'Silhouette' signs could cut Wakefield Road deaths

Jun 16 2009 By Sam Casey

"In France they have whole families of silhouettes at points where there have been accidents.

"In Germany they have pictures of people who have been killed, but we felt that was a step too far.

"But it has to be something that makes people think. There are so many signs about driving carefully, we wanted to do something different."

The placards, costing £50 each, were produced by Savile Town firm FAM Print Services.

They have been put up at Waterloo, Greaves House Terrace in Lepton, Rowley Lane, Paul Lane, Grange Moor and near Wakefield.

Kirklees Council plans to install 17 speed cameras on Wakefield Road this summer.

Each camera unit will cost about £12,000, but only about four or five will contain operational cameras.

The cameras themselves will cost about £25,000 each.

They should be in place by the end of August. The silhouettes will be taken down when the cameras are put up.

West Yorkshire Casualty Reduction Partnership, which is responsible for speed cameras, is to consider rolling out the silhouette boards in other parts of the county.