..presenting road safety across the UK


OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF - W/C 26 APRIL 2004

Don’t Drive Tired radio commercials scheduled for Bank Holiday weekend
A further burst of Don't Drive Tired radio advertising is scheduled for the coming Bank Holiday weekend.

The advertising is intended to increase awareness of the dangers of nodding off at the wheel over the holiday period and to urge people to take a break every two hours. It will comprise two 30 second radio commercials – Microsleep Driving and Microsleep Meeting - which illustrate how long six seconds is and how far a vehicle would travel in that time.

The commercials will appear on national radio Friday 30 April to Monday 3 May inclusive. Don't Drive Tired messages will also appear on VMS during the same period.
80mph speculation hots up
Motorway speed limits could be increased to 80mph on a variable basis, according to reports issued recently (Surveyor 15 April).

DfT officials were reported as saying that the variable speed limits being trialled on motorways to smooth flows provided an opportunity to introduce 80mph when conditions allows this to be done safely. A trial of active traffic management on a stretch of the M42 saw limits reduced to 50mph in poor weather.

The DfT was quoted as saying that lowering limits to 50mph when roads are crowded or weather is bad could be balanced by 80mph limits where conditions are good.

The Conservatives have pledged to raise motorway limits to 80mph on a full-time basis, claiming this would be in line with continental Europe..
Cycling course proves popular in Bracknell
18 children attended a cycling course organised by Bracknell Forest Council over the Easter holiday period.

 The course comprised eight hours of instruction followed by a competency test. All children who successfully passed the test received a badge and two reflective snap bands on the day and a certificate will be posted onto them.

"This means we now have 18 safer cyclists on our roads," says Chris Pickett, road safety officer. "Children that did not reach a safe standard of cycling by the end of the course have been offered additional training and a retest.

Due to the success of the course Bracknell Council is planning to run further courses during the summer holiday period.

For further information contact Chris Pickett on 01344 351212 or chris.pickett@bracknell-forest.gov.uk
DfT seeks feedback on its distribution services
The THINK! team has prepared an online questionnaire for road safety professionals to provide feedback on the quality of its distribution services.

"The questionnaire has been designed for RSOs to easily record any comments or suggestions they may have regarding the current level of service," explains John Nicholls, distribution manager.

The completed form needs to be returned to DfT by 31 May and can be found at http://www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk
Winter accidents on the increase
Winter weather-related motor accidents are increasing dramatically according to a survey by the insurance firm Town & Country Alliance (Surveyor 15 April).

The survey shows a steep rise in road accidents in which rain, hail, sleet or snow are cited as a contributory factor - from one in 11 accidents in winter 1998/99 to one in eight in 2001/02 - and one in four in the first half of winter 2003/04. This January, rain related accidents alone accounted for 29 per cent of all motoring accidents.
Brake plans assault on Walking Bus record
The road safety charity Brake is inviting schools to participate in a record-breaking Walking Bus attempt on Wednesday 16 June.

 Brake hopes the initiative will raise public awareness of child pedestrian safety at regional and national level, and promote Walking Buses as a safe means for children to get to and from school.

Children across the country will simultaneously participate in short supervised Walking Buses using safe routes immediately outside their school. Although the Walking Buses will happen at different locations across the country, each will count towards a Guinness record. Brake hopes that a minimum of 200 schools will take part.

Brake will provide schools with clear information about how to co-ordinate their Walking Bus and will outline safety considerations. However, road safety officers may be contacted by participating schools in their region for additional support and advice. For example, where a Walking Bus is not already in operation a school may require extra advice about how to run one safely.

For further information contact Sarah Fatica at walkingbus@brake.org.uk or 01484 559909.
ROADlife magazine launched in Preston
TV presenter Fred Talbot was in Preston last Thursday to officially launch Lancashire County Council's new road safety magazine.

 Members of the Road Safety Group were also on hand to offer shoppers road safety advice, free literature and giveaways. Shoppers were also invited to take part in a hazard perception test.

"ROADlife is full of features covering road safety for all," said senior road safety adviser Christine Gibson. "By reading about our initiatives for all road users we can help to make travellers on the County's roads easier and safer."
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For further information contact: Stephen Axon on 01772 533194, stephen.axon@css.lancscc.gov.uk.
DfT publishes travel habits stats
 The DfT last week published national statistics about the travel habits of residents of Great Britain. The main trends were published as provisional results in December 2003 but the latest bulletin includes final figures.

