POLICE officers raised awareness of the dangers surrounding road use as part of a Europe-wide day of action, amid concerns over “far too many tragedies” on roads in North Wales.

North Wales Police (NWP) made the road safety pledge for Project Edward’s ‘European Day Without a Road Death’ campaign, established by the European Traffic Police Network in 2016 to draw attention to the average of 70 deaths occurring every day on the continent.

On September 26, police forces and law enforcement agencies from across Europe brought attention to the consequences of the most common dangerous behaviours by drivers and encouraged motorists and cyclists to sign up to the Project Edward road safety pledge. It includes commitments such as not using your mobile phone, being vigilant for the needs of different vehicles, taking care not to tailgate and reminding close ones to take extra care.

Chief superintendent Neill Anderson of NWP said that “one of the hardest jobs a police officer has to do is visit relatives to tell them a loved one has died”.

He said: “Reducing casualties remains a priority for North Wales Police. We want to encourage all road users to think about their driving and how this can be improved for their own and others’ safety.

“Aspects of bad driving all combine to make our roads unsafe with speeding, driving without a seatbelt, using a mobile phone, drugs, alcohol and dangerous driving being five elements which influence this.

“All road users must play their part and make the extra effort to look out for each other.”

Officers from other emergency services including North Wales Fire and Rescue Service (NWFRS) and the Welsh Ambulance Service (WAS) also pledged their support for the international campaign.

Dermot O’Leary, road safety champion for the WAS, said: “Crews attend‎ too many road traffic collisions and see too many deaths and serious injuries on the roads of North Wales.”

Justin Evans, head of community safety for NWFRS, added: “As firefighters, we witness first-hand the terrible aftermath of road traffic collisions. By changing our driving behaviour we can help to make our villages, towns and cities safer places to be.

“Every action that we take, as a driver or as a passenger, can change the outcome of a journey and the future of a family.”

For more information about Project Edward, visit www.projectedward.eu