February 2006

2006 campaign update - what happened around the country?

The period immediately before and after Valentines Day is always the busiest time in the FMG calendar - and 2006 was no exception.

Here's a brief resume of campaign activity around the country.

Suffolk's road safety team arranged a 'stopping distance demonstration' at Otley College on Friday 10 February. College students were asked to place life-size cuts-outs of pedestrians in the path of a vehicle - to mark the point at which they thought it would stop when the brakes were applied when it was travelling at 40mph.

A number of events are taking place across Essex between 31 January and 20 February. The road safety team will take a For my girlfriend display and merchandise to young people events in and around Braintree, Chelmsford, Colchester, Harlow and Saffron Walden.

On the Wirral, the campaign launched with a crash reconstruction in Birkenhead town centre on Saturday 11 February. The road safety team worked in partnership with Merseyside Police, Mersey Fire and Rescue, Mersey Ambulance Service, and the Casualties Union, to stage the event. The team also gave out Valentine cards and 98 red roses on the day.

On the evening of Tuesday 14 February the campaign was presented at the Wirral's main cinema, and more cards and red roses were also distributed.

On Thursday 9 February a crash simulation took place in Charles Square, Bracknell, during which a student from Bracknell & Wokingham College was cut out of a vehicle. There were also tabletop displays, pop up banners, and campaign banners on a dray that will be drawn around the town centre by two shire horses.

This event was repeated on Saturday 11 February at the Tesco store in Sandhurst. That same evening the campaign was presented at the Odeon cinema in Bracknell, and it also featured on Tuesday 14 February at a Pre Driver Motorwise event for 48 prospective young drivers.

In addition, students from Bracknell and Wokingham College produced an impressive short video/slideshow in support of FMG. For more information contact Nigel Pumffrey, Course Manager Public Service, on 01344-460209.

The campaign has once again been widely promoted in Buckinghamshire . The road safety team has recorded interviews for 'Mix 96' and 'Three Counties' local radio stations. The team was also approached by BBC News South to record a news item for the 6.30pm and 10.30pm news programmes. The team was asked to pull together a crash reconstruction, reaction from students that had been exposed to the cards, and an interview with a parent who had been affected by the issues that FMG raises - all at very short notice.

10 pupils from Sir Henry Floyd Grammar School and the Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue rose to the challenge in order to make it all possible.

In South Gloucestershire, FMG activity commenced with a bus back campaign on 12 bus routes in the area. On Thursday 10 February the road safety team was at Filton College handing out Valentine cards and talking to students. A FMG Powerpoint presentation was also shown on plasma screens throughout the college between 11.00 - 13.00, and Avon & Somerset Fire and Rescue were on hand to re-enact the scene on the front of the Valentine card.

A similar event also took place on Monday 13 February at the University of the West of England.

Somerset's road safety team has distributed 1,000 roses to students in five colleges across the county. "A roll-up display utilising the graphics on the campaign poster proved a great talking point as many students thought it was very hard hitting," says Rina Cameron, Somerset's road safety manager. "The heart and ice scraper keyrings were also well received."

Thurrock's road safety team, in partnership with Essex Fire and Rescue and Essex Police, recreated a crash scene at Palmers College, Thurrock, with students being cut out of a vehicle.

FMG wristbands, tax disc holders and air fresheners were also distributed, along with campaign Valentine cards.

Sussex Safety Camera Partnership staff handed out roses on Valentine's Day on Brighton Pier. Firefighters from Preston Circus Fire Station also carried out a demonstration of extrication techniques.

Oxford's road safety team is working on a DVD for sixth form schools and colleges. The 12-15 min film will focus on what happens after a crash as far as paramedics are concerned. The filming will be done via a shoulder-mounted camcorder through the boyfriend's eyes. Oxford's Steve Wood tells us that '99% of the content will be ad lib with approximately three lines of script!'