BLACKPOOL is to share in a £10 million cash bonanza to fund a major new drive designed to save lives and prevent serious injury on Lancashire's roads.

A partnership - made up of public organisations with an interest in saving lives and improving drivers' habits - will oversee the three-year project. It is being hailed as the biggest scheme of its kind in the country.

For the first time in the area, money received by the government from speeding fines will be reinvested in local education through publicity, high impact advertising and training. The project will focus on three main causes of road casualties: speeding, drink driving and failure to wear seat belts.

The Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety is made up of Lancashire Constabulary, Lancashire County Council, the Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool unitary authorities, the area health authorities, the Highways Agency, Lancashire Magistrates Courts and Government Office North West.

Blackpool Borough Council chief engineer John Shaw said: "We are delighted to be a partner of this project and recognise the substantial road safety benefits and casualty reductions that can be delivered."

The scheme is expected to be launched in the autumn. Police action to enforce the law for those who ignore the safety messages will concentrate on crash "hotspots" and areas of community concern. New rules will require all future fixed speed cameras to be well signed and highly visible with locations published in local media and websites.