A display of 83 pairs of shoes designed to visually represent serious vehicle crashes in the district will be a poignant reminder during Road Safety Week in Balclutha this month.
Clutha District Council road safety co-ordinator Rachel Harrison will be displaying the shoes to highlight serious and sometimes fatal road accidents in the Clutha district between 2020 and 2024.
National Road Safety Week runs from next Monday to May 26.
The common colour to display for Road Safety Week is yellow, typically with the yellow road pin shaped like a ribbon.
Mrs Harrison will be displaying 12 pairs of shoes in yellow to portray people who had lost their lives to road fatalities in the past four years in the district.
"Putting this display on will definitely quantify and highlight the issues we have on road safety in our area," she said.
"It will be impactful, but respectful.
"The goal is to push the idea to encourage people to drive safely and take extra precaution, especially now we’re heading into winter."
The theme for this year is "be a road safety hero".
Mrs Harrison is encouraging businesses to yellow-up their shops to raise awareness and bring attention to the issue.
"People need to understand what it’s about, and it would be a good way to improve awareness.
"Eighty-three is far too high a number."
The display will be set up on the steps at Te Pou ō Mata-Au Clutha District Memorial and Community Centre in Balclutha.
Mrs Harrison and The Riviera Cinema Balclutha will be hosting a showing of the locally-made road safety film The Ripple Effect at noon on Sunday, May 26. Entry is a donation to a charity.
Mrs Harrison has set up colouring-in competitions at schools to promote the safety message but hopes people will come along at any time during the week to see the display.
