Crash victim’s dad will give safety talks

Minister Stephen Hammond, of the Department for Transport and Road Safety, has given his support to a nationwide campaign, which is the first of its kind to be specifically aimed at students.

To launch the campaign in this area, Warwickshire Police, Warwick District Council and Warwickshire County Council will work alongside Paul Kerr, the father of 17-year-old crash victim Jon-Paul who was killed on the Myton Road.

Mr Kerr and officers will give a series of talks to encourage student to take part in a road safety awards project to increase their awareness of the issue.

District councillor Moira-Ann Grainger (Con, Warwick North), said: “The issue of road safety across the district has been raised at our Warwick Community Forum on a number of occasions, with parents increasingly concerned with traffic speed in the district.

“This project is an original and exciting way of engaging young people to look at their own road safety in a new way.”

County councillor Angela Warner (Con, Warwick South) added: “The approach we have adopted is to deliver road safety talks to young people in schools and youth groups to educate them.

“Young people are future drivers so it is important that they are made aware of the dangers of speeding on our roads.

“Plus we must not forget the influence young people can have on parents in remindering them of speed limits and speeding.”

Mr Kerr has developed the campaign to encourage students aged between 11 and 18 to create projects which will help raise awareness of road safety in a suitable way for their age group.

The winning projects will be submitted to the Department for Transport and Road Safety as a potential road safety campaign to be launched early next year.