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ROAD
SAFETY NEWS - WEEK COMMENCING 20 OCTOBER
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PACTS ‘concerned’
by drink-drive figures
The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety (PACTS)
has expressed concern about the rise in drink-drive fatalities
and injuries shown in the Government’s recent publication
detailing road casualties in Great Britain in 2002.
Commenting on the figures, Robert Gifford, executive
director, said: "This rise in drink-drive deaths and injuries
should give the Government considerable cause for concern as the
real comparison between 2001 and 2002 is worse than shown.
"In September 2002 the Government showed provisional figures
of 480 deaths in drink-drive crashes. Today, that figure is shown
as 530. The same table shows provisional figures for 2002 as 560.
If this time next year there is a similar recalculation, we are
really looking at over 600 deaths.
"This is a level we have not seen since the early 1990s.
The Government must now reconsider its failure to lower the drink-drive
level earlier this year and look at other measures to cut the
scale of drink-drive casualties on our roads."
More @ http://www.pacts.org.uk/news.htm#_Toc53458618
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Scottish
road safety strategy updated
The SRSC has updated its leaflet, Road Safety Education: A Strategy
for Scotland. The leaflet provides the latest details of the national
strategy for road safety education (RSE) for all schools in Scotland.
The leaflet is being distributed to schools educationalists and
road safety professionals.
This leaflet is available on-line at: http://www.srsc.org.uk
Alternatively, for a hardcopy contact the SRSC office on 0131 472
9200 or by
e-mail: enquiries@srsc.org.uk |
CIC
approves new road safety qualifications
The Construction Industry Council’s (CIC) Standards Council
has approved proposed new N/SVQ road safety qualifications. The
qualifications will now go forward for formal approval by the QCA
and SQA, and once approved will be published and launched in spring
2004.
"The Standards Council members were impressed with the quality
and professionalism of the submission," says Patricia
Ryan, the CIC’s operations manager, Lifelong Learning.
The new standards will be available on the TVG website, www.transportationvg.org.uk,
in the near future. This will give road safety professionals the
opportunity to use the standards in the workplace in advance of
the new N/SVQs being available in the New Year. |
Cameras
get thumbs up from motorists
A new report published last week highlights some of the issues that
really make motorists mad – and perhaps a little surprisingly
the much maligned ‘speed camera’ was not among them.
The Used Car Market Report, published by BCA Europe and Sewells
lnternational, examines the value and volume of used car sales in
the UK and asks motorists their views on buying, driving and owning
a used car.
When it came to 'motoring issues', respondents were asked to rate
their satisfaction across a number of concerns - with 100 per cent
being very satisfactory and 0 per cent very unsatisfactory.
Motorists were scathing about fuel tax, which scored a satisfaction
rating of 27 per cent - with over a quarter of motorists actually
giving it a zero rating!
There were also poor scores for 'Road/Motorway Congestion' and 'Motoring
Taxes spent on Transport Infrastructure' at 35 per cent each, while
'Road Maintenance/Development’ fared little better at 36 per
cent.
'Congestion Charges' gained a 41 per cent satisfaction rating, possibly
reflecting the current localised nature of such schemes. 'Parking
Provision/Regulation' scored slightly better at 44 per cent and
the 'Road Fund Licence' scored 45 per cent. 'Railways' and 'Public
Transport' (as a viable alternative to car travel) scored 45 per
cent and 48 per cent respectively.
In contrast, 'Speed Cameras' scored the highest satisfaction rating,
at 62 per cent.
More @: http://icthewharf.icnetwork.co.uk |
Londoners
views on speed humps sought
Londoners’ views on the pros and cons of speed humps are being
sought as part of an inquiry launched last week by the London Assembly.
During the coming months, the Assembly’s Transport Committee
will be seeking the broadest spectrum of opinion about whether more
speed humps should be built, or whether they should be removed from
the capital’s roads.
Assembly members are keen to hear from cyclists and pedestrians,
residents, drivers, boroughs and emergency services to find out
how effective speed humps are at cutting vehicle speeds and injuries
and road deaths.
The Committee will scrutinise the competing arguments and make recommendations
for actions to the Mayor of London and the capital’s boroughs.
For more information visit the GLA website: http://www.london.gov.uk. |
HA
unveils new audit standard
The new UK standard for road safety auditing of trunk road and motorway
schemes has been unveiled ahead of its formal publication next month
(Surveyor, 9 October).
Following a three-year review, the Highways Agency (HA) has revamped
its audit guidance, setting out new requirements for the monitoring
of accidents after implementation. Its new standard will provide
for ‘interim’ road safety audits between the preliminary
and detailed design stages of a project. Additional guidance is
also offered on the skills required for audit staff and their duties
under health and safety legislation.
Ginny Clarke, the HA’s director of safety, standards
and research, launched the new standard – which has been endorsed
by the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern
Ireland – recently at the Institution of Highways & Transportation’s
road safety audit forum. |
Aussie
cameras shown to save lives
An independent evaluation of fixed safety cameras in New South Wales
has produced dramatic evidence of their road safety benefits.
Preliminary results from the evaluation of 28 speed camera sites
has found that deaths in the camera areas have been reduced from
21 over three years leading up to the camera installation, to just
one in two years with the cameras operating.
The evaluation of the camera sites has also found that reported
crashes have been cut by 20 per cent, with casualty crashes cut
by 23 per cent.
Dramatic reductions have been recorded in the level of speeding,
with the number of motorists exceeding the speed limit reduced by
72 per cent - and those exceeding the speed limit by more than 10
km/h cut by 88 per cent.
Public acceptance of cameras is now high, with only 5-7 per cent
of people surveyed saying they provide no benefits.
More details of the evaluation are available at http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/newsevents |
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