This is Gary

Gary is a little bear who comes from the Shakespeare Hospice at Stratford. He is here for a month with Warwickshire’s Roads Policing Unit to help raise money for the Hospice by inviting people to guess how many miles he travels on patrol during the month.

Gary is a very green bear and like many people he knows very little about Roads Policing in Warwickshire. Over the next month he will be finding out exactly what the officers on the unit do in the course of their duties and why they do it. He will be keeping the public updated on his progress through his own section on the website.

The Shakespeare Hospice does some very good work. It can enhance and even extend the lives of its residents but ultimately it cannot save lives. The Roads Policing Unit however believe they can save lives by influencing the behaviour of all road users. Indeed over the past 5 years the Warwickshire Roads Policing Unit have worked hard to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads and in 2005 achieved the government’s 2010 target for casualty reduction. However, the team recognise that there is still a lot more work to be done and desperately want to save more lives needlessly lost on our roads.

The Roads Policing Unit hope that through Gary they can educate the public on a whole range of road safety and crime prevention matters as well as ending some of the popular myths about their current work.

We hope that the amazing adventures of Gary the RPU bear will be both entertaining and enlightening for an audience spanning all generations of the family.

Gary's Blog

Gary’s Challenge
This is your chance to guess the mileage ‘Gary’ has covered over the four weeks he has been working with the Warwickshire Roads Policing Unit. Please fill in your details below and put in a donation of £1 for every guess – don’t forget to gift aid your donation. The closest guess will win £20 of WH Smith vouchers. The winner will be announced on Monday 8th January 2007. All donations will come directly to The Shakespeare Hospice, so join in and help make a real difference to local families coping with the diagnosis of a life-threatening illness.
Last Modified: 12/11/2007

Gary says Goodbye
Gary says Goodbye
Last Modified: 11/11/2007

Day 24: Gary attends a Multi agency check
Day 24: Gary attends a Multi agency check
Last Modified: 03/11/2007

Day 21: Gary goes undercover!
Day 21: Gary goes undercover!
Last Modified: 30/10/2007

Day 23: Gary's day out with the RSU
Day 23: Gary's day out with the RSU
Last Modified: 30/10/2007

Day 22: Gary has a day with the ladies on the Road Safety Unit
Day 22: Gary has a day with the ladies on the Road Safety Unit
Last Modified: 30/10/2007

Day 20: Gary learns the importance of good eyesight
Day 20: Gary learns the importance of good eyesight
Last Modified: 27/10/2007

Day 13: Gary has a well deserved weekend off !
Day 13: Gary has a well deserved weekend off !
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 19: Gary helps at a Christmas Drink Drive check
Day 19: Gary helps at a Christmas Drink Drive check
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 18: Gary helps at an ANPR check
Day 18: Gary helps at an ANPR check
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 15: Gary gives some tips on motorway driving
Day 15: Gary gives some tips on motorway driving
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 16: Gary is saving lives in the camera van
Day 16: Gary is saving lives in the camera van
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 14: Gary goes to an inquest and teaches you how to make sure your tyres are legal
Day 14: Gary goes to an inquest and teaches you how to make sure your tyres are legal
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 17: Gary visits a specialist biker clothing shop for children
Day 17: Gary visits a specialist biker clothing shop for children
Last Modified: 26/10/2007

Day 12: Gary attends a Policeman's funeral
Day 12: Gary attends a Policeman's funeral
Last Modified: 19/10/2007

Day 11: Gary has a tiring day and learns why fatigue is dangerous for driver
Day 11: Gary has a tiring day and learns why fatigue is dangerous for driver
Last Modified: 17/10/2007

Day 9: Gary learns the Highway Code and spots a Dinosaur warning sign !
Day 9: Gary learns the Highway Code and spots a Dinosaur warning sign !
Last Modified: 15/10/2007

Day 10: Gary becomes a biker and contacts the Council about a faulty road
Day 10: Gary becomes a biker and contacts the Council about a faulty road
Last Modified: 15/10/2007

Day 8: Gary's reflections on road safety!
As we get further into the winter months the days are shorter and the nights are longer. If children are playing out after school or riding bikes without lights it will be harder for car drivers to see them unless they wear something bright and reflective.
Last Modified: 14/10/2007

Day 7: Gary plans his patrols for next week and gives more advice on wearing seatbelts
Day 7: Gary plans his patrols for next week and gives more advice on wearing seatbelts
Last Modified: 14/10/2007

Day 6: Gary has a very busy day
On Thursday night Gary stayed with the collision investigators and was called out from home in the middle of the night to yet another road traffic collision. This is the third serious injury accident he's been to in a week!
Last Modified: 10/10/2007

Day 5: Gary runs a speed check in Leamington
Day 5: Gary runs a speed check in Leamington
Last Modified: 10/10/2007

Day 4: Gary the RPU Bear goes to court
Day 4: Gary the RPU Bear goes to court
Last Modified: 10/10/2007

Day 3: Gary with intoximeter - Don't Drink and Drive
More than 500 road deaths every year are directly linked to drink driving. Some of these are the drivers themselves but others are their passengers or other road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. Drink Drivers are a very real menace on our roads.
Last Modified: 06/10/2007

Day 2: Gary spots a problem at a road traffic accident (RTC)
Gary has been to a collision scene and notices a problem on the windscreen. It is now November. Can you spot the problem ?
Last Modified: 06/10/2007

Day 1: Gary helps get the cars ready
Day 1: Gary helps get the cars ready
Last Modified: 06/10/2007