As the clocks go back and the evenings become longer, Doug Naysmith MP is encouraging Bristol North West residents, especially children and parents, to remember the importance of basic road safety and being safe and being seen on the winter roads.
Doug Naysmith said: “With the return of long winter nights children face greater risks on our roads and it is even more important to remember basic road safety and the message ‘Be Seen, Be Safe’. The number of children killed on our roads each year is falling, but we can’t afford to be complacent. I want this trend to continue which is why I am supporting both this and Nationwide’s ‘Cats’ Eyes for Kids’ scheme.
Road safety is especially important during winter months and I would encourage people to remind children of the basic safety measures, such as wearing bright or fluorescent clothing in bad weather to ensure drivers can see you, finding a safe place to cross the road and being aware of traffic around you, and ensuring that if you are out at night you use routes which are well-lit by streetlights. By encouraging children to observe these simple steps, it is hoped that we can continue to reduce the numbers of accidents on our roads this winter.”
One way in which children are being encouraged to follow this message is through the ‘Cats’ Eyes for Kids’ scheme, which will once again be sending out reflectors, through Nationwide Building Society, to children in Year One. The children will be encouraged to wear them all winter, as children wearing a reflector may be up to eight times safer than those without.
Charles Reed, Customer Service & Communications Director at Nationwide, said: “With the return of long winter nights our children face greater risks on our roads. For the sixth Year, we’re delighted to support the government’s successful campaign to reduce the number of child casualties. We are also encouraging children who have received reflectors in the past five years to use them again this winter.
As a building society, Nationwide has a long tradition of active involvement in communities throughout the UK and there can be no better way of investing in these communities than by protecting the lives of children.”
For further information please contact Doug Naysmith MP on 0207 219 4187.
