A NEW hard-hitting road safety campaign aimed at targeting young male drivers has been launched to mark Valentine’s Day.

The ‘For My Girlfriend’ campaign has been devised by Dudley Council, in partnership with neighbouring authorities and West Midlands Fire Service, in a bid to bring home the horrific consequences for drivers and passengers when things go wrong on the road.

Aimed at young men, the campaign urges them to take responsibility for their female passengers, as statistics show more young women, aged 17 to 19, are killed or seriously injured as car passengers than as drivers.

During Valentine’s week, council road safety officers are visiting borough colleges with a display of 202 red roses – with each rose representing a young person, who has been killed or seriously injured in the West Midlands in the last 12 months.

Roses and literature will be distributed to students, with each rose bearing a label giving information about the campaign.

Councillor Judy Foster, cabinet member for transportation, said: “I am pleased to see we are taking this action at a Black Country level to raise awareness of the dangers of speeding and inappropriate driving. The figures relating to the number of young people killed or seriously injured on our roads are shocking and I hope this campaign helps to get the message across.”