Gary is out with his friend PK today. PK is a Family Liaison Officer on the Roads Policing Unit at Greys Mallory and has a very difficult job to do. PK says that telling someone that one of their family has just been killed in a road crash is one of the hardest jobs a Police officer has to do, but its not half as bad as being the person who has to receive that message.

Every year over 3,000 people are killed on our roads. That's like a jumbo jet crashing every month but many people are not shocked by road death until someone in their own family is killed. In the two weeks that Gary has been with the RPU seven people have died on the roads here in Warwickshire. In most cases the deaths were preventable and this is why Gary is trying to educate road users about the dangers they face.

PK and Gary have gone out together in the Safety camera van. They will park up in places where there have been too many fatal and serious crashes and their main aim is to slow people down and alert them to the dangers. Every day the local radio tells people where the safety camera van will be operating and there are always camera warning signs in advance so motorists are very unobservant if they continue to speed past the van. Can you see Gary?

Do you remember your signs and road markings in the Highway Code? Take a look at this site and see what the signs are telling you. On a 60 mph road how long do you think it will it take you reach the pedestrian crossing? At 60mph how long does the Highway Code tell you it will take to stop your car in an emergency? Is that crossing before or after the hillcrest?

Do you know what else is over the hillcrest ? Yes its a left hand turning. What could be happening there ? Someone could be pulling out or someone could be turning in. A car could have stalled and broken down in the middle of the junction. We don't know because we cannot see far enough ahead. Gary says "If you lose your view then lose your speed!"

Gary has been out with PK for most of the day and they have photographed only a few motorists who were travelling too fast. Gary is happy that most motorists were driving sensibly. With the help of the camera vans the targets set by the government for casualty reduction by the year 2010 were already met last year here in Warwickshire so Gary is celebrating by having a little dance on the speed camera. The people who haven’t crashed and haven’t died don't know who they are and neither do the Police but when you next drive past a camera van remember why they are there, be glad you are alive and think of Gary dancing on the camera. It will make you smile.

Gary says "Smile at us because we are reducing speed not lives"