A £1.4m THINK! campaign to highlight the devastating consequences of speeding for drivers as well as victims starts today. The campaign’s message is that if you kill someone while speeding you will be tormented by it forever. In the television advert a driver is haunted by images of the child he has killed - seeing his body in the bathroom mirror, through the window of a bus and when in the park with his son. Paul Clark, Road Safety Minister, said: "Speed kills. Nearly 600 people were killed in 2008 in accidents where someone was driving too fast. “This campaign highlights the consequences of speeding for the driver involved: what is life like for the driver who kills because they are in a rush to get home and how does that split second decision affect the rest of their life? I hope this campaign will get drivers to kill their speed before it’s too late” The THINK! campaign - 'Kill your speed, or live with it' - includes TV, radio, and cinema advertising. The radio adverts - ‘Always There’ – feature a chilling message from ‘beyond the grave’. Children’s voices describe what life is like for the driver who killed them while speeding several years ago. The drivers cannot sleep, watch a football match or spend time with their own children without thinking of the dead child. The 'Kill your speed, or live with it' campaign first ran in February 2009 and is just one of the Government’s initiatives to further cut the number of people killed or injured on Britain’s roads. In addition, the Department for Transport has recently announced an independent review of the law on drink and drug driving. For both drink and drugs, the study will also consider the likely impacts of any changes on driver behaviour, and the practical steps needed to support the introduction of any new or revised offence. DfT.
Police officers in South Liverpool are getting on their bikes to cut crime and help them beat traffic congestion. Officers based at Admiral Street and Speke police stations now use mountain bikes on all shifts (see right). Inspector Deborah Mackay, Liverpool South critical incident manager said: “Merseyside Police welcomes the introduction of increased cycle patrols. The additional bicycles will bring numerous benefits, including enabling officers to cover a greater and wider area, deal with crime and anti-social behaviour, improved response times, access to the myriad of streets as well as increasing police visibility. "The public want to see a more visible police presence in their communities. That needs a modern, flexible police service that responds to people's needs – whether in tackling crime or attending an incident. Quite simply, it's about the right people with the right skills, being in the right place at the right time.” Merseyside Police also hopes to reduce the size of its carbon footprint. Liverpool Echo
Two elderly people died following a collision between a car and a bus on Saturday morning. They were in a Ford Fiesta that was in a smash with the bus on Parr Stocks Road, Parr just before 9am on Saturday, January 2, say police. Police confirmed both died at the scene as a result of injuries. No further information has been released so far about the victims' identities. The driver of the bus was taken to hospital for treatment but his injuries are not believed to be serious. It had been reported earlier the driver of the bus was a woman. However, this information - which came from the police - was inaccurate, according to the bus company. Parr Stocks Road was closed at its junction with Chancery Lane this morning and officers asked drivers to avoid the area and use alternative routes, while examinations of the scene were carried out. St Helens Star
Work kicks off in the New Year on the ‘Bull and Dog’ traffic island at Marshalls Cross. Proposals for environmental improvements to the traffic island at the junction of Marshalls Cross Road, Mill Lane, Chester Lane and Clock Face Road are being finalised. The council says it wants to provide clearer views through the island to allow the site to be maintained more easily and to provide more seasonal colour with some low flowering plants. Work on site clearance is due to commence in the New Year, with the remaining work scheduled for completion by the end of March 2010. St. Helens Star
Chaos hit the Merseyside transport network this morning following heavy snowfall during the night. Liverpool John Lennon Airport was shut at 5.30am, after it became too dangerous for planes to land or take off. Many of Merseyside’s motorways were either partly closed or were subject to long delays following accidents, many of them jackknifed lorries. An HGV toppled over between junctions 11 and 12 of the M62, between Birchwood and Croft, causing one westbound lane to be closed. A Highways Agency spokesman said it would remain closed until the vehicle could be removed. A few minor bumps were reported on the M58 motorway and heavy snow caused problems on the M57, at its junction with the M62. On the M6 motorway, a lorry jackknifed on the southbound carriageway at Haydock at around 4.20am, prompting the closure of two lanes. A Highways Agency spokesman said: "We’ve been working through the night, using ploughs to clear the snow. "The snow in central parts of the northwest, around Merseyside, has been exceptional. We are liaising with the Met Office in Birmingham to respond to situations when they occur. "We are gritting the motorways twice a day, and when we identify a problem we go out and grit again. "We have advised drivers not to travel unless it is absolutely essential. If you do go out, show extreme caution." Commuters were reporting heavy congestion on Aigburth Road, with buses taking almost one hour to negotiate a small 600 metre stretch. There were further reports of a vehicle jackknifing on the busy Liverpool thoroughfare Edge Lane and a car overturned on Upper Raby Road in Neston. Liverpool Echo
