‘Don’t dice with death’ alert as road toll soars

A CAMPAIGN is being launched urging people not to dice with death on the roads following an increase in road fatalities last year.

Recent statistics show that 75 people lost their lives on the roads of Greater Manchester in 2011 compared with 53 in the previous year — an increase of 42 per cent.

The increase comes against a background trend of decreasing road deaths that has seen fatalities drop from 90 in 2006 to 53 in 2010.

Officers say that though there are many factors contributing to the loss of these lives they believe that speeding, drivers and passengers not wearing seatbelts and drivers using mobile phones have played a significant role.

Greater Manchester Police (GMP) has set up Operation Dice to tackle drivers putting their own lives and that of passengers and other road users at risk through driving dangerously and flouting speeding, seat belt and mobile phone laws.

Enforcements against dangerous driving are taking place around the clock and are being supported by a hard-hitting awareness campaign featuring blood spattered furry dice urging drivers not to dice with death and informing them of the 75 road deaths in 2011.

The campaign asks drivers to slow down, belt up and switch off their mobiles and will be featured on posters on buses side and road-side advertising.
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