Highways England scoops three awards in safety ‘drive’ to customers

The government agency responsible for managing England’s motorway and major A-road network won three awards at the TyreSafe Awards 2018. It scooped the prestigious ‘Safety in the Community’ category and Online and Social campaign for for its ‘Vehicle Checks’ campaign.

It was also presented with an Emergency Services Award which was a joint initiative to pilot tyre safety checks at the charity car wash events with Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS), Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service (LFRS), The Fire Fighters Charity (FFC).

This is the first time the Fire Fighters Charity have introduced a theme to its charity car washes. The drivers and occupants of the vehicles going through the car washes received information and education about the importance of the tyres on their vehicle, how and when to carry out checks, and the consequences of unsafe tyres.

The national Highways England ‘Vehicle Checks’ campaign ran across television, radio and online platforms last summer and called on motorists to consider basic checks such as topping up oil, checking tyre pressures and ensuring there was plenty of fuel in the tank.

The campaign underlined the importance of checking the vehicle before setting off and drew comparisons with the high-level of safety placed on those travelling by plane.

By taking a humorous approach to the advert – which featured a pilot announcing he’d done no pre-flight safety checks whatsoever to the aeroplane – the ‘passengers’ quickly set about disembarking underlining the seriousness of safety checks before travelling.