Exeter Airport Launch for Safety Campaign

The Honest Truth Partnership has launched a campaign at Exeter Airport yesterday (Tues 26 Nov) to reduce anti social driving and the number of young people killed or seriously injured on the roads.

Representatives from Devon County Council’s Safe and Sustainable Travel Team, Devon and Cornwall Police, Devon and Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, Teignbridge District Council and Exeter Airport launched the award winning 'The Honest Truth' road safety campaign at Exeter Airport.

The idea of the campaign is to raise awareness of the dangers of drink-driving and fatigue to airport passengers arriving at Exeter before beginning their onward journey home.

Research has shown that one of the times drivers may drive in the early hours of the morning is when they are catching, or returning from, an early flight. Drivers returning from long or short haul flights often drive home after having had very little sleep in the previous 24 hours.

Passengers may have also indulged in-flight alcohol, this combined with tiredness from a long journey significantly increases the chance of a road traffic collision.

The partnership will be working with Exeter Airport to highlight these issues and make passengers aware of the potential dangers when leaving the aiport.

Chairman of The Honest Truth Partnership Sergeant Olly Tayler said: "The Honest Truth is delighted to be working with Exeter Airport to assist in educating those travelling through the airport to keep safe right up to the point they get home. While many people may think that the most dangerous part of travel is in the air the reality is that it's far more likely to be the last hour or so driving home. The messages around driving while fatigued or having consumed alcohol are so important to all of us using the roads. The Honest Truth is looking forward to developing our work with the airport to reduce the numbers of people being killed or seriously injured on our roads."

Andy Barton, Safety, Airfield & Compliance Manager at Exeter International Airport said: "Following a series of partnership working meetings with the Road Safety Partnership the airport was invited to attend a Learn 2 Live event. This was very well received and was seen as an opportunity for the airport to work with the Road Safety Partnership to promote safety awareness to our travelling customers alongside our continued safety improvement and awareness amongst our employees."

Station Manager Rob Carlson, of Devon & Somerset Fire & Rescue Service, said: “People should ask themselves, after a long flight, through different time zones and possibly after drinking alcohol, would they be fit to drive safely or would they be better to stay near the airport overnight.”

The Honest Truth Partnership was created in 2012 and works to reduce anti social driving and the number of 17-24 year olds killed or seriously injured on the roads by getting messages to young drivers through Approved Driving Instructors.