Cross The Road when you see the Little Green Men

Date published: 13/09/2005

Three 'extra terrestrials' have been enlisted by the Neighbourhood Road Safety Initiative in Rochdale to help highlight the dangers to pedestrians on our roads.

Aliens will be landing in Yorkshire Street outside the Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre entrance at 12 Noon, on Friday 16 September as part of the 'We believe in little green men' campaign.
 
They will be raising awareness of needless pedestrian road casualties and encouraging those on foot to use pedestrian crossings wherever possible.

Stuart Howarth from Rochdale Road Safety Unit said, "People are still taking risks on our roads. Increased use of mobile phones, personal stereos and even being engrossed in conversation all take our attention away from the dangers.

"As pedestrians we need to be aware of traffic and the danger it poses. The safest place to cross any road is a pedestrian crossing. Where possible we should be using them.

"Children often play on our neighbourhood streets and also have to cross busy roads on their school journeys. Every year over 15,000 child pedestrians get injured on UK roads and we think this is unacceptable."

"This campaign is purposefully light hearted but we're hoping our 'little green men' will help raise some serious issues and make people think twice about taking risks on our roads."
Background information

The regional NRSI campaign is being mounted throughout Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire and our aliens will be visiting other towns and cities.

The campaign is using bus advertising along with over five million bus tickets to raise the issue of pedestrian road safety and offer the public the opportunity to win one of ten monthly bus passes. Full details of the campaign, the issues and the competition can be found at www.nrsi.org.uk