..presenting road safety across the UK


ROAD SAFETY NEWS - WEEK COMMENCING 15 DECEMBER

Drink-drive bonus for bosses
RoSPA is to give business bosses free courses on the dangers of drinking and driving in an effort to keep employees and other road-users safe.

Representatives from the first 30 businesses or organisations to apply will be offered an early Christmas present of a free place on courses to be held next year.

The course aim’s to give them facts and advice that can be used to help employees not to drive when they may still have alcohol in their bodies.

http://www.rospa.co.uk/CMS/
PACTS & SSI publish cameras defence
PACTS and the Slower Speeds Initiative have published a research briefing in response to some of the claims circulating in the press about speed cameras.

The briefing, ‘Speed Cameras: 10 Criticisms and Why They Are Flawed’ reviews the research evidence relating to the following 10 arguments put forward by critics of speed cameras:

1.Cameras cost lives
2.Speed is not a major factor in road casualties
3.Raising speed limits in the USA made no difference to casualties
4.Cameras are not sited on the most dangerous roads
5.Cameras don’t catch the most dangerous drivers
6.Cameras are not popular
7.Cameras are a waste of money
8.Cameras raise revenue for police and local authorities
9.Cameras have contributed to a fall in traffic policing
10.The number of traffic offences detected has fallen.

The briefing concludes that based on the research evidence, each of these claims is unfounded.

More @ www.pacts.org.uk
DfT unveils congestion-busting Bill
Radical congestion-busting measures were unveiled last week by transport secretary Alistair Darling.

The Traffic Management Bill will give the Highways Agency and local authorities in England and Wales far-reaching new powers and responsibilities to keep roads clear, minimise the disruption caused by road works, and keep traffic moving.

"The Traffic Management Bill will give the Highways Agency and councils powers and a duty to keep roads clear and traffic moving," said Alistair Darling when announcing the legislation. "They will now have to focus more sharply on tackling causes of congestion and disruption.

"New powers for councils to manage when and where street works are carried out will put an end to congestion caused by poorly planned and lengthy works. Neighbouring authorities will be required to work together to keep traffic flowing across the network.

"The Highways Agency will get powers to manage motorway incidents which will mean motorists caught in traffic due to road accidents or obstructions should benefit from a more targeted and faster clear-up response. Traffic officers will be on scene following road incidents to work with police to clear the road as quickly as possible. These new powers, as well as new traffic enforcement provisions for councils, will also free up police time - allowing them to concentrate on their other priorities."

The Bill covers the following five key elements:

Management of motorway incidents
Traffic management
Control of street works
Civil enforcement of driving and parking offences
London

More @ http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2003_0155.
Minister launches Scottish festive safety campaign
The Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland launched its festive safety campaign last week. The campaign, which focuses on motorists who drink drive or drug drive, will run until January 5, 2004.

"The festive season is traditionally a time when people enjoy themselves," transport minister Nicol Stephen said. "Unfortunately too many drivers are still prepared to take the risk to drink and drive. No one should be in any doubt that alcohol, even in small amounts, affects driving ability. One in five road deaths in 2001 across Scotland was the result of drink driving.

"The police will be looking out for people whose driving may be impaired through drink or drugs, but drivers should also be aware that the 'Crimestoppers' hotline means anyone can report a drink driver to the police.

Radio and poster advertising, organised by the Scottish Road Safety Campaign (SRSC), will highlight the 'Crimestoppers' telephone number, which can be used by the public to report road crime, such as drink driving, speeding and drug driving to the police. The number is 0800 555 111.

The SRSC message, ‘Who's Watching You?’, aims to reduce the incidence of drink driving with particular emphasis on the young male driver. "Who's Watching You?" radio ads and washroom posters placed in male washrooms in bars, clubs and SPL football grounds are being used to get the message across.

More @ http://www.srsc.org.uk/publicity
Communities fearful of speed, survey says
The recent backlash against speed cameras was countered last week by a survey that demonstrates that communities think roads are dangerous for children - and that their biggest concern is speeding drivers.

