Leicestershire deploys range of drink drive initiatives

Leicestershire County Council deployed a wide range of initiatives to promote the drink drive message over the festive period.

Junior Road Safety Officers (JRSOs) entered a competition to design a 'Don't Drink and Drive' advert. The winners enjoyed VIP tickets to watch Leicester City play Sheffield Wednesday on 2 December, and one of the winning designs was used in an exhibition display and the matchday programme. Thousands of car air fresheners with a drink drive message were also given away to supporters prior to the game.

Over 20,000 non-alcoholic cocktail recipe cards were distributed over the festive period, and BBC Radio Leicester covered drink driving in various interviews and features on 8 December.

Flashing 'Don't Drink and Drive' badges for bar staff were sent to several hundred pubs and bars to communicate the message directly at the point where drinks are consummed. And finally, more than 50 bright yellow temporary signs were erected on main routes around Leicestershire.

Fortune cookies show way to go home
Hertfordshire's road safety unit paired-up with pubs and restaurants across the county in a Christmas campaign to reduce the number of drunk pedestrians being hit by cars.

The pubs and restaurants gave fortune cookies to dining drivers, which contained warnings to look out for drunken pedestrians while driving home.

In addition, pedestrian drinkers were encouraged to get taxis or lifts and wallet-sized cards, with space for people to write taxi numbers on, were distributed in pubs and clubs.

And mirror stickers, raising awareness of drunk pedestrian KSIs, were used in pub and club toilets.

For more information contact kirsty.favell@hertscc.gov.uk

LARSOA issues maintenance warning
With the sudden arrival of bad weather in the run up to Christmas, LARSOA issued a warning to motorists about the potentially fatal dangers of not maintaining their vehicles.

The Association is concerned that an exceptionally warm summer and mild autumn may have lulled drivers into a false sense of security.

Simon Ettinghausen, Chair of LARSOA, said: "Road users have to pay attention to changing conditions and ensure their vehicles are maintained correctly. If a car, van or lorry has a faulty light, for example, not only is it more difficult for the driver to see what is ahead, but also other drivers may mistake the vehicle for something it is not."

The Association suggested the following tips to help save lives:

• Ensure all vehicle lights and wipers are in good working order
• Keep lights, windows and mirrors clean and free from ice and snow
• Add antifreeze to the radiator and winter additive to the windscreen washer bottles
• Check that tyres have plenty of tread depth and are maintained at the correct pressure
• Adjust your driving to the conditions as hail, heavy snow and rain will reduce visibility and it can take ten times longer to stop in icy conditions than on a dry road.

For further information about winter driving go to: www.thinkroadsafety.gov.uk

Gwent student wins 'all Wales' poster competition

Josh Park, a pupil at Duffyn High School in Gwent, has been named winner of the all-Wales drink drive poster competition.

The competition has been running in Gwent for many years, but recently became a national event. Tamsin Dunwoody, deputy minister for enterprise, innovation and networks, presented prizes to the winners in Cardiff on 1 December.

Penny Thorpe, Principal RSO, said: "I am delighted that Josh's poster won the All Wales Award.   The judges felt it would appeal to younger drivers - a group too highly represented in road crash casualty statistics."

For further information contact Penny Thorpe on 01633 463376, or penny.thorpe@capita.co.uk

RSO 'deeply saddened' by police speed reporting
A principal RSO from a London Borough has hit out at attempts to 'embarrass the police over speeding'.

Sutton's Roy Buchanan says he is 'deeply saddened' by the reporting of an incident concerning a Durham police officer who was caught on camera exceeding the speed limit near Falkirk. Click here for further details.

In an email to LARSOA newsfeed editor, Nick Rawlings, Mr Buchanan wrote:

"Police drivers being trained to an advanced Class-One standard are exempt from prosecution. These officers must be trained and practice at a high level if they are to reach the level of competence required to qualify as advanced police drivers. This cannot be achieved if they go touring round the country lanes.

"Routes are carefully chosen, tested, approved and monitored for their suitability for training purposes and risk assessed for safety purposes. The officer from Durham was operating within this parameter.

"The banal, patronising comments made by some self-righteous road safety practitioners is unhelpful. I would hasten to remind those people that the police is a powerful ally in the campaign for road safety and, arguably, achieve more than we road safety officers ever do."

Senior students benefit from TRL lecture

70 senior pupils from schools and colleges across Greater Gwent recently gained a glimpse into the work carried out by the TRL (Transport Research Laboratory) at a lecture held at Cwmbran Stadium.

TRL works with public and private sector clients on many aspects of transportation, safety, vehicles, the environment and sustainability.

The main aim of the event was to offer students information and background about the careers available within transport engineering, design and investigation. In addition, students also picked up valuable road safety advice.

Justine Price, head of year 11 at Trevethin Comprehensive, said: "This lecture has been good for students' career prospects and very helpful for those wanting to learn to drive."

For more information about TRL go to: www.trl.co.uk.

For further information about the event contact Penny Thorpe on 01633 463376, or penny.thorpe@capita.co.uk .