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Week
commencing 29 July
Drivers who
kill face longer prison terms
Drivers
convicted of causing death by dangerous driving will face up to
14 years in prison under new proposals announced by the Government
last week. And drivers convicted of offences such as careless driving,
uninsured driving, speeding and driving other than in accordance
with a licence could face tough community sentences rather than
a fine.
These proposals are two of a number of recommendations contained
within the Government’s response to the consultation on Road
Traffic Penalties.
"The message we are sending out is clear: dangerous driving
kills and those found guilty can expect to be severely punished,"
said Home Office minister Bob Ainsworth. " We
need to ensure that the deterrent to dangerous driving is adequate
if we are to cut the deaths and injuries it causes. The new penalties
are meant to do that."
£6m
available to improve road safety in deprived cities
The DfT
is inviting councils in Britain’s most deprived areas to bid
for £6m to help improve road safety in inner cities.
The new project aims to show how deprived urban areas can be made
safer through a strategic, partnership approach to casualty reduction
and better management of local traffic. The project will provide £1m
per year over a six year period, to the successful council.
"Deprived inner city areas, with dense housing and high traffic
flows, present a unique combination of safety problems," said
David Jamieson, minister for road safety, when announcing
the project at a conference in Birmingham last week. "We know,
for example, that child pedestrians from the lowest socio-economic
group are more likely to be killed in road accidents than those who
live in more affluent areas."
More @ http://www.dft.gov.uk/news
Government
urges young cyclists to wear helmets
The Government is calling on all young cyclists to take extra care
on the roads and to wear a cycling helmet during the school summer
holidays. Research shows that cycling accidents involving children
are more likely to happen during the summer months.
"Cycling is a great way of getting out and about, particularly
during the summer holidays, but with casualty numbers much higher
during this period young people need to protect themselves and take
extra care," said transport minister David Jamieson.
"Helmets are not just for long journeys – they are also
essential for children out on the roads locally this summer and could
prevent a substantial number of serious head injuries."
Around 70 per cent of cyclists killed on the road have major head
injuries and research has found that wearing a helmet could prevent
90 per cent of these deaths.
Nominations
sought for road safety awards
Adrian
Walsh, director of Roadsafe, has made a plea
for RSOs to be nominated for the Prince Michael International Road
Safety Awards. "I am sad to report that we have not had any nominations
for awards from RSOs," he said in a memo last week. "There
seems to be a belief that we have changed our focus of late and that
we are only interested in huge projects."
2002 award winners included The Portman Group for its ‘I’ll
be Des’ campaign, which encourages all social groups to assign
a ‘Designated Driver’ when going to a pub or club.
Other winners included The Gloucester Safer City Project, which has
been highly successful in improving safety across the city by applying
a wide range of co-ordinated safety measures, and Standard Life, Lothian
and Borders Police Road Safety Unit for their Junior Road Safety Officers
Scheme.
The awards panel is considering nominations on 26 September and nominations
need to be submitted by the end of August.
Further information about the awards can be obtained from the Roadsafe
website, http://www.roadsafe.com
French
plan new laws to cut road deaths – while UK tops European poll
As
tens of thousands of British motorists prepare to risk the annual
August death toll on the roads
of France, Paris is considering tough laws to reduce the country’s
calamitous number of motoring deaths. The measures - to be offered
for national debate in September - include zero alcohol tolerance,
a new traffic police force and ‘black boxes’ in cars,
according to a report in The Independent, 24 July.
The number of French road deaths (8,000 a year compared to 3,500
in Britain) is attributed in some quarters to the fact that
existing laws on speeding, drink-driving, red lights, pedestrian
crossing and seat belts are widely ignored by the French police.
