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Stop for tea with emergency
services at M6 event
MOTORWAY safety was the theme at a free
event at 17 Service Stations, located along M6, on Thursday, 11 August
2016. From 10am to 3pm,
colleagues from local Fire Services, Police Forces, Councils and TyreSafe, all
joined the Highways England's Traffic Officers to encourage drivers to Stop 4 T, to
check that their vehicles are safe to travel and to learn about the impacts of
bad driving and poor vehicle maintenance. Drivers and their families had
the opportunity to join in, in a range of activities, from examining the
Think! crashed cars, that was located at Lymm and Knutsford North Services,
though to trying a driver
simulator at Knutsford South Services. The simulator allows users to see what can happen if the unexpected
occurs when you are driving too fast. Vintage Emergency Services Vehicles where
also be available to explore at some locations.
Visitors to the events have been asked to help promote the safety messages by tweeting photos from
selfie boards and entering a free prize draw.
Stuart Lovatt, Safety Action Plan Team Leader at Highways England said:-"Safety
days are always popular with drivers and families, and they are a fantastic
opportunity to check you're doing everything you should be doing to get fit for
travel.
Our motorways are the safest in the world, but only because we take safety so
seriously. It's a message we want to pass on to the drivers of today, and the
drivers of tomorrow."
The Stop 4 T safety day is part of a national summer campaign
urging drivers to ensure they're totally prepared and know about the latest
signs and signals they will see on England's Motorways.
With 46,000 breakdowns on England's motorways and major A roads last summer,
drivers are also being reminded what to do if they break down, including if that
is on a section of 'Smart Motorway' where there is no hard shoulder.
The thousands of incidents include trailers and caravans incorrectly fitted,
tyre blow outs and people not having enough fuel to complete their journeys.
Highways England is advising drivers of the resources on offer to
help them
arrive at their destinations safely, including advice about driving on smart
motorways where signs and signals are used to help ease the flow of traffic to
improve journeys.
The Stop 4 T events on the M6 on Thursday have had the
following 6
themes:-
T is for Tyres
TyreSafe will be on hand to offer advice at almost every service area on the M6.
Checking your treads and pressures could save your life. Poorly-maintained tyres
affect steering, braking and handling, and are more prone to blowouts; putting
yourself, your passengers and other lives at risk.
James Amor's motor sport and rally rescue
background was put to the test when he witnessed a blowout that spun a car into
the central reservation between Kirkham and Preston. The crash turned the
vehicle round leaving the terrified mum and two daughters facing the oncoming
traffic in the dark. Fortunately, James was in a safe position to go to their
aid.
T is for Tiredness
Tiredness can kill. Never drive tired and take regular breaks.
T is for Towing
Make sure your vehicle is heavy enough to safely tow your trailer. There is a
legal limit. Fit additional mirrors when you are towing any trailer that is
wider than your vehicle. Ensure the tow bar is clean and free of grease, that
the doors and windows are secure and the aerial is safe.
T is for Two Second Rule
The 2-second rule is a simple but effective way of making sure you keep a safe
distance from the vehicle in front. Double it in wet conditions.
When a 4x4 ploughed into the back of his minibus on the M56 returning from
Liverpool, driver Howard Gunn reacted quickly went straight into training mode
to assist his passengers.
T is for Top Up your tank
Don't leave it to chance. There's no excuse for running out of fuel on the
motorway. But it's not just embarrassing. It could add hours to your journey and
it's dangerous too; both for you and the person who has to come out and refuel
your vehicle.
Highways England Traffic Officer Mike Clarke said:-
"If you're sitting in
stationary traffic at roadworks, it's easy to assume that it's all down to the
narrow lanes or the 50mph speed limit. In fact the delays are almost always
caused by someone who has broken down in a live lane. Once we have a jam like
this on our hands, the queues build at approximately a mile a minute. Please,
please make sure you have fuel and a properly maintained vehicle before you join
a motorway."
T is for Take Care around road works
Stick to the speed limit through road works. Cones and barriers are there for
road workers' and road users' safety. Take care through roadworks.
Send us your photos if you spotted 1 of the events. Our
email address is
News24@SouthportReporter.com. |
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Southport's Nicki tops
London Marathon's
A 29 year old, from Southport, who claims
to be "no runner at all" now shares a unique bond with the joint winners
of the 1st London Marathon.
