we must continue to treat them as completely socially unacceptable.”
Operation CEDAR continues throughout the year to influence driver behaviour and to support the wider road safety agenda at both a national and local level. North East Division will continue to work with a host of other agencies including the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service and local authorities to prevent and reduce serious incidents.
Road Policing Inspector Jon Barron added: “This is not about spoiling anyone’s fun – it’s about ensuring everyone’s safety and making sure road users are not punished for completely avoidable offences. We can never lose sight of the fact that behind the figures and statistics there are real people involved who can be left with lasting effects of physical injury, emotional upset and trauma as a result of road incidents. At the very worst, these victims leave devastated friends and families behind.
“I would urge the public to please support us with Operation CEDAR this Summer and play a role in challenging, educating, detecting and reducing incidents on our roads.”
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
