..presenting road safety across the UK




OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF - W/C 24 MAY 2004

Bedfordshire older drivers’ seminar ‘a resounding success’
Bill Brady, head of Bedfordshire's road safety team, has declared the county’s first older drivers’ seminar ‘a resounding success, according to everyone involved’.

"200 people were invited to attend the seminar on Saturday 8 May at Silsoe Conference Centre, Bedfordshire but 220 turned up on the day," Bill Brady says.

Organisations represented included RoSPA and IAM, Trading Standards, Sight Concern and the Bedfordshire & Luton Casualty Reduction Partnership.

Delegates were given a full presentation including a video clip of the 1935 driving test and an 84-year-old driver who thought that his driving was up to date, but this was sadly not the case. Drivers were also offered a vision screening test and five of those who participated fell below the required standard.

At the end of the seminar a driving assessment was offered and over 150 opted to be assessed.

The seminar was recorded for the BBC Look East programme and was screened during the week ending 16 May.

Following the excellent response The Bedfordshire team, in partnership with the other agencies, will repeat the seminar at the same venue on 5 June.
Cheeky Girls lend a hand in Southend…
Southend on Sea Borough Council's Road Safety Team recently enlisted the help of the Cheeky Girls, the town’s football team and three local school children to get the 'Don't drink and drive' message across to nearly 9000 football supporters.

In a competition for Year 7 pupils from across the Borough, children were asked to design a poster to highlight the dangers of summertime drink driving. The three competition winners helped release 750 balloons to represent casualty numbers in 2003. Each black balloon represented a fatality, red balloons a serious injury and pink balloons a minor injury.

The Southend United players wore THINK! T-shirts during the warm up before and during the game and the Cheeky Girls performed in front of a road safety banner. Drink/drive advice leaflets were inserted in the matchday programme, which also contained a full-page advert.

The winning children were presented with signed footballs and certificates and enjoyed the match from a hospitality box.
...and Reading fans targeted with speed message
Reading Borough Council's Road Safety Section teamed up with Reading Football Club for the team's last home game of the season to promote the 'Think' slow down message and the For my girlfriend (FMG) campaign, which aims to reduce the number of young drivers involved in speed related accidents.

Berkshire Fire and Rescue Service was in attendance outside the ground, accompanied by a car that had been involved in a fatal road traffic accident. Fans were handed information and merchandise including T-shirts, caps, tax disc holders, pens and car air fresheners - all carrying the ‘don't speed’ message.
Inside the ground pre-recorded messages were broadcast over the club's public address system, and before the game a large banner was carried around the edge of the pitch by youngsters wearing Think! Road Safety T-shirts and baseball caps. The players also warmed up in Think! Road Safety T-shirts, and the matchday programme carried an advertisement.

Prior to the game a local newspaper ran a competition with five pairs of tickets on offer as prizes.
New Safe Routes to School website launched
A new Sustrans Safe Routes to Schools website will be launched during the first of two national Walk to School weeks on Monday 24 May. The website, www.saferoutestoschools.org.uk, contains features and information for people interested in Safe Routes to Schools projects.

Walk to School Week encourages parents to walk to school with their young children as often as possible to keep the school gates clear of traffic.

The new website has practical information on how to encourage walking and cycling to school. It also raises associated issues including the traffic and safety problems associated with the school-run, the heath implications of increasing child obesity due to sedentary lifestyles, and the fact that many children prefer to be independent rather than car-dependent.

"The Safe Routes to Schools website is a great resource for transport practitioners - a one stop shop for best practice, news and events," says Mark Korczak, school travel plans officer for Leicester City Council. "The Routes 2 Action zone is a great resource for schools, especially the toolbox. It shows a major concern for the future transport needs of the nation."
20mph zones call welcomed
 Engineers and road safety campaigners have welcomed the Government’s latest call for more 20mph zones, but have rejected transport minister Kim Howells’ suggestion that it is mainly a matter of councils showing more courage (Surveyor 13 May 2004).

Kim Howells last week promised to be very up front about speed cameras and road humps and called for more 20mph limits in sensitive built-up areas. "Local authorities have these powers but some of them need to have a bit more courage in applying them where there’s a clear road safety benefit," he added.

Brian Smith, of the County Surveyors’ Society, commented: "It’s easy for ministers to make these sort of comments but we have to make (20mph zones) work." Ensuring that 20mph limits are self-reinforcing was costly, and schemes require extensive investigation, consultation and careful design work, the chair of the CSS transport and environment committee added.

The Government’s recent review of the road safety strategy promised revised guidance to encourage 20mph zones.
Think! team requests details of local partnering arrangements
The Think! campaign team is in the process of recruiting a brand partnership agency to proactively engage corporate partners to become involved with Think! campaign activities.

"In the light of this it would be very useful to know what third party involvement is already taking place at a local level," says Britta Preibe, publicity manager. "We would like to find out which partners RSOs are currently working with on a local level - where any activity is taking place, with which company and the nature of the arrangement."