Nicki Ainsworth clocked 5:56.25 to finish the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon
in 36,082nd place. Little did she know that by doing this she became the
1,000,001st finisher in the 36 year history of the event and therefore number 1
of #2ndmillion.
The #2ndmillion project is the second phase of the #oneinamillion campaign which
celebrated every runner who successfully completed the 26.2 mile challenge since
the first race in 1981.
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Shannon Foudy, 39, a serving Police Officer from Hemel Hempstead, became the
millionth finisher of the Virgin Money London Marathon when she crossed the line
in 36,081 place on 24 April 2016.
But Nicki now has the prestige of becoming number 1 in the #2ndmillion campaign
as the Virgin Money London Marathon starts the countdown to its two millionth
finisher.
Nicki now shares being number one with the joint winners of the 1st London
Marathon:- Dick Beardsley (USA) and Inge Simonsen (Norway) who famously crossed
the Finish Line hand in hand in 1981.
"It's a bit of a family joke... My older sister
Sarah, who did the London Marathon in 2010, always says she is number one, but
she can't this time!
I knew I was close to being the millionth finisher but when I went on the London
Marathon website to look at my results, it was a bit confusing to see me down as
number 1.
My 1st thought was 'that can't be right', but then it became clear that it was
number 1 for the #2ndmillion and that's a nice thing to be able to say."
said Nicki.
Nicki was making her marathon debut in London but following in family footsteps.
In addition to sister Sarah, mum Judith and brother-in-law David have also run
the 26.2 miles of London.
"It's become something of a family tradition. It was the 1st time I had
done it and I'm by no means a runner. It was a really good experience. I had
only done a 5k before training for the marathon so it was a bit of a struggle,
but it really felt like an achievement when I had done it." said Nicki, who was
raising money for MacMillan Cancer Support.
Every finisher in the history of the London Marathon is able to buy a special
commemorative t-shirt with their unique finisher number, with all proceeds going
to the London Marathon Charitable Trust.
For those that finished in the first million, their finisher number between 1
and 1,000,000 will be printed on #oneinamillion T-shirts, and for those that
finished after Nicki in 2016 (and in future years), their finisher number,
again starting from 1; will be printed on #2ndmillion T-shirts.
To order your T-shirt, visit:-
VirginMoneyLondonMarathon.com.
Over a quarter of people in the North West
'forget'
to say goodbye to loved ones
NEW statistics from the British Heart Foundation (BHF)
reveal that 61% of people in the North West don't tell their partners they love
them before leaving the house each morning and 21% don't usually kiss their
loved ones goodbye.
The BHF commissioned a survey of 2,000 UK adults to highlight the sudden
devastation of heart disease and how the BHF's life saving research is bringing
hope to the 901,850 people in the North West living with these conditions.
The most popular excuse for dashing out of the house without a goodbye was
forgetting (26%).
Many couples in the North West aren't following old wives' tales either, as an
astonishing 61% of couples go to bed on an argument with 50% leaving the house
in the morning before making up.
Heart disease is heartless and can strike anyone, at any time. It tears families
apart without warning, leaving them no time to say goodbye to their loved ones.
In the UK, more than a quarter of all deaths are caused by heart and circulatory
disease, which equates to one person every three minutes. Research is the answer
to this devastation and the BHF is urging the public to invest in its life
saving heart research.
Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, adds:-
"Many of us lead very busy lives and time with our loved ones is precious. Heart
disease can suddenly affect anyone at any time and has a huge emotional impact
on those left behind.
We have committed to funding ˝ a billion pounds of research over the next 5
years into these conditions that continue to devastate the lives of over 7
million people in the UK each year.
It is only thanks to the public's generosity that we're able to continue our
fight against heart disease, but we urgently need more support to accelerate
this research to keep more families together."
For over 50 years, research funded by BHF has helped save and improve the lives
of millions of people living with heart conditions. Whether it's a parent dying
from a sudden heart attack or a baby being born with a congenital heart defect,
our research is identifying new treatments to help prevent, treat and one day
beat heart disease.
More research is urgently needed if we're to end the sudden devastation caused
by heart disease. With research there is hope, find out more by visiting:-
BHF.Org.UK/Hope.
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