Sheryll Murray, MP for South East Cornwall, has shown her support for The Red Thumb Campaign through meeting with firefighters from Saltash Fire Station at an open day on Saturday. The road safety campaign aims to raise awareness of the potentially fatal risks of driving distractions, targeting people who use their mobile phones when driving. My Red Thumb encourages drivers to paint their thumb nails red, as a reminder not to text or talk on the phone when in the driving seat.
According to The Red Thumb Campaign website, drivers using hand-held or hands-free mobile devices are four times more likely to crash, and injure or kill themselves or others, through slower reactions and a reduced awareness of their surroundings. Being caught will result in a £100 fine and three license points or a lost license, as well as a likely prison sentence or even tragic and fatal injuries to the driver or others.
These devastating risks have been highlighted in The Red Thumb campaign, which was launched in May this year across Devon and Cornwall, gaining support from the Emergency Services and Cornwall Road Safety, alongside local MP Sheryll Murray. The Learn2Live group, who educate young people about road safety, with the aim of reducing casualties, will also be delivering presentations about the campaign to thousands of sixth form students in Cornwall from October this year.
People are being encouraged to take My Red Thumb ‘selfies’, as a fun and fashionable initiative to continue the fast-growing safety trend through social media. Sheryll Murray MP met with Saltash Firefighters at the station’s Open Day, at which she also met some of the station’s young cadets.
Sheryll said, “I hope that everyone will support The Red Thumb Campaign by painting their thumb nails red, and take part in this fantastic cause that has the capacity to save so many lives on the roads in our local area.”
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Pictured Sheryll Murray and Harry Samuels have their thumbs painted red.
Contact: Sheryll Murray MP 01579 344428
Notes: Follow @MyRedThumb on Twitter for campaigns and updates and use #MyRedThumb, as well as on Facebook www.facebook.com/myredthumb and on the campaign’s website www.myredthumb.com