Runcorn bridge is closed due to ice and a broken down lorry. A spokeswoman for Merseyside Police: "At this moment we don't know when it will reopen. The conditions on the bridge are awful and we would advise people to avoid where possible. "It is causing chaos." Liverpool Echo
Police have urged drivers not to make unnecessary journeys in the morning and advised anyone needing to travel to use trains. Dangerous ice is expected to form on snow laden roads and there remains doubts that buses will be running on Wednesday. Conditions tomorrow are expected to be treacherous for both motorists and pedestrians, warn police. Chief Superintendent Tony Doherty, from Merseyside Police, said: "Driving conditions caused severe congestion in Liverpool city centre and drivers in other parts of Merseyside also faced problems as they made their way home this evening. “Weather forecasters have predicted that temperatures are likely to fall below freezing overnight and this is highly likely to create even more treacherous and icy conditions on the roads. "There is a lot of snow and black ice on a lot of our roads throughout the region. Quite often black ice is not visible and drivers can find it difficult to control their cars. Our message is clear - don't drive unless you really have to. “And if you do take to the roads give yourself plenty of time to reach your destination, be mindful of other cars on the road and be aware of the road conditions. "Drivers should leave plenty of room between them and the car in front, drive slower than usual and use their gears to slow down where possible rather than their brakes, pay attention to the road traffic signs on the motorways and listen to local radio stations for regular traffic updates. "Although local authorities will be gritting the main arterial routes overnight it is unlikely that the situation on the roads, particularly side streets, will improve over the next couple days. “We would like to thank drivers for their continued patience and responsible driving during these extreme weather conditions." Pedestrians are being urged to take extra care too, especially those taking their children out and walking their dogs. Officers have also urged caution to anyone listening to music players or talking on their mobile telephones while walking on the roads. A police statement added: “You should make sure you are highly visible to other road users and take extra care when crossing busy roads. “Cross at zebra crossings or traffic lights, do not cross between parked cars. Wear bright or light-coloured clothing or reflective strips, when walking in dusk or darkness “Away from the roads, people are also asked to check on the welfare of friends, family and neighbours who may be more vulnerable during the cold weather, especially the elderly.” St Helens Star
Merseyside was forced to a standstill as the region was engulfed in a rapid freeze. Up to 15cm of snow carpeted the county as temperatures plummeted and several severe weather warnings were issued. By 2.30pm yesterday every major Merseyside bus company had suspended their services and ambulances were being dispatched only to the most serious cases. Traffic was halted across the region with one stranded woman even giving birth on the M53. She had her baby shortly after the ambulance arrived. Merseyrail’s network was jammed as thousands of workers desperate to return home piled on the region’s trains. Services from Liverpool Central, Lime Street and Moorfields stations were overflowing with commuters as motorists abandoned their cars, fearful of dozens of reported collisions throughout Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire. At least three lorries stuck in the snow – two on St Oswald’s Street, Old Swan, and one in Scotland Road, causing tailbacks across the city. North West Ambulance Service ordered its paramedics to head only to patients whose lives were in immediate danger. Deputy chief executive Bob Williams said: “We are having to stringently prioritise our 999 calls and dispatch our resources to life-threatening cases only. “The driving conditions are extremely hazardous and we would like to reduce the risk of injury on the roads as much as possible. Trains were one of the few headache-free ways to get home, with both the Northern and Wirral lines running without disruption. Extra staff were deployed overnight with some employees driving empty trains to stop them freezing up. And special anti-icing lubricant was applied to the network’s tracks. A Merseyrail spokesman said: “The trains have been a lifeline for many people wanting to get home.” At Moorfields, passengers streamed on to the platforms as bosses let staff