Last updated 14:01, Monday, 02 June 2008

HUNDREDS of young women drivers in college campuses across Cumbria are being targeted by the Highways Agency – thanks to the Safer Roads for Cumbria partnership.

The Highways Agency, which is one of the partnership’s members, has supplied hundreds of copies of its popular Hi magazine for women drivers for distribution to local sixth form colleges and at the University of Cumbria.

The full-colour, handbag-sized magazine, which can also fit handily into a glove-box, has been produced by the Highways Agency’s national education and research team but is being distributed locally by the Safer Roads for Cumbria partnership.

The Highways Agency’s Area 13 team, which is responsible for motorways and strategic A roads in Cumbria and North Lancashire, has handed over copies of the magazine as part of its work to reduce road casualties.

The team has its own Area Safety Action Plan with the aim of reducing road deaths and injuries.

The Highways Agency is responsible for developing, maintaining and repairing key roads in Cumbria such as the A595, A66, A590 and A74 as well as the M6.

In Cumbria and North Lancashire, on figures averaged between 1994 and 1998, some 84 people are killed or seriously injured every year on motorways and 147 on trunk A roads.

The Hi magazine initiative is part of a wider programme to target specific driver and rider groups such as motorcyclists and business drivers among others.

The magazine is packed with useful driving information for all women but is especially useful for learner or newly-qualified drivers.

It features information from basic maintenance, such as checking tyre and oil levels, to advice on changing a tyre, safety tips during a breakdown and even wearing the correct footwear for driving.

Information on the penalty points for speeding, driving without distractions and advanced driving skills is also included.

Julie Smith, the Highways Agency’s driver information programmes co-ordinator, said: “The bright and bold and tongue-in-cheek style of Hi is designed to appeal to women drivers of all ages but younger drivers will find it especially useful so we are delighted that students in colleges in Cumbria are getting free copies of the magazine.”

Bob Baldwin, Highways Agency area performance manager for Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “Younger people are an especially hard-to-reach group of drivers but they also feature disproportionately in our accident figures.

“We feel that distributing copies of Hi is a good way of reaching young women drivers in Cumbria and if they have managed to get hold of a copy we would urge them to have a good read and then keep it handy in their glove box.”