The findings included the following:
  • The main reasons given for accompanying primary school children to school were traffic danger (57 per cent), fear of assault (47per cent) and because the school was too far away (26 per cent).
  • A fifth of 5-10 year olds were almost always allowed to cross roads on their own and a further two fifths were sometimes allowed to do so.
  • On average nearly a fifth of children aged 5-15 played in the street on any given day. The most popular time was between 3pm and 5pm. Sundays were the most popular day and Mondays the least popular.
  • Over half of respondents said they walked for 20 minutes or more at least once a week. Nearly one in five young people (aged 17-20) reported such walks less than once a year.

More @ http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2004_0044
Limited edition Think! rucksacks – order yours now
As previously reported, Think! and sports equipment manufacturer Mitre have teamed up to offer road safety professionals a limited edition rucksack with mini footballs at cost price – and the rucksacks can be ordered now.

The rucksacks are priced at £5.00 - slightly higher than previously anticipated due to the addition of more road safety features.

The brightly coloured rucksacks have reflective strips and feature Think! branding and will be ideal for use as part of the Be Safe Be Seen campaign later in the year - and to convey other road safety messages to children and teenagers.

The mini footballs - which are also reflective - are zipped into the front of the bag and can be seen through the mesh.

Orders will be taken until 14 May – click here for the order form.
Instructors urged to ensure learner drivers are ‘fit for the road’
 Driving instructors from across the UK must ensure learner drivers are ‘fit for the road’ when they get behind the wheel of a car, says Graham Wynn, director of Telford Training Consultants (TTC 2000).

He explained to 160 delegates from the Motor Schools Association of Great Britain how to carry out ‘pupil tests’ and recognise drivers who have taken drugs as part of a drug and alcohol awareness exercise launched at the MSA’s national conference.

"At 9am a learner driver could turn up for a driving lesson under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication taken the previous day. Being fit to drive is an important issue for driving instructors," he said.

For more information contact TTC 2000 on (01952) 292246 or visit www.ttc-uk.com.
Milton Keynes trials solar powered safety sign
 Milton Keynes Council has installed a new ‘solar-powered’ safety sign that re-enforces the speed limit in the village of Stoke Goldington.

The sign remains ‘invisible’ to drivers who travel within the speed limit but is triggered by vehicles travelling along the road too fast - and displays a ‘30’ reminder.

The sign technology features solar panels that collect energy during the day, even on cloudy days and during autumn/winter conditions. The panels are robust, self-cleaning units that constantly ‘trickle charge’ powerful rechargeable batteries within the column.

Vehicle speeds will be monitored in the area to see how effective the signs are at reducing the speed of drivers.
New book aims to ‘keep children safe in traffic’
 In many OECD countries road-related crashes are the number one killer of children under the age of 15. One child out of every 2100 will die before their 15th birthday in a road-related incident and a considerably higher number will suffer severe injuries or lifelong disabilities.

Considerable advances have been made in most OECD countries since 1990, which have halved the number of children killed per annum. More fatalities could still be avoided if all OECD countries adopted practices known to be effective in improving children’s road safety.

Keeping Children Safe in Traffic outlines the progress that has been made in the last 20 years as well as the need for ongoing change. It examines the most effective current strategies, identifies areas for improvement and makes a series of policy-related recommendations for improving children’s road safety.

The report is priced at £21 and can be ordered from Databeuro Limited, The Rufus Centre, Flitwick, MK45 1AH, UK. Tel: 01525 752689, email: books@databeuro.com.
The West makes the cars - Africans die in them, WHO claims
The Third World, or the middle-income and low-income countries as the World Health Organisation (WHO) is now calling them, is where most road deaths occur - despite the fact that the vast majority of the world's cars are in the high-income countries (where only 10 per cent of road deaths occur).

Africa has very few cars relative to the rest of the world - yet it is Africa that has the worst road death record at 28.3 per 100,000 people. Europe - despite its very high number of vehicles - has less than half the death rate - at 11 per 100,000 people. WHO says that nine out of every 10 people killed in road accidents are from low or middle-income countries.

More @ http://www.nationaudio.com/News/EastAfrican
Conference will examine PTW safety
 As part of its activities aimed at creating a sustainable motorcycle safety environment, The Motor Cycle Industry Association (MCIA) is holding a one day conference to explore new initiatives for the improvement of motorcycle safety, training and traffic management. Research developments in the field of motorcycle safety will also be discussed.

In addition, a new national syllabus for the successful police-led ‘Bikesafe’ programme will be launched.

The conference will be held on Thursday 27 May at One Great George Street, Westminster, London. There will be no charge for the event and lunch and refreshments will be provided. To register interest in attending the conference call 02476 250806.