A SEATBELT campaign, spearheaded by Yorkshire and the Humber’s NHS Hero, is helping to save lives across the region.
Dr Andy Lockey, Clinical Director in Emergency Medicine at Calderdale Royal Infirmary, was named as the 2008 NHS Yorkshire and the Humber Health and Social Care Hero.
He is part of a campaign which takes life-saving message into schools to educate children on the importance of wearing seatbelts.
Initially, the campaign ran in Calderdale, and due to its success it is now being used across the region, and potentially across the country.
It has even received recognition from the Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson.
Dr Lockey said: “One year on and the message about seatbelts is really being heard. In some communities in Calderdale, only 20% of children were wearing seatbelts.
“This has now gone up to 80% which is fantastic news.
“I have also seen the impact the campaign has had in the number of multi trauma injuries coming through A&E. In the past year, we have seen a 31% drop in serious injuries and fatalities from accidents”.
