Emergency services join forces with Cathedral

Emergency vehicles including fire tenders and a police car drove onto the West Front of Ripon Cathedral this month to draw attention to the devastating effect of road accidents in North Yorkshire and to highlight the annual World Day of Remembrance and Hope for Road Traffic Victims held at the Cathedral on  Sunday, November 16.

Invitations were sent to the relatives of 66 people who lost their lives as a result of road accidents in the county between October last year and September this year. In addition, up to October 1st  this year 1,113 people have been seriously injured on North Yorkshire’s roads this year.

Ripon Cathedral joined forces with the main emergency services in North Yorkshire to hold a remembrance service for road accident victims aat which candles were lit and prayers said for those who had lost their lives. The 'Oak Leaf' service as it is known was attended by representatives of the emergency services, and those injured or  bereaved in road accidents in North Yorkshire during the past year.

The World Day of Remembrance for road traffic victims was started by the charity Road Peace and Jill Kynaston of the charity spoke along with Deputy Chief Constable Adam Briggs of North Yorkshire Police. The service was led by the Revd Stephen Fisher, the  Coordinating Chaplain of North Yorkshire Police. He commented, " We need continually to remind ourselves of the importance of road safety and the devastating effect that road accidents have on families and the community."