Innovating Road Safety

A new Uniplay colourful crossing on Bolton Road in Darwen featuring UV lighting has been celebrated by Lancashire residents for making road safety more inviting for families in the area.

Blackburn with Darwen’s Executive Member for Growth, Councillor Phil Riley said: “We’re proud to have installed this innovative UV crossing in Darwen. We’re always looking for new ways to improve road safety in key areas of concern. It’s proven that one of the best ways to improve road safety is to implement new markings to guide pedestrians properly and ensure they are able to cross safely. Having high quality markings in place is essential for road safety and to enable better use of the road by both pedestrians and drivers.”

The idea came to the Council’s Network Management team for Environment and Operations, while undertaking some evening inspections last year. They observed how UV lights outside a nightclub lit up the clothing of those gathered at the venue. Working with national thermoplastic markings specialist Uni-play they designed a crossing that would react well to UV lights, making it safer for all road users.

Victoria Walmsley said: “We are delighted to be working with BwD Council on new creative crossings and we’ve already had some fantastic feedback from local families. Road safety is something we’re passionate about and our thermoplastic markings can be installed in a wide range of environments, improving safety for all road users. Preformed thermoplastic markings are not as widely used in highways, but they’re a great investment for BwD as they’re so durable, lasting up to 10 times longer than ordinary paint. It also makes savings on resources, as the markings are ready for use within just 30 minutes of installation.”

The Council is on a mission  with Uniplay to improve shared infrastructure, like crossings, to enable more residents to choose active travel. By making walking and cycling the first and easiest choice for short journeys, the borough will benefit from reduced congestion and better health well-being. To improve public health in our communities, BwD is committed to reducing health inequalities and improving health outcomes. Significant work is already underway including; declaring a climate emergency, setting clear objectives around reducing our carbon footprint and also taking positive action towards tackling obesity and promoting healthy weight.