A new safety campaign launched by bus operator Arriva is warning pedestrians to put down phones and stay alert near traffic.
Data reveals that between 75 and 107 incidents a year occur in the UK where a pedestrian steps into the path of a bus, according to Arriva.
Stay Alert: Stay Alive was created by Ray Cowpe, the risk manager at Arriva North West and Wales, and aims to promote pedestrian safety by avoiding distractions, such as mobile phones and headphones.
The timing of the campaign’s launch aligns with the start of darker afternoons and poorer weather, when risks for pedestrians increase. Arriva’s data reveals that 65% of incidents occur between October and March.
Arriva’s data also reveals that pedestrian incidents peak at the end of the week.
Ray Cowpe said: “We urge people just to be aware of the time of the week. Fridays are especially vulnerable, especially Friday afternoons between three and five [pm]; it’s the end of the week, we start to relax, which people need to do, but I suppose that attention can possibly diminish a little bit during those times.”
Arriva’s analysis of safety data shows that pedestrians are distracted by using their phones in most road safety incidents so the campaign seeks to encourage pedestrians to ‘stay alert ‘ and avoid distractions.
The rise of electric and hybrid vehicles has introduced more risks to pedestrians, as quieter engines reduce warnings.
Although the ‘Stay Alert: Stay Alive’ campaign has been introduced nationally, the initiative was developed by Arriva’s North West and Wales division, which operates many of Liverpool’s busiest routes.
Liverpool’s large student population and busy pedestrian areas, such as the city centre and Smithdown, mean foot traffic is constant.
Nationally, 87% of all pedestrian casualties occurred on roads in urban areas, compared with 13% on rural roads, according to Department for Transport data, from 2020 to 2024.
Cowpe said: “It’s really important to us that our community is safe…our customers are safe. There’s a driver side to this campaign, which our employees will see at the same time, so when our drivers stay alert, it helps pedestrians. It’s like a double-sided campaign.”
With Liverpool’s busy urban roads, Arriva’s North West campaign stresses the critical need for greater awareness and less distraction among residents in Liverpool and other busy cities.
The campaign builds on Arriva’s successful Stop and Stay campaign launched in 2023, which focused on road safety for children.
Cowpe said: “It used to be ‘stop, look and listen’, from the government, but people need to do a lot more nowadays. We just want people to look after themselves…hit pause on your music, so you can hear your surroundings and take the time to actively look before you step near to the edge of a kerb. Just take a conscious moment to be more aware of your surroundings.”
The Stay Alert: Stay Alive campaign will be live across Arriva’s social media and on buses from October, in time for the peak season of pedestrian incidents.
Find out more here.
Listen to Ray Cowpe discuss the launch of the campaign, and the main messages he hopes people take away from it. (c) Unsplashed.
Featured image: Megan Wells
