Dorset Road Safe’s ‘no excuse’ project has won a prestigious Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

The annual awards are presented to individuals, companies or organisations in recognition of their outstanding contribution to improving road safety.

The award was formally presented by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent at a reception held in London on Tuesday 6 December 2011. 

A formal ceremony was then held at the Dorset Green Technology Park, Winfrith on Thursday 8 December 2011, where over 40 staff from partner organisations gathered to see Dr Rob Törok, Consultant and Clinical Director of Emergency Medicine, Dorset County Hospital Foundation Trust, receive the award on behalf of the Dorset Road Safe partnership.

The award was presented by Tony Spalding, Chairman of the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award Committee.
 
The ‘no excuse’ project was one of 50 short listed from several hundred international entries before being selected by His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent and his committee to receive the international award which allows the project to display the award logo on all their future project literature.

Brian Austin, ‘no excuse’ Project Manager, said: “These awards are acknowledged globally as being the most prestigious of their kind, so we are extremely proud to have received this award.

“The reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorset’s roads is very encouraging and all of the Dorset Road Safe partners have played an important role together in trying to make our roads safer.”

In recognising Dorset Road Safe’s ‘no excuse’ campaign, the award committee said:

“The judges were extremely impressed by your comprehensive data-led approach for this excellent example of what can be achieved with support from all stakeholder partners.”

The latest road casualty figures across the whole of Dorset reveal an 18% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorset’s roads comparing data from the 18 month period after the launch of ‘no excuse’ with the 18 months prior to its launch.

The reduction in casualties across the largely rural areas of Dorset is even more encouraging, with a 25% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured in the Dorset County Council area for the same period.

However, road fatalities and serious injuries nationally have decreased by an average of 9% comparing 2010 with 2009 and more than half of the local authorities in the south west region saw increases in the number of casualties in their areas.

Brian Austin continued: “Even accepting that there are many factors that can affect road crash figures, such as the downturn in the economy and periods of severe winter weather – which both affect traffic volumes – I believe the ‘no excuse’ project has played a significant contribution towards the very encouraging fall in road casualties across Dorset.

“Dorset Road Safe partners are keen to recognise the positive benefit that their education programmes are playing in encouraging motorists to take more responsibility for their actions.  Changing the mindset of those who have not fully considered the risks of their actions is one of the key objectives of the ‘no excuse’ project.

“We are not complacent and we will not rest on our laurels.  The ‘no excuse’ project will continue to make use of evidence-led covert and overt enforcement operations, innovative publicity, well researched and properly evaluated education courses and community engagement operations such as Surround a Town.

“All of the Dorset Road Safe partners would like to officially record their thanks to colleagues in the Essex Casualty Reduction Partnership, who provided evidence that a carefully researched, combined mass enforcement and public education programme that positively influences motorists’ attitude and behaviour can contribute to a reduction in casualties.

“As a measure of the high esteem in which Dorset Road Safe is held, the Essex partners have adopted Dorset’s ‘no excuse’ branding and signage in their own area and are mirroring our approach to specialist operations such as Surround a Town.

“Additionally, we would like to thank the 14 other local authorities and police forces across the country that have expressed their interest in, and support for, the project and their wish to launch similar projects within their own areas.”

The ‘no excuse’ project is led by Dorset Road Safe, a partnership including Dorset County Council, Dorset Police, Bournemouth Borough Council, the Borough of Poole, Dorset Fire and Rescue, Dorset Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership, NHS Dorset, the South West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, the Highways Agency, LV Streetwise Centre, Her Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service, Trading Standards and the Crown Prosecution Service.

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