The survey of 10,000 residents - by road safety charity Brake in partnership with local information website UpMyStreet.com - coincided with a ‘day of action’ against speeding drivers, which was organised by Transport 2000 and The Slower Speeds Initiative.

The survey shows that residents are more concerned about speeding drivers in their neighbourhood than ‘other types of violent crime’.

For further information contact Simon Collister, Mary Williams or Jools Townsend on 01484 559909.
Camera Partnerships website tops one million hits
 Since the launch of the national safety cameras website, http://www.nationalsafetycameras.co.uk/, it has attracted just under 1.2m hits.

The most popular page is ‘camera locations’, which offers information about the make up of the regions through an interactive map and a direct link to local safety camera partnership websites. The next most popular page is ‘hints & tips’, which offers advice on speed limits, cameras, mobile patrols and signs.

"90 emails have been received via the website, of which the majority are in support of our scheme," says the camera partnership’s spokesperson Susan Beck. "41 emails have expressed concern and frustration over our activities by way of negative comments and criticism of cameras.

"Considering the massive amount of traffic to the site we consider there is a strong silent majority endorsement for our work by the public," Susan Beck concludes.
DfT issues drink-drive reminder
 Road safety minister David Jamieson last week reminded motorists to stay sober when driving during the Christmas and New Year period. The message coincided with the start of television advertising that will run from 8 December until the New Year.

Drink-drive deaths have fallen dramatically over the past twenty years. However, in 2002 there were an estimated 560 drink-drive fatalities - a six per cent increase over 2001.

"Drink drivers are still killing people," David Jamieson said. "Last year, one in six deaths on our roads was drink-drive related. The vast majority of motorists know the dangers and obey the law - but a minority of irresponsible and reckless drivers are ignoring it."

More @ www.dft.gov.uk.
DFT seeks misplaced speed cameras
 The DfT is inviting drivers to tell it about badly sited speed cameras - but has denied ordering a review of the cameras catching most offenders (Surveyor, 4 December).

National newspapers have reported that transport secretary Alistair Darling had responded to media criticism of ‘money-spinning’ cameras by instructing police forces to make them more conspicuous or to erect more signs to warn approaching drivers.

They quoted Darling’s comment that "Any camera that continues to generate hundreds of thousands of pounds in fines is failing". He added that more needed to be done to warn drivers of the dangers of speeding.

Officials denied that such cameras were to be moved or preceded by additional warning signs. There was no review or revision of existing guidance to safety camera partnerships, a spokeswoman for the DfT said, then adding: ‘We are telling motorists that If they see a speed camera that shouldn’t be where it is to write in to the department."
Young inventor's road safety solution
10-year-old schoolboy Charlie Watts has come up with an idea to improve road safety. Charlie appeared on national TV last week to unveil an anti-speeding device that could put him on the road to being voted Britain's top young inventor.

Charlie, a pupil at Carleton Rode Primary School, Norfolk came up with the idea for Laser Speed – a system that uses satellite technology to slow down cars entering speed limit zones – after his dad Neil got a speeding ticket.
He submitted the idea after hearing about a new Children's BBC series called That's Genius! and has now been chosen as one of five finalists from more than 3000 entrants. Each of the five inventions is being featured in a series of weekly programmes and viewers' votes will decide a winner, with a trip to the House of Inventions, in Florida, as the prize.

Laser Speed is being developed by MG Rover, which is excited by its potential. The device has already achieved an 80 per cent success rate in trials at the company's Bedfordshire test centre.

"It slows a vehicle down via satellite," explained Charlie. "A voice speaks to you in the car telling you to slow down and, if you still go too fast, it cuts off the accelerator. My mum and dad always find it annoying that so many people disregard the speed limits. Then my dad got a speeding ticket and that spurred me on. The people on That's Genius! thought it was a good idea because it could save lives. But I never thought it would get this far."

http://www.edp24.co.uk