..presenting road safety across the UK


ROAD SAFETY NEWS - WEEK COMMENCING 23 FEBRUARY 2004

Headteachers’ body attacks school travel plans
The Government’s ambition for every school in England to have a travel plan was criticised last week by one of the main school headteachers’ associations (Local Transport Today, 12 February).

The Secondary Heads Association (SHA) claimed that travel plans were ‘bureaucratic’ and said it did not support measures that were intended to ‘exhort, force or brainwash people into better behaviour’. The association made the remarks in evidence to the House of Commons transport select committee inquiry into school transport. Travel plans did, however, receive strong support from another association called to give evidence, the National Association of Head Teachers.

The SHA, which has over 11,000 members across the UK, said that secondary school children would be resistant to the message that they should change their travel habits. It also rejected the idea put forward by the Government that travel planning could be built into the school curriculum, saying that the curriculum was already ‘badly overcrowded’.
Three-for-two bus rule puts children at risk, says GEM
GEM Motoring Assist is calling for an end to the ‘three for two’ rule - a measure that allows school buses to pack three children into a seat designed for two. .

"Packing three into a seat intended for two is a recipe for disaster," says GEM chief executive, David Williams. "Unruly behaviour on overcrowded buses can be distracting for the driver and a danger to everyone. When the worst does happen injuries will be greater and evacuating the pupils will be more difficult."

GEM is supporting Pat Harris, founder of BUSK (Belt Up School Kids), in her lobbying of Parliament by means of a national petition that seeks to end the risky practice. The petition has already been signed by more than 1,500 bus drivers who do school runs.

For a copy of the petition and information on the three-for-two rule go to:
http://www.roadsafety.org.uk
Northern Ireland bus lanes open to bikes
An experimental scheme allowing motorcyclists to use some of Northern Ireland's bus lanes has been warmly welcomed by the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF). The BMF sees this as a positive step in getting nationwide acceptance of bikes in bus lanes.

In putting the case for bus lane use, the BMF has maintained that there would be an inequality in schemes that provide cyclists with isolation and safety, but not motorcyclists. Bus lane use would improve safety, be seen as a way of encouraging more practical and sustainable alternative transport modes and enhance the advantages that motorcycles and scooters have over other vehicles, the BMF says.

In announcing the experimental scheme the minister of state, John Spellar, MP, said: 'This is a new measure by the Department for Rural Development Roads Service to examine how the use of bus lanes can be extended to more effectively meet the Department's overall transportation objectives."

More @ http://www.bmf.co.uk/press/2004/press283.html.
Checks highlight dangers of overweight vehicles
The true extent of damage caused by overloaded vehicles has been revealed by Suffolk County Council.

South East Suffolk Magistrates Court in Ipswich recently heard 17 cases of overloaded goods vehicles, after checks last year by road traffic enforcement officers employed by the county council’s trading standards department. 14 owners and drivers were found guilty and a further three cases were adjourned.

The county council began carrying out checks in October 2002 with the intention of reducing damage to the county’s roads by overweight lorries.
Around three in five goods vehicles stopped and checked in the crackdown were over the legal weight limit. Of the 1,000 vehicles weighed, 566 were overloaded, 237 were so heavy they needed to reduce their load before continuing, and 160 overloads resulted in prosecution.

"Overloaded goods vehicles pose a huge threat to other road users," said Peter Monk, Suffolk County Council’s portfolio holder for public protection. "These vehicles also damage highways and give an unfair commercial advantage for businesses breaking the law."

Prosecutions have so far resulted in over £53,000 worth of fines and in excess of £19,000 in costs. All fines are fed back to the central treasury by the courts.

For further information contact Adam Barnes, communications assistant, 01473 584309.
£51m allocated for rural buses
Transport minister Tony McNulty last week announced the amount each eligible local transport authority in England will receive as part of the £51m Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG) for 2004/05.

The Rural Bus Subsidy Grant currently supports over 2,000 rural bus services and can be used to operate new and enhanced services in rural areas outside settlements of 25,000 or more.

More @ http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2004_0015.
Northamptonshire presents ORR seminar for voluntary organisations
Northamptonshire County Council’s Road Safety Team is organising a seminar to assist organisations in the voluntary sector manage occupational road risk.

All voluntary organisations have a duty of care to staff, whether paid or unpaid, under health and safety legislation. There have been a number of changes within the last two years that could affect those in the voluntary sector, and the seminar will set out to address some of these issues.

The seminar will take place in Northampton on Monday 15 March 2004, 9.00am – 2.30pm. The fee is £10 per delegate, including lunch.

Further information and a booking form can be obtained from Nicole Short, Road Safety Centre, Main Road, Far Cotton, Northampton NN4 8EN. Tel 01604 763438, nshort@northamptonshire.gov.uk.
Flashing brake lights could help road safety
A private individual from Surrey has designed a new vehicle brake light system that he claims would add to road safety in foggy conditions.

Under the system, when the rear fog lights are switched on the system flashes the brake lights alternately from side to side when the brakes are applied. The system is activated and de-activated automatically by use of the rear fog lights. When the rear fog lights are not in use the brake lights remain as solid lights.

"I feel that flashing brake lights will make following drivers more aware than constant brake lights," says Mr A Smith, who has developed the system.

"Brake and fog lights are not only the same colour but also the same intensity, and due to the layout of some rear light systems it is not always easy to distinguish the difference between the two, especially in fog."

According to Mr Smith, the idea is covered by Patent application. He can be contacted by email, alanphoenixcars@aol.com.