Cornwall Fire & Rescue Service Newsdesk

at 10/05/2010 10:15

Students arriving on Tuesday 11 May will be met with a shocking simulated crash scene involving a car and a motorcycle on the entrance road to the Tremough Campus.

The hard hitting scene will graphically illustrate the dangers to motorcylists and mark the beginning of a day of activities at Tremough in a bid to reduce road casualties in Cornwall.

Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service, Cornwall Council Road Safety Unit and Devon and Cornwall Constabulary will be working together to provide students at Tremough with information about the very real risks facing motorcyclists on Cornwall’s roads.

Martyn Addinall from Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service said: “By using this very hard hitting display, we are attempting to communicate with drivers and motorcyclists regarding the dangers that they face as road users on Cornwall’s roads. We believe that by using this joined up approach and incorporating various key agencies, students will get a real idea of how to keep themselves and others safe when driving or riding.”

Some shocking statistics back up the message:-

Between May 2005 and August 2009 motorcyclists made up 2% of the road traffic in Cornwall but represented 26% of all fatal casualties.
Between May 2005 and August 2009 there were 37 fatal casualties involving motorcyclists in Cornwall.
The motorcyclist was the most blameworthy road user in 76% of these collisions.
Loss of control and poor overtaking manoeuvres were the primary cause in 89% of the collisions where the motorcyclist was the most blameworthy road user.
Between May 2005 and August 2009 all motorcycle rider fatalities in Cornwall were male.

The morning will finish with a presentation at the Tremough campus cinema to discuss the reactions to the day’s events.

Darren Berrey, Community Fire Safety Officer for Road Safety said: “Sadly, motorcyclists are a consistently over represented group within casualty statistics in Cornwall. By bringing together key agencies, an holistic approach is being taken in an attempt to highlight the issues facing motorcyclists in Cornwall. This event will allow us to raise awareness amongst motorcyclists about how they can help themselves to be safer on the roads, whilst reminding drivers of the importance of looking out for bikes, particularly at junctions.”

Staff from the Tremough Campus have been working closely with partner agencies in a consistent bid to improve the safety of students. The Tremough Campus is used and jointly managed by University College Falmouth and the University of Exeter in Cornwall and is the hub of the Combined Universities in Cornwall.

During the event Cornwall Council Road Safety Unit will be on hand to provide students with road safety information and advice addressing the issues surrounding motorcyclists in Cornwall.

With the B3292 and A39 being recognised as high risk routes for motorcyclist casualties and collisions, Tremough is an appropriate venue for this hard hitting event.

Samantha Finneran, fxu president welfare (FXU is the Students’ Union representing students from the University of Exeter and University College Falmouth) comments: “This is a great opportunity for the local fireservice and police to bring a really important message to our students and staff. Since much advertising has become background noise, a staged event will be a great way to wake everyone up! Drive safe, ride safe. The staged incident will hopefully send people away thinking seriously about things like wearing a seatbelt, paying full attention to the road and other road users, keeping to speed limits and also not getting behind the wheel (or handlebars) while under the influence of alcohol (or any other drug…) I’m looking forward to the buzz it will create on campus!“

Notes to editor:

A motorbike will be left on one side of the road on its side with associated damage and debris nearby.

On the other side of a road a car will be parked with a Cornwall Fire and Rescue Service dummy trapped underneath with only its legs visible.

Leading up to the through road where the incident is placed there will be 3 separate banners warning drivers of the dangers associated with speed/complacency around motorcycles.