Printer friendly page

Companies missing chance to reduce crashes, RoSPA says
In light of research showing that the more times drivers are caught by safety cameras the more likely they are to crash, RoSPA says that employers are missing opportunities to stop their drivers from becoming offenders or crash victims.

Charles Davis, RoSPA head of driver and fleet solutions, said: "Points build up and put drivers off the road, and this study shows that those who speed are also more likely to crash. Businesses cannot afford to lose drivers in this way.

"There are ways for fleet managers to spot drivers who are most likely to offend and become a problem not just for their own company but for other road users.

"Risk assessment tools such as RoSPA's Driver Profiler will identify employees' strengths and weaknesses when driving so that action can be taken to help them. If problems are identified, training can be arranged which should make it less likely that they will offend or have accidents.

For more information go to www.rospa.com/drivertraining.

Delight over 10% drop in road fatalities
The number of road accidents involving injuries reported to London's police forces has fallen this year, according to figures released by Transport for London (TfL) (Surveyor, 4 May).

Fatalities in the 12 months up to September 2005 were down by 10%, and serious injuries down by 24%. The number of pedestrians killed and seriously injured was also down 21% on the previous year.

A spokesman for TfL said: 'The decrease in serious injuries is larger than expected, although it is still too early in the current year to draw firm conclusions.'

EU Directive 'must pressurise UK'
The proposed new European Directive should lift the bar for the UK and other northern European countries with relatively good records in cutting casualties, according to the road safety charity EuroRap (Surveyor, 4 May).

EuroRap is set to tell the European Commission that while it should encourage the EU's worst performers to emulate best practice, further improvements are still needed in northern Europe.

John Dawson, chair of EuroRap, said: "We cannot be complacent. We are starting to see a gap opening up between the UK and its peers in Sweden and the Netherlands as those two countries introduce a 'mass action' approach to reducing accidents at junctions and while overtaking."

JRSO success for Fife

240 children from 60 schools across Fife attended a series of recent Junior Road Safety Officer (JRSO) training sessions organised by Fife road safety unit.

The unit invited every Primary School in Fife to nominate a primary 5 and 6 pupil to be trained as a JRSO. The JRSO scheme links to Citizenship and gives pupils opportunities to develop their core skills, problem-solving skills and their communication.

Jane Greer, road safety manager, said: "I spoke to a number of the children and many had some great ideas of what they could do when they got back to school - including one group who had decided to use their violin group to get the message across using music."

MPs slam DfT over 'unambitious' targets
The national road safety targets are 'insufficiently challenging', according to MPs (Surveyor, 4 May).

The transport select committee delivered a 'withering verdict' on the DfT's performance over the last year, claiming that the target to cut the numbers killed and seriously injured had been shown to be unambitious, after London achieved it five years early.

The report urges the department to take a more proactive role and press local highway authorities to introduce 20mph zones.

Backbenchers also 'despaired' at the DfT plan to reduce penalties for speeding on 30mph roads, given that this 'flies in the face of evidence that this will cause casualties to increase'.

Curfew not the answer - DIA
The DIAmond Advanced Motorist Organisation believes better education and training is the answer to reducing young driver casualties - not a curfew.

Its comments come after a proposal in a recent government-sponsored study by the Transport Research Laboratory, that young motorists who have just passed their test could face night-time curfews in a bid to cut the number killed or seriously injured.

DIAmond Advanced Motorist general manager Eddie Barnaville said: "Imposing a curfew on young drivers is not a way of solving the problem. Although it will stop them from driving at night, it won't teach them how to be safe on our roads.

"We need to invest in educating our young drivers so they are safe drivers anytime of the day or night."

In a recent survey on this website road safety professionals were divided on this issue - 50% were in favour of a curfew, with 33% against and 17% unsure. 

For further information contact Vikki Carley on 020 8665 8024, or newsdesk@driving.org.

30% of pupils not belted up
Figures obtained by Peterborough City Council during school runs revealed that out of almost 15,000 vehicle occupants, more than 2,500 (almost 17%) were not wearing seatbelts.

And of the 2,176 young backseat passengers surveyed, almost 30% were not wearing a seatbelt.

The figures were obtained during a five-month survey at 67 locations covering every school in Peterborough.

An additional survey, carried out on one day during peak periods at five main routes into the city, revealed that out of just over 35,000 people almost 3,600 were not wearing belts - just over 10%.

The city council and police have joined forces to clamp down on drivers and passengers who flout the law - and anyone found to be not wearing seatbelt will be handed a £30 fixed penalty notice.

Posters, literature and seatbelt pads will also be distributed during the two-week campaign, which is part of a co-ordinated European Traffic Police Network (TISPOL) enforcement initiative running across Europe.

For the full story go to: http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk 

OAPs 'should be re-tested'
Almost 65% of people in Cumbria believe drivers over 60 should be forced to re-sit their test to prove they are still safe, according to a survey by Cumbria Safety Cameras.

The survey also found that one in three people believed that motorists should lose their licences when the reach the age of 80.

Kevin Tea, communications manager, said: "While young drivers in the 17-20 age group continue to be a key concern, we have noticed a worrying rise in the number of fatal accidents among elderly drivers.

"In Cumbria we have a large number of elderly residents living in rural isolation who rely on their cars to get them into towns. As we all get older our eyesight diminishes and reflexes are slower so the ability to perceive and react to danger is reduced. Everyone should be aware of this and make suitable allowances."

For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Fifers honored for contribution to landmark casualty figures
Ordinary people from across Fife have been recognised for helping to reduce the number of casualties on the Kingdom's roads.

They were presented with certificates at the first TravelSafe Fife event, which celebrated Fife's road casualty statistics falling below 1000 for the first time in 2005.

Recipients included Andrew and Michelle Sneddon, from Glenrothes, whose son Ross died at the age of five when a driver ploughed into him and family friend Anne Martin, and her eight-year old daughter Ashley. All three died.

Since the tragedy in February 2004, Andrew and Michelle have become heavily involved in road safety, appearing before young people in the Safe Drive Stay Alive roadshow, which is designed to shock them into being more aware of dangers on the road.

For the full story go to: http://www.fifenow.co.uk.

Golfers urged to support Brake
Golfers from South Yorkshire are being urged to sign up for the Ashton Morton Slack Ultimate Sheffield (US) Golf Open, which it is hoped will generate funds for the road safety charity Brake.

Sheffield-based law firm Ashton Morton Slack has supported Brake for a number of years and the golf tournament will raise awareness about the charity. It takes place in June and coincides with the US Open.

For further information or to enter the competition call 0870 121 3690 or go to www.playgolfsheffield.com.

For the full story go to: http://www.communitynewswire.press.net

Youngsters experience a 'beer miss'
Pupils from Rhosnesni High School were given an insight into driving at a road safety education programme at Caia Park.

The pupils, aged 14 and 15, got the chance to drive a car and to wear 'beer goggles', which distorted their vision.

The children donned the 'beer goggles' and were then set the challenge of walking between cones.

For the full story go to: http://www.eveningleader.co.uk