This week is Road Safety Week, and Rebecca Harris MP supported the 'Make the Brake Pledge'. Brake's vision is a world where streets are pleasant, unpolluted, and safe for everyone to use freely.
The pledge is to drive Slow, Sober, Secure, Silent, Sharp and Sustainable.
Rebecca has previously supported the Brake vision, and was awarded Parliamentarian of the Month by Brake and Direct Line in 2010. In June 2010, Rebecca tabled a Private Members’ Bill to get the Secretary of State to conduct an analysis of the costs and benefits of introducing daylight saving time and then act on the results. Daylight saving time means putting the clocks forward by one hour to make the days lighter. It would make journeys home from schools much safer for children during the winter months. It’s estimated that this could save 100 lives each year on our roads, and prevent many more serious injuries.
Rebecca has been a supporter of putting the clocks forward for many years so she was very excited when she heard that so many charities had grouped together to move forward the campaign. Rebecca shared the public’s concern for children travelling home from school in the dark. She continuously uses her influence as an MP to help constituents to campaign for road safety improvements such as pedestrian crossings in her local area. As a mother herself, she understands other parents’ justifiable fears for the safety of their children on the roads. Rebecca is also committed to cutting carbon emissions and has supported the ‘Lighter Later’ campaign as an opportunity to both improve safety and help protect the environment.
Rebecca said "I have met with Mike Carr from Brake to promote the #BrakePledge campaign. The Pledge calls for drivers to do everything they can to protect themselves and the people around them. My constituent Brenda Gutberlet, who sadly lost her niece due to poor driver eyesight, was interviewed by ITV to highlight this issue and remind drivers to get their eyes tested regularly. I also had a meeting with Andrew Jones, Road Safety Minister to disuse this issue and other measures and can be done to improve road safety."
