Road safety campaign launches after grant received

A road safety campaign in the East Midlands has begun after councils received a £260,000 government grant.

Councils in Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire are working together to tackle the main causes of collisions.

Radio advertising and posters will be used to highlight the factors which can lead to a collision.

The scheme's success will be measured by comparing driver attitudes to safety before and after the campaign.

Questionnaires were sent to drivers before the campaign began, and more will be sent out when the campaign ends in February 2011.

Officials will also evaluate the effectiveness of the campaign by looking at figures for collisions and speeding.

The results will be shared with other councils across the country.

The safety campaign is headed by Nottingham County Council, which is working with Nottingham and Leicester City Councils, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire County Councils and the Highways Agency.

The campaign aims to tackle the "Fatal four" causes of collisions, which are mobile phone use, drink driving, speeding and failure to wear a seatbelt.

Along with the publicity campaign, police in the four counties will target roads with poor safety records and give face-to-face advice to drivers.

Councillor Richard Jackson, from Derbyshire County Council, said: "Road safety is one of our top priorities.

"That's why we're working with other organisations to tackle the four main causes of deaths and serious injuries on our roads."