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Week
Commencing 8 July 2002
Companies
recognising mobile threat to road users
A recent
report published by RoSPA in conjunction with the DfT suggests that
companies are beginning to recognise the accident risk that using
a mobile phone while driving poses.
The report, ‘The Risk of Using a Mobile Phone while Driving’,
concludes that the majority of drivers find it difficult to maintain
lane position and appropriate speed, keep the correct distance from
the vehicle in front, and maintain awareness of what is happening
around them, while using a mobile.
Although using a mobile while driving is not banned in Great Britain,
a number of large companies have adopted policies that ban or restrict
the practice.
The report can be obtained from the RoSPA website, http://www.rospa.co.uk
Begg criticises Government’s road safety record
David
Begg, chair of the Commission for Integrated Transport, has
criticised the Government for recent decisions on road safety policy
(Local Transport Today, 4 July). He has attacked a number of decisions
including the refusal to accept a tougher legal limit on blood alcohol
levels, the refusal to accept that legislation is necessary to ban
the use of a hand-held mobile phone, and the revised rules on safety
camera visibility and siting.
BMF
claims new traffic counter poses hazard to motorcyclists
The BMF (British Motorcyclists’ Federation) is concerned that
a new traffic counter being used in Derbyshire could prove hazardous
to motorcyclists.
The electronic traffic counter – which replaces the familiar
rubber tubes placed across the road - is encapsulated in a flat, hard
rubber block that is bolted to the road. The device is 400mm square
and 25mm high with chamfered sides and is designed to blend into the
road surface.
"We understand the need for traffic monitoring and appreciate
that technology moves on, but bolting blocks the size of an inverted
tea tray in middle of the road is an accident waiting to happen,"
said BMF spokesman Jeff Stone.
The BMF claims it has taken the issue up with Derbyshire Constabulary
and the UK importer. The importer, Highway Care, is believed to have
instigated independent safety tests.
More @ http://www.bmf.co.uk
DfT
says bikes must have bells
All
new bikes will have to be fitted with a bell at the point of sale
under draft regulations published by the DfT (Local Transport Today,
4 July). The regulations, which will also require brakes to be properly
adjusted, are designed to reduce the number of collisions between
cyclists and pedestrians. The document, Pedal Bicycles (Safety) Regulations
2002 is available from www.roads.dft.gov.uk/conindex.htm
London
borough pilots pedestrian routes software package
The
London Borough of Bromley is to pilot a new software system that
assesses the pedestrian environment (Local Transport Today, 4 July).
The Pedestrian Environment Review System (PERS), designed by the
TRL, evaluates routes against a range of criteria including crossing
facilities, width of footpaths and convenience (in terms of linking
residential areas to retail and rail to bus stops). TRL is also
developing a palmtop version of software, which will allow data
to be entered on site and fed into a central computer.
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