RSOs are asked to provide details of any such arrangements by 2 June to Britta Preibe please, email: Britta.Priebe@dft.gsi.gov.uk.
Women drivers 'more law abiding'
Women drivers are safer and more law abiding than their male counterparts and commit only 12 per cent of all driving offences, Government figures show (BBC News). According to Home Office 2002 figures for England and Wales, men committed almost all of the most serious offences.

From 1998-2002, the share of motoring offences committed by women rose just one per cent. The figures also show a two per cent increase in female offences relating to driving with excess alcohol or drugs in the system - from nine per cent in 1998 to 11 per cent in 2002. Women's share of speeding offences also increased, rising from 13 per cent in 1998 to 17 per cent in 2002.

Andrew Howard, head of road safety at the AA Motoring Trust, said there were arguments that could make male drivers look even worse. Mr Howard said in the vast majority of couples the male got behind the wheel on long journeys.

"On motorways and A roads accident rates are much, much lower than they are around town," he said. "People send their wives out in places where you are more likely to have an accident."

Mr Howard said many men tended to have a competitive streak when it came to driving that did not seem to exist between women, and are more likely to have high speed and overtaking accidents. But the difference between the sexes tended to lessen with age, he added.

More @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3718957.stm
Buckinghamshire hosts safer routes conference
Buckinghamshire County Council is hosting a conference to share good practice in school travel planning and Safer Routes to School. The conference will take place on 1 July at the Holiday Inn, Handy Cross, High Wycombe.

The conference fee is £70 (£60 for IRSO members), which includes conference papers, CPD certificate, lunch and refreshments.

For further details or a booking form contact Buckinghamshire’s Safer Routes to School Team on 01296 383957.
Healthcare company sponsors Walking Bus in Milton Keynes
 With obesity currently thought to cost Britain more than £10bn a year, there has never been a more important time for the nation to commit to getting healthy – and National Walk to School Week, which commences on Monday May 24, provides a good opportunity to make a start.

Milton Keynes based Omron Healthcare (UK) is getting involved by sponsoring a local school’s Walking Bus project. The Ashbrook First School Walking Bus will makes its maiden journey on 24 May, and Omron has been working with Milton Keynes Council to organise the sponsorship.

To make the walk to school more educational and fun, Omron will donate 200 of its step counters. The counters will enable the children to record the distance they have travelled over the week and incorporate their findings into a school project – thereby encouraging them to be more active, while at the same time helping develop their numeracy skills. Omron is also donating reflective clothing for everyone involved.

"We are hoping that this partnership with the business community will help others to realise the importance of child road safety and healthcare issues and encourage other schools and businesses to work together to improve these important issues," said David Frost, the council's road safety team leader.

For further information contact David Frost,
David.Frost@Milton-keynes.gov.uk.
PACTS presents driving at work conference
 PACTS is arranging a conference on the subject of driving while at work on 13 July.

This conference – Driving while at work: where next? - will attempt to analyse the scale of work-related road casualties, to look at the economic case for taking action and at the resources available to employers to help reduce work-related road deaths and injuries.

Research into the accident liability of company car drivers will provide the basis for the day, and the potential lessons to be learned from other modes such as train drivers will also be considered.

Speakers will include David Kidney MP, David Jamieson MP and Steve Whitehouse, LARSOA.

The conference brochure can be downloaded at http://www.pacts.org.uk/conferences/Julybrochure04.pdf, or for further information contact sally.verkaik@pacts.org.uk or tel: 0207 222 7732.
Road safety message is cultural hit
 A multicultural gathering in Preston was given a taste of road safety recently when Lancashire County Council paid a visit on Cultural Diversity Day. The Council's Road Safety Group offered information and advice about keeping safe on the roads to visitors to Preston Gujarat Hindu Society.

Materials were available in a range of languages, including literature for motorists, mature drivers and motorcyclists, children's workbooks, parent guides and other giveaways- and the second edition of the Road Safety Group's glossy magazine, RoadLIFE.

"The day was a huge success for us," said Lancashire County Council's principal road safety adviser, Clare Farrer. "Going out and meeting the public allows us to answer their questions on a one to one basis.
DfT awards road safety resources contract
Educari has been awarded a contract by the DfT to create a database of road safety education resources. The database will be made available on a website that will be freely accessible to all road safety professionals.

Educari is a UK-based company that supports professionals who work with children and young people through the production of publications and websites, research, evaluation and policy analysis, and consultancy and training.

Educari is keen to hear from anyone who has produced a road safety resource that may be suitable for the database, though it cannot guarantee inclusion.

To find out more about the database project visit www.educari.com. or email info@educari.com.
Complimentary show tickets for RSOs
 RoadSafe sponsor, SMMT, has made a number of complimentary tickets for the Sunday Times Motor Show Live available for road safety professionals. The show takes place 28 May – 6 June at the NEC, Birmingham.

In addition to many new models being unveiled by vehicle manufacturers, other RoadSafe partners will be represented at the show including DSA, The Highways Agency, IAM, RAC, AA and BSM.

To apply for a ticket – which will be distributed on a first come, first served basis - email jwalsh@roadsafe.com confirming the address to which the ticket should be sent.