Indicators - positioning could save lives
Research carried out by the School of Psychology at the University of Wales suggests that the positioning of indicator lights on a car can affect reaction times and determine the extent to which other road users are aware of a car's direction.

It is thought that indicators that are inside of the headlights are more difficult to read than those placed outside, a style feature that could have potentially serious ramifications.

"Designers obviously want to create good looking cars, but this should not be done at the expense of compromising safety," said researcher Andrew Bayliss. "The position of lights on the car should be guided by safety considerations, not aesthetics."

For the full story go to: http://news.intranetics.co.uk/articles/3373.html

Too drunk and fast - but still allowed to drive
One motorist drove down a motorway at 162mph; another was caught with five times the permitted amount of alcohol in his blood. But both walked free from a Spanish court, making a mockery of a campaign to cut a death toll on roads that is more than twice as high as Britain's.

Constantino GarcÍa, 43, did not dispute that he was driving at more than twice the speed limit. But he told the court that the powerful £100,000 Audi he had borrowed from a friend was built to go fast, that the motorway had been in good condition and that there had been good visibility that day.

The court agreed, reasoning that the prosecutor had not proved that Mr GarcÍa's driving represented a 'concrete danger' to anyone. Now he is reportedly considering taking the government to court for having revoked his licence during the past year.

His acquittal followed a case last December when, as the Government prepared to launch its Christmas campaign against drink-driving, one of the highest courts in the land sided with a driver caught by police more than five times over the alcohol limit. Again, the judges argued that the prosecutor had failed to prove that the high level of alcohol in his system had impaired his driving. Road safety campaigners called the judgment absurd.

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

Centrica launches scheme for company car drivers
All Centrica employees who drive a company car or their own vehicle at work will be required to go sign the company's safe driving pledge, and complete the risk foundation program provided by Interactive Driving Systems.

Jon York, Centrica's fleet operations manager, said: "We believe that now is an ideal time to bring all our fleet policies to life by asking car drivers to pledge to comply with them.

"The safe driving pledge and risk foundation modules form an excellent 'permit to drive' for our company car users. From the driver's perspective it ensures that they are up to date, and comply with all the rules, and from our perspective as fleet managers, it provides an element of liability protection in the event that anything should go wrong as well as ensuring that drivers look after their vehicle."

For more information go to www.virtualriskmanager.net, or contact Andy Cuerden on 01484-400399.

Million drivers 'on brink of losing licence'
More than a million motorists are now just one conviction away from losing their driving licences, according to new research from car insurance company Direct Line.

The research shows that as many as 16% of drivers currently have penalty points on their licences for speeding. Of these, 21% are one conviction from disqualification - up from 17% last year. This means that the number of drivers on the brink of losing licences has risen by more than 215,000 in the last 12 months.

The area with the most drivers close to disqualification is north east England - while only 8% of south west England motorists are one conviction away.

For the full story go to: http://www.gm.tv/index.cfm?articleid=25226

Music marathon to raise safety funds
Bristol musicians are putting their talents to good use and raising money for road safety work in memory of their friend Beth Secker who was tragically killed in a car crash.

Female vocal group Soul Interlude, solo pianist Emma Wilkinson, jazz singer Emily O'Mara and groups Lyrica, Collapse and Redshift are embarking on a three-week 'music marathon' around Weston-Super-Mare, Cardiff and Bristol and rounding off with a sponsored walk.

The events will raise funds for Brake, the national road safety charity, and Habitat, an international housing project for impoverished families where Beth worked in Kyrgyzstan. 

Click here for details of times, dates and venues for the fundraising gigs.

Young drink drivers 'worrying trend' - TTC
After revealing at its annual conference that more young people are dying as a result of drinking and driving, the TTC Group says the government should take action to halt the 'worrying trend'.

Half of all drink drive deaths were in the 16-29 age group, said Graham Wynn, director of the TTC Group, which educates 10,000 convicted drink drivers each year.

TTC Group says that over a six-year period from 1999 there was a 28% increase in drink drive deaths, and that more women are attending its drink drive rehabilitation course - with figures almost doubling over the past decade.

For more information contact the TTC Group on 0845 270 4380, or visit www.ttc-uk.com.

Seeds to celebrates lives saved

The London Safety Camera Partnership (LSCP) is giving away seeds to school children to help celebrate the lives it says safety cameras have saved in the past five years.

Every primary school in London has been sent a packet of sunflower seeds to mark the 1,500 fatal and serious injuries that LSCP estimates have been saved from by safety cameras since April 2002.

Chris Lines, Head of TfL's road safety unit, said: "At sites where cameras have been installed there has been, on average, a 50% reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured - that's equivalent to 1,500 people in the past five years."

For further information contact Silka Kennedy-Todd on 0207 126 3394 . 

Encouraging results from TIE production
Evaluation after a tour of the TIE production Too Much Punch for Judy in Derbyshire schools late last year appears to show encouraging results.  

Based on a true story, Too Much Punch for Judy explores the issues and problems relating to death caused by a drink-drive incident. The student audience (aged 17 - 18 years) completed a questionnaire before and after they saw a performance.  

Before the performance, 21% of male students thought they were safe to drive after two glasses of wine, compared to 7% after the performance.

Similarly, 30% of female students thought that they were safe to drive after two 'alcopops' before they saw the performance, compared to just 13% after.

However, the students appeared to retain the belief that it is safe to drink a small amount of alcohol and then drive.

Click here to download the full evaluation report, or contact Karen Bates on 01629 580000 for further information.

Pink plan to deter male drivers
Traffic officials in a Swiss city are hoping to stop men using parking spaces reserved for women drivers by painting them pink and adding flowers.

The council move in Bern comes because male drivers keep grabbing reserved spaces for women, which are usually close to the car park exit and under video surveillance.

Bjorn Rohrbach, managing director of a car park in Bern, said: "Legally, we can't stop men from using women's parking spaces. And telling them off didn't work either."

He believes that the average male driver will be too embarrassed to use the pink parking spaces.

For the full story go to: http://www.ananova.com