home early. A City centre fundraiser from Upton, Wirral, abandoned her car after it took her 30 minutes to drive three miles. She said: “A colleague and I were allowed to go home early and tried to drive home. It took us 30 minutes to get from The Strand to Leeds Street. “The car was skidding everywhere. It was terrifying. “Everyone was in a hurry to get home and I even saw taxis mount the pavement to get away. “I got the train over to the Wirral where my dad picked me up.” Such was the volume of people scouring alternative ways to get home that the Merseytravel website crashed due to extremely high internet traffic. On the roads Liverpool city centre was gridlocked by mid-afternoon, particularly on Leeds Street and The Strand. Riverside Drive, a major commuter route connecting the city centre and south Liverpool, was described as “impassable”. Visibility on the M53 motorway remained poor with traffic reduced to around 20mph. The Queensway Tunnel closed temporarily around 4pm as the icy A41 in Birkenhead created a huge queue snaking back through the tunnel, clogging up Liverpool city centre. Parts of west Wirral including Caldy, Heswall and West Kirby became near impassable with council gritters unable to grit while snow was falling. Trucks began gritting there at 5pm and planned to grit most roads at least twice last night. Cabbies in some parts of Merseyside refused to accept fares because of potential treacherous journeys on to smaller roads. The Runcorn Bridge, used by many commuters to cross the Mersey, was closed during the late afternoon for a time due to dangerous ice and a broken down lorry. Liverpool Echo
Essential road re-surfacing is set to take place from next Monday (January 11) on the A570 between Kew Roundabout and the West Lancs boundary. Work will be carried out overnight (between 8.30pm and 6am) to minimise disruption on the busy route. Temporary traffic lights will be in place and access to 24-hour businesses, such as Tesco, will be maintained during the scheme. The work is scheduled to last three weeks, but could be completed sooner depending on the weather. Southport Visiter
A woman's defence when she was caught over the drink drive limit was that she was going to pick up her “suicidal” friend. Nicola Green, 36, of Liverpool Road, Formby, was driving a red-coloured Nissan Primera on Liverpool Road when the offence was committed. Her car had been in a road traffic accident and, although she was not at fault, she was breathalysed by officers as a matter of course. The reading showed that she had 127 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood. She pleaded guilty to the offence at North Sefton Magistrates’ Court on December 29. Prosecuting, Nick Evans said that she told officers she had three glasses of wine. In mitigation, defending, Nick Archer said she had been out shopping when she received a call from a friend saying he “was suicidal and could she go and collect him from Waterloo.” Concerned, she went to get him. Mr Archer told the magistrates that she had never been in trouble with the police, she is in full-time employment and lived with her partner. She was “devastated” to be before the court and was “anxious about the whole matter”. Chairman of the magistrates’ bench Fraser Wallace said: “It’s an extremely high reading. We deal with cases like this all year and we know to get this reading takes more than three glasses of wine.” Probation asked for a four-week adjournment when a more in-depth interview will be carried out. Mr Fraser gave her an interim driving disqualification. She will be sentenced on January 26. Formby Times.
A bus driver had a lucky escape after colliding with a bin lorry this afternoon. A single decker bus and bin wagon collided on Almonds Green, West Derby, at around 1pm. Watch Manager Ian Mullen said: "The bus driver had a very lucky escape, the prongs from the back of the bin wagon were inside the bus, trapping him in the driver's compartment. One of the doors was hanging off and the windscreen was smashed." Crews from Old Swan and Croxteth attended. They removed a passenger via a basket stretcher through the emergency exit at the back of the bus before using a crow bar to prise open the door to release the driver. Both were taken to Fazakerley Hospital suffering from neck injuries. Watch Manager Mullen added: "It's absolutely treacherous out there with the ice. We'd urge everyone to take extra care." Liverpool Echo.
A 54 year old Wirral woman suffered minor injuries after her car was driven into by a bus skidding on ice this afternoon. Emergency services were called to Frankby Road at its junction with Hillbark Road just after 2.30pm. Police say the bus skidded on ice near to Frankby Cemetery before hitting the back of the car. The road was closed for around an hour and was then reopened. The driver of the car was said to be in shock and suffering minor injuries. She was taken by ambulance to Arrowe Park Hospital. Wirral Globe
The entry sliproad at Junction 2 of the M53 northbound has now reopened after a lorry overturned earlier today. The driver had to be cut out of his cab by fire and rescue workers. He was taken to Arrowe Park Hospital and is understood to be suffering from non-life threatening injuries. The accident happened at 3.17pm. Wirral Globe