These statements give a brief outline of LARSOA's current view and opinion on various road safety issues.

Media organisations are welcome to publish these statements as quotes on behalf of LARSOA officers, but if you are from the media and have an enquiry please contact Pete Whelan Jnr on 01287 610404 or 07863 130124 or: pj@dtw.co.uk.

LARSOA also supports routine breath testing at the scene of all road crashes.

Drug Driving
LARSOA calls on the Government to carry out research into the extent of drug driving whether by illegal substances or prescribed medicines. More needs to be done to educate drivers of the dangers in taking anything which undermines their judgement, or ability to react behind the wheel.

Cycling
LARSOA considers cycling to be a healthy and environmentally friendly form of transport. As more people are encouraged to take up cycling, LARSOA is keen to help them do so as safely as possible. Our members are responsible for promoting and publicising cycling safety and most of them provide education, training and information to cyclists of all ages. We encourage all cyclists to wear an approved cycle helmet and protective high-visibility clothing, and to ride a well-maintained bike with the required lights used at the appropriate times. We would like to see all cyclists have the opportunity to receive appropriate training before riding on the roads.

Drivers should behave with courtesy and ensure they slow down and give cyclists plenty of room when they overtake.

Child Pedestrians
The UK has a poor road safety record for child pedestrian casualties compared with some other EU countries so this is a priority for LARSOA. Adults in the UK (both drivers and parents) consistently overestimate the ability of children to cope with traffic. Road traffic injuries are the single biggest cause of accidental death for 12 to 16-year-olds. In 2005, 43 young pedestrians aged 12-16 were killed on Britain’s roads. There were also 1,067 serious injuries.

LARSOA supports the government’s Child Pedestrian Strategy which lays the responsibility for child pedestrian safety firmly at the door of drivers. We want to see effective practical pedestrian training available for all children. LARSOA also encourages parents to accept the responsibility of their children while out and about near the highway.

Be Safe Be Seen
LARSOA supports the Government’s Be Safe Be Seen campaign and urges all road users to make sure they can see and be seen more easily. Pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse-riders should wear fluorescent clothes during the day and reflective ones at night; drivers and riders should ensure their vehicles’ lights work properly and keep them clean.

Child Car Seats
The safety of children in cars is a high priority. New laws introduced in September 2006 made it compulsory for children under age 12 years, or up to 135cms in height, to use the correct child restraint – either a suitable car seat or booster seat. LARSOA urges parents to ensure they, and others who drive their children, comply with the law. LARSOA also calls on the police to enforce the law with the hard core of drivers who refuse to comply.

Seat Belts
Seat belts are life savers. They can make the difference between life and death in a crash and can reduce the severity of injuries. LARSOA stresses the importance of belting up on every journey (no matter how short) in the front and back of the vehicle, and making sure the seat belt is worn correctly.

Seat Belt Penalties
LARSOA believes there should be penalty points and a heavier fine for drivers who do not ensure their passengers are wearing seat belts and for drivers who do not ensure their child passengers are restrained correctly.

Daylight Saving Time
LARSOA is campaigning for the government to change over to Double British Summer Time to give lighter evenings all year round to help all road users on their journeys from work or school. As well as other environmental benefits, the most recent government research (Broughton and Sedman, “The Potential Effects on Road Casualties of Double British Summer Time”, TRRL 228: 1989) shows that, every year, this would save around 450 deaths and serious injuries on the roads including between 104 to 138 fewer deaths.

Young Drivers
Young drivers and young men especially are a high-risk category in road crashes. While welcoming what the government has already done to help deal with this issue, for example changes to the driving test and introducing the New Drivers Act, LARSOA believes the government should do more. In particular, LARSOA urges the government to develop some form of graduated driver licensing in the UK based on the experiences from other countries. We also wish to see the insurance industry being more positive towards new drivers and to find ways of encouraging them to take more supervised practice.

Rural Road Speeds
Over half of all deaths on the roads occur on rural (non built-up) roads and nearly 12,000 people were killed or seriously injured in 2005 on country (non built-up) roads. Government figures show 36% of car user deaths on rural roads are single vehicle crashes. It’s a misconception that rural roads are safer because there is less traffic and fewer pedestrians than in urban areas. Car users are three times more likely to die in a crash on a rural road.

LARSOA encourages drivers to slow down and drive at speeds appropriate for the conditions at the time.

LARSOA supports engineering measures that make country roads safer. It also believes a move to Double British Summertime giving an extra hour of daylight for people driving home from work and school in the winter months would make a big difference to these figures.

Speed
Excessive speed is a contributory factor in over 1,000 deaths and over 40,000 injuries every year. Inappropriate speed for the conditions, regardless of the speed limit, also plays a large part in traffic collisions. LARSOA urges drivers to slow down. Speeding is not acceptable.
• If you hit an adult pedestrian while driving at 30mph, their survival chance is 80%. But if you hit a pedestrian while driving at 40mph, the pedestrian's chances of dying rises to 90% (this lowers to 80% for a child).

Safety Cameras
LARSOA supports the use of safety cameras and other measures which are proven casualty reduction measures. We support speed cameras to encourage drivers to reduce their speed and travel within the speed limit and red light cameras to reduce red light jumping.

Mobile Phones
It is illegal to use a hand-held mobile phone when you are driving, even if you are stationary at traffic lights or in a queue of traffic. LARSOA urges drivers to switch off all mobile phones when driving and encourages the police to increase enforcement of mobile phone offences. Using a hands-free mobile phone can also distract drivers’ attention – the safest course of action is to divert calls to voicemail and switch off the phone.

Tiredness
Sleep does not occur without warning. Opening windows and turning music up are not long-lasting solutions to tiredness behind the wheel. LARSOA advises drivers to plan their journeys to avoid times when they are likely to be tired. LARSOA also advises taking a 15-minute break every two hours and drinking a cup of coffee or a high caffeine drink, allowing 10-15 minutes for it to take effect.

Motorcyclists
Motorcyclists account for just 1% of all traffic but are involved in 19% of all deaths and serious injuries on the UK’s roads. They are 40 times more likely to be killed than car drivers. LARSOA urges motorcyclists to wear appropriate safety gear and ride defensively. LARSOA calls on drivers to be more aware of motorcyclists, especially at or near junctions, and give them plenty of room.

Driving at work
About one-third of all road traffic collisions, accounting for about 1,000 deaths every year, involve someone who is at work at the time. That is 20 road deaths every week. Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all employees while they are at work. LARSOA urges employers to carry out risk assessments and develop effective policies for work-related driving activity, maintain company vehicles in a safe condition and allow enough time to complete journeys in safety. Employees should not be put at risk by driving long distances without time for appropriate breaks or be expected to use a mobile phone while driving. The police may check phone records to find out if use of a mobile phone contributed to the collision.

Post-test Training
LARSOA encourages all motorists to take post-test training to develop effective skills and attitudes. Examples include Pass Plus and advanced driving or motorcycling courses.