Camera partnerships launch Xmas campaign

A Christmas poster campaign has been launched by the National Safety Camera Scheme. The poster encourages motorists to stay within the legal speed limits at all times.

The posters will appear in over 1200 social venues around the UK between 1-31 December.

"Speed limits are there for safety - in particular the safety of children and other vulnerable road users," said Susan Beck, national spokesperson for the Safety Camera Scheme. "The posters will act as a reminder to all motorists to remember speed limits.

"There is strong evidence to show that those who speed are twice as likely to be involved in a road crash. The message is clear. Don't speed this Christmas."

Get tough on mobiles, RoSPA urges

A year after law banning the use of hand-held mobile phones, RoSPA has welcomed news that the proposed Road Safety Bill will include measures to give offenders three penalty points on their licences and the threat of a ban under the totting up system. Fines will also be increased from £30 to £60.

A study has shown that use of hand-held phones by drivers has only reduced by 25 per cent, and RoSPA believes much more still needs to be done to persuade motorists to switch off their mobiles.

"We need that legislation introduced as soon as possible," said Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety. "In the meantime, we want police to take action against everyone they see using a hand-held phone at the wheel. They should run specific campaigns targeting mobile phone users who ignore their own safety and that of the people on the roads around them. Some people still think that their phone call is more important than someone's life and they should not be allowed to get away with it."

RoSPA led the campaign for the law and believes tougher police enforcement and more publicity are essential to remind people of the dangers of using phones while driving.

Safety leaflet launched for wheelchair children

A national charity dedicated to helping children in wheelchairs last week announced a new road safety initiative.

The Association of Wheelchair Children wants to improve road safety training for more than 100,000 wheelchair-using children in the UK, and has produced a new safety booklet.

The Association claims that children in wheelchairs are not receiving anything like the safety training that is enjoyed by their able-bodied peers and says this is an issue that affects all road users, not just the disabled.

"Whilst there has been a welcome increase in the Government's promotion of road safety initiatives, none of these have considered the special needs of our members," comments Owen McGhee chairman of the Association of Wheelchair Children.

"Worryingly, casualty figures on the numbers of these vulnerable children are sketchy, as wheelchair-using children do not show up in accident statistics and are, therefore, not considered an at-risk group.

"Children who use wheelchairs from birth are taught all sorts of things, but not how to cross a road. We must look at what will happen to these children in the future," concludes Mr McGhee.

The new manual, which is sponsored by the Foresters Fund for Children, is aimed at road safety officers and supports the charity's aims of enabling wheelchair-using children to become independently mobile.

It is based on the 'Kerbcraft' concept of choosing safe places and routes to cross the road, crossing safely at parked cars and crossing safely near junctions.

IRSO 2005 - challenges for road safety professionals

A course for road safety practitioners is being organised by the Yorkshire and Humber IRSO Group. The four day course will aim to show how to address clients' needs - both real and perceived - with road safety messages and activities, through education, publicity and in the external environment.

The course will run from Wednesday 6 July through to Saturday 9 July 2005.   Accommodation will be based at Devonshire Hall, which is part of the University of Leeds.

For a full timetable and information regarding costs and booking contact:
Sue Bates: sue.bates@hullcc.gov.uk

Leaflet promotes cold weather tyre benefits

Tyre manufacturer Continental Tyre Group has published a winter advice leaflet for vehicle users.  

The leaflet highlights the benefits of fitting cold weather tyres and explains that last year the UK experienced temperatures from +30°c to -15°c. Given such diverse weather conditions, it is unreasonable to expect one tyre type to provide consistently high safety levels, the leaflet says. In light of this, special cold weather tyres have been developed to deliver the best possible performance and maximum safety during colder months.

The number of accidents caused by wet road conditions increases in winter by 267 per cent There are 6,393 more accidents involving cars on the UK's roads in winter than there are during the summer months (Department of Transport Road Accident Statistics, 2003).

For more information on cold weather tyres visit www.tyresafety.co.uk

Off-road vehicles are dangerous, mayor says

London's mayor Ken Livingstone has stepped up his campaign to curb the popularity of off-road vehicles in the capital.

Mr Livingstone has written to transport minister Tony McNulty asking the Government to take a series of measures that will make people buy more environmentally and pedestrian friendly cars.

The mayor wants the Government to significantly increase the Vehicle Excise Duty for large sport utility vehicles (SUVs), to support the complete EU-wide ban on hard bull bars, and to urge industry on a national and EU-level to apply higher pedestrian safety ratings to large SUVs.

In his letter to Mr McNulty, the mayor said: "In road accidents the damage inflicted by SUVs on pedestrians or other road users is more dramatic.

"Research in the US has suggested that 11.5 per cent of pedestrians hit by large SUVs are killed, compared to 4.5 per cent of pedestrians hit by smaller cars. Research shows that bull bars fitted on many SUVs increase the likeliness to injure pedestrians in collisions even further."

"As with other larger vehicles, SUVs can also block visibility of other traffic users and can be intimidating to vulnerable road users," Mr Livingstone added.

Supporting Ken Livingstone's comments, an economic think tank has urged SUVs should come with health warnings similar to those imposed on tobacco companies. The New Economics Foundation (NEF) has warned that there needs to be a change in attitude as SUVs present a 'particular and significant threat' to public health and the environment.  

For further information about the NEF study visit:
http://www.4ni.co.uk/nationalnews.asp?id=35638

Gardaí launches road safety campaign

Gardaí has launched a wide ranging six-week road safety campaign in the Republic of Ireland covering drink driving, speeding, seat belt compliance and vulnerable road users.

In 2003, 11,344 people were arrested for drink driving in the republic, and it is estimated that alcohol is the primary cause of a third of all fatal road crashes in the Republic.

But Gardaí says that speeding still remains the greatest contributory factor to road deaths in Ireland.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/1129/roads.html