Bags help keep older pedestrians safer

Thousands of shopping bags are being provided to elderly people in an effort to make them more visible to drivers, both during the day and at night.

The innovative SEE ME bags are the brainchild of road safety officers in the LARSOA North East region, who were looking for an effective way to cut elderly pedestrian casualties during the winter months.

The bags, which should have a long life span, are constructed from a strong white nylon, which is highly visible during daylight and incorporates a reflective strip that reflects car headlights at night - making the carrier much more visible to approaching motorists. The bag also sports a very smart SEE ME logo.

"Pedestrians are often much harder to see at this time of year when daylight visibility can be poor and there are far more hours of darkness," said Alan Kennedy, chairman of the LARSOA North East group and road safety manager for Durham County Council. "Last year, over 100 older people were involved in road traffic collisions in our region.

"The SEE ME bags are the ideal size for a small amount of shopping. They are light, easy to fold up into a pocket when not in use and are a simple, but effective way of making pedestrians more visible to traffic. The design of the bag was based on research with older people across the region."

Almost 20,000 bags have been distributed using various outlets. Age Concern has been an excellent partner in many authority areas, helping to deliver a significant quantity of to elderly folk who enjoy walking and shopping. Each bag contains an information leaflet provided by Safe Speed for Life about the importance of being conspicuous to drivers.

For more information about the campaign contact Alan Kennedy on 0191 383 3767, akennedy@durham.gov.uk.