In the same report in The Independent, a table of road deaths
across Europe showed the UK in pole position (see opposite). |
ROAD
DEATHS ACROSS EUROPE
Per 100,000 population (2000)
Portugal
Greece
Luxembourg
Spain
Belgium
France
Austria
Italy
Ireland
Denmark
Germany
Netherlands
Finland
Sweden
UK
|
21.0
20.1
17.5
14.6
14.4
13.6
12.0
11.0
11.0
9.3
9.1
6.8
7.7
6.7
6.0
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|
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Resources
wanted for DfT school travel database
Each spring and autumn a DfT database of resources linked to promoting
sustainable school travel is maintained and updated, with obsolete
resources removed and new ones added. Jo Cleary, who
manages this task, is currently preparing for the autumn 2002 update
and is looking for additional resources to be added to the database.
The database can be accessed via the following website: www.databases.dtlr.gov.uk/schools
Jo Cleary can be contacted at: Cleary Hughes Associates, 51 Wood Lane,
Hucknall, Nottingham NG15 6LR. Tel and fax 0115 964 1869; tel/fax
international + 44 115 964 1869.
Email: clearyhughes@btinternet.com
National
travel survey shows people are travelling more
How and why people travel around Britain is revealed by figures published
last week. The latest bulletin updating the National Travel Survey
(NTS) for 1999/2001 gives details of the travel habits of residents
of Great Britain and shows how these vary according to factors such
as age, gender, car ownership and where people live.
The survey shows that on average Great Britain residents travelled
6,815 miles each year in the period 1999/2001. This was an increase
of 5 per cent since 1989/1991, mainly owing to an increase of 13 per
cent in the length of trips. In 1999/2001, the average trip length
was 6.7 miles.
To read more of the figures go to: http://www.dft.gov.uk/news
Safer
roads success in Gloucester
Gloucester City Council has cut the number of deaths and serious injuries
on its roads by half in the six years since its £5m safer city
project was launched, according to new statistics (Surveyor, 18 July).
30 people were killed or seriously injured in 2001, compared to an
average of 60 from 1991 to 1995. This puts the city ahead of the rest
of the country in terms of accident record improvement.
Bike
Week 2003 dates announced
Bike Week 2003 will be held 14-22 June and Cancer Research UK is to
continue as the event’s national charity partner. In 2002 local
authorities registered an impressive 254 events during Bike Week.
Anyone wanting to make an early start to planning Bike Week and/or
Bike2Work events for 2003 is welcome to contact the national Bike
Week co-ordinator, Nick Harvey on 01243 543888.
Ministerial
‘blank’ sparks rebuff
The Slower Speeds Initiative and Transport 2000 pressure groups have
written to transport minister John Spellar expressing ‘extreme
disappointment’ that he has failed to reply to their letter threatening
legal action over the new speed camera rules (Surveyor – 18 July).
The letter laid out grounds on which the groups felt they could challenge
the legality of the rules on the siting and visibility of cameras.
Congestion
worsening
on Britain's roads
Britain's roads are the most congested in Europe and unless something
is done things are going to get much worse, according to a report
on the BCC’s website last week.
The report went on to say that there are nearly half a million traffic
jams in Britain every year – that’s nearly 10,000 a week
- and that in the last four years congestion in Britain has increased
by 38 per cent.
Traffic levels are increasing by about three per cent every year and
over the past 20 years road traffic has grown by 70 per cent. Left
unchecked, road traffic could grow by more than a third in the next
20 years, and on weekdays car traffic is about 30 to 50 per cent heavier
in the morning and afternoon peak hours.
According to the report, the school run is creating havoc on Britain's
roads, with the number of journeys to school by car nearly doubling
in the last ten years - from 16 to 30 per cent. The school run is
extending London commuter journey times by up to 50 per cent and trends
are similar across the country.
For more facts and statistics go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/audiovideo/programmes/4x4_reports/britain_in_a_jam/newsid_1938000/1938177.stm
New
initiative provides tangible benefit for advanced motorists
RoSPA and the Guild of Experienced Motorists (GEM) have joined forces
to reward and encourage candidates who pass the RoSPA advanced driving
test. All successful candidates will now gain one year’s free
breakdown/recovery insurance, a benefit worth £50.
"This initiative will provide those passing the test with a positive
and tangible benefit that can reduce motoring costs," said David
Williams, MBE, Chief Executive of GEM.
More @ http://www.gemrecovery.co.uk |
