Lancashire hosts in car safety seminar for health professionals

Doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers from across Lancashire have been urged to tell their patients - especially mums with young children - to belt up! Recognising that health professionals are excellent champions to promote in car safety, the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety organised the county’s first ever in-car safety seminar for health workers at Preston North End FC.

A 110 strong audience heard harrowing stories of the aftermath of accidents from paramedics and members of the Preston and Chorley emergency trauma team. They told of the sometimes life or death differences in the seriousness of injuries between crash victims brought to them who had been wearing seat belts, and those who had not.

Other speakers included Nigel Byard of the Transport Research Laboratory who took delegates through various accidents and Kevin Clinton (ROSPA) who urged delegates to ensure parents follow manufacturers’ instructions when fitting child restraints, as a ROSPA survey had highlighted that as many as three quarters had not been fitted properly.

"As well as dealing with the victims of crashes, the health sector can play an important role in helping to prevent casualties," said Cheryl Brown, the Partnership’s public relations officer. "Research shows that it takes less than a fifth of a second for an unrestrained child to fly through a windscreen and die in a crash at only 30mph. We want to get this message across to parents. Who better to put it forward on our behalf than their health visitor, practice, school or nursery nurse?"

‘Help us to help you’ was the message delivered by the Partnership, with delegates being introduced to their take home ‘Seat Belts & Child Restraints Fact File’ (see pic) – a resource designed to help health professionals communicate in car safety messages. The pack contains information on in-car safety, frequently asked questions, the law relating to the wearing of seatbelts, advice on fitting child-car seats and useful contacts.

For more information contact Cheryl Brown on 01772 264531 or by email, Cheryl.Brown@env.lancscc.gov.uk