Chief constable calls for a return to discretion
Manchester’s new chief constable has set himself against ‘random enforcement’ of speeding using cameras, instead calling for discretion in whether or not to issue fines (Surveyor, 21 August).

In a recent memo Mike Todd told senior officers it was necessary to apply balance and discretion to enforcing speed limits.

Earlier in the year he took 200 officers away from dealing with traffic issues to assist in fighting street crime and burglary.

Todd’s approach contrasts with that of colleagues who support extending the use of camera enforcement, such as North Wales chief constable Richard Brunstrom, who chairs the Association of Chief Police Officers’ road safety committee.

Scottish Executive research comparing drivers’ attitudes with the findings of surveys in 1991 and 1994 shows little overall change in public respect for speed limits, but suggests that motorists are more inclined than ever to put their foot down on faster roads.

Only 29 per cent maintained they never drove at 10mph above the speed limit on motorways and dual carriageways compared with 36 per cent in 1991.

More drivers also confessed to speeding at 90mph in a 70mph zone. Only 58 per cent said they had never done it – down from 65 per cent in the earlier survey.

The speeding driver: who, how and why? is available at: www.scotland.gov.uk/library5/finance/tsdw-00.asp

The three new adverts see the return of the popular hedgehogs to television screens. This time the friendly characters show that even familiar roads have road safety dangers.

Last year 14,231 children were killed or injured as pedestrians on the road, with a significant number of those accidents happening close to home. The new campaign aims to educate children about this specific danger.

"Too many children die or are injured on roads near their homes," David Jamieson said. "The new hedgehogs commercials aim to remind young children about the dangers of seemingly safe, familiar roads close to home. Children have told us that they like the hedgehogs and I am pleased that they're back. As children become more adventurous and play out more, these new ads remind them to always stop, look and listen before crossing any road."

The Government has set a target for a 50 per cent reduction in the number of children killed or seriously injured on the roads by 2010 compared to the 1994-1998 average. Figures for 2002 suggest that current casualty levels are 33 per cent below the baseline.
More @ www.dft.gov.uk

Bikesafe Scotland is a multi-agency initiative involving Scottish police forces, motorcycling organisations and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign (SRSC). It aims to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving motorcyclists.

The research found that Bikesafe appears to be successful in attracting ‘vulnerable’ groups of motorcyclists. It also found that participants find the programme useful and that it has a beneficial impact on improving their bike control and encourages more defensive riding.

The study suggests that Bikesafe might be improved by focusing more on attitudes to riding and by further promotion of the advanced training message by Bikesafe organisers.

The Bikesafe research can be read at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/cru/resfinds/drf169.asp

DfT consults on seatbelt exemptions
Legislation on the exemption from wearing seat belts in goods vehicles when delivering or collecting has changed, and the DfT now needs to determine the maximum distance to be travelled between stops before a seat belt must be worn.

Following Royal Assent in July for the Railways and Transport Safety Act 2003, the Department proposes to implement section 110 by amending the current seat belt wearing regulations. Section 110 replaces the existing legislation with a requirement to make regulations that provide for a maximum distance that may be travelled between stops, for the purpose of collecting or delivering anything, before a seat belt must be worn.

There is no definition of ‘local rounds’. The DfT understands the aim of this exemption was to exempt only those who needed to make frequent stops while engaged in making local deliveries or collections - such as the door-to-door operations of milkmen, postmen and refuse collectors. However there is a lack of clarity and many van and goods vehicle drivers firmly believe there is a general 'trade' exemption, which applies to any delivery, over any distance.

Comments should be submitted by 14 November 2003 on the distance to be specified in the regulations and on the associated partial Regulatory Impact Assessment.

Seat belt wearing surveys by TRL on behalf of the DfT consistently show that the wearing rate for van drivers is around 63 per cent. TRL calculates that if these rates can be raised to those seen in cars (90 per cent), then 21 fatalities, 241 serious casualties and 1040 slight injuries annually could be prevented in vans.
More @ http://www.pacts.org.uk/news.htm

The survey by motoring magazine Max Power and the RAC Foundation found 87 per cent of the 1000 respondents claimed they had been a victim of road rage and 71 per cent admitted they had committed it themselves.
This follows a Gallup poll that found that more drivers had been on the receiving end of abuse from other motorists in Britain than in any other country.

The conference, 'Safe Routes to Schools - Citizenship In Action', will cover the practical aspects of setting up new schemes alongside a number of debates around the environmental, transport, health and social factors. The conference has the support of both the DfT and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).

Around 500 delegates - half from schools and the rest from local authorities - will have the opportunity to debate the subject of school run congestion, explore Safe Routes to Schools solutions and discuss associated issues such as health and citizenship. Young representatives from over 50 schools will be involved in workshops to feed back to the conference delegates, including politicians and local authority officers. Sessions will be chaired by representatives from the Leicester Youth Council and the UK Youth Parliament.

The conference will take place 23-24 September 2003 and the delegate fee is £200 plus VAT. For further information or to register, contact Sustrans at: schools@sustrans.org.uk

The CPRE has also enlisted the support of Graham Seed – better known as Nigel Pargetter in The Archers – to help publicise the quiet lanes approach as a way of maintaining the safety and character of rural roads for cyclists, walkers and horse riders.

CPRE points out that in its 1999 rural traffic survey, 65 per cent of people said they felt threatened some or all of the time by speeding traffic in country lanes.

The Guide to quiet lanes is available at: www.cpre.org.uk/resources/pub/pdfs/transport/traffic-management/quiet-lanes.pdf.

Oxfordshire has introduced hundreds of new, lower limits in a bid to cut accidents, and the 50mph limits are planned for rural roads with significant accident records.

But the ADB has described the new limits as ‘pointless’ and has urged motorists to object before the 1 September deadline.