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OTHER
NEWS IN BRIEF - W/C 31 MAY 2004
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Re-education
required for speeding motorists, LARSOA chairman says
Road safety professionals are calling for a re-education programme
for speeding drivers in the wake of official figures showing little
improvement in driver behaviour - despite national and local safety
campaigns and extensive camera enforcement (Surveyor, 27 May).
DfT statistics for 2003 show almost no change in car drivers’
behaviour in built up areas, with 58 per cent exceeding the speed
limit in 30mph zones, compared with 59 per cent in 2002. A quarter
of motorists were doing more than 35mph.
On 40mph roads, 27 per cent of cars were recorded breaking the
limit and 10 per cent were travelling faster than 45mph –
exactly the same figures as in the previous year.
LARSOA chairman Steve Whitehouse said the disappointing
figures suggested that too much emphasis has been put on safety
cameras and not enough on road safety education. Both the police
and courts should make more use of their discretion to send drivers
caught for minor speeding offences on a speed awareness course.
"We have been successful at reducing drink-drive casualties
over the last 20 years, yet there hasn’t been a major change
in the law – it’s been down to raising awareness,"
Steve Whitehouse said. "We’ve made it socially unacceptable
and now need to do the same with speeding.’
Transport secretary Alistair Darling said last week
that the Government wants to explore the possibility of using
driver awareness courses as an alternative to fines.
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Scottish Forum launches new road safety website
The West of Scotland Road Safety Forum (WSRSF) has launched
a new website, wsrsf.org.uk,
to increase awareness of its members’ initiatives, and to impart
important road safety information to road users.
WSRSF comprises road safety officers and traffic engineers from
12 local authorities working in partnership with Strathclyde Police,
to improve road safety standards in the West of Scotland.
The website gives details of road safety targets and statistics
for the region, along with latest news from the Forum’s membership.
It also presents details of 18 different road safety topics and
initiatives in the region, broken down into those for children (eight)
and those for adults (10).
The Forum’s activities had previously been detailed in a printed
road safety handbook, which is still available. |
Picture
courtesy of WO1 John Ball, MoD, SMD Trg |
DES
helps get army golfers home safely
DES took up golf recently when The Royal Logistic Corps
Golfing Society (RLCGS) celebrated its 10th anniversary championships
at Belton Park and Greetham Valley Golf Clubs. Golfers from all
over the UK and Germany took part.
DES is the designated non-drinking driver campaign organised and
funded by the Portman Group.
Every golfer received a road safety officer DES resource welcome
pack to promote the designated non-drinking driver message. The
packs were taken back to army units to help deliver the road safety
message.
Army master drivers across the world use the DES resource in their
work with serving personnel in an attempt to raise awareness of
important road safety messages.
Visit www.portmangroup.org.uk
for further information or to order DES materials. |
Transport
secretary to question camera partnerships
Transport secretary Alistair Darling has admitted
that he expects to have to challenge local camera partnerships over
the siting of some safety cameras when he publishes details of a
national safety camera audit next month (Surveyor, 27 May).
The audit is being carried out by the 42 camera partnerships and
will detail each site, explaining why it was chosen and the difference
cameras are making to road safety.
Alistair Darling told MPs last week that he was optimistic that
the campaign to reduce speed was having an effect and that the vast
majority of sites were saving lives. He said the Conservatives have
yet to submit evidence to support their claim that as many as 4,000
cameras are in the wrong place.
But he also admitted that "I have no doubt that it will be
necessary for me to ask the local partnerships to consider whether
cameras should be present on some sites, or whether they should
be moved elsewhere". |
Groups
urge speed cut in London
20mph speed limits should be the norm for London’s residential
and shopping streets according to a policy statement by the London
Transport Activists’ Roundtable of environmental transport
organisations, which includes the Capital Transport Campaign, the
London Cycling Campaign, Friends of the Earth, Living Streets and
Transport 2000 (Local Transport Today, 20 May). The groups also
want a £330m six year programme of walking and cycling measures
and a demonstration Home Zone in every borough. |
World-first
saliva tests for drug-driving
In a world first, police in Victoria, Australia will use saliva
swabs to randomly test drivers for drugs. Inspector Martin
Boorman, head of Victoria Police's traffic and alcohol section,
said the random drug testing would begin in a matter of weeks.
Police will test drivers for traces of cannabis and methamphetamine,
known as ‘speed’ and used by long-haul road transport
drivers to stop them falling asleep at the wheel. Methamphetamine
is also sold in crudely cut street mixes of party drugs such as
ecstasy, and stays in the system for up to eight hours.
The saliva swabs will also detect THC - the active metabolite in
cannabis - that stays in the system for up to three hours after
use.
The Victoria Police policy will be zero tolerance on both drugs.
"Research has shown both these drugs significantly reduce a
driver's psycho-motor skills," Inspector Boorman said.
More @ http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au |
Brake
unveils reversing safety resources
The road safety charity Brake says that nearly 25 per cent
of fatalities involving vehicles at work occur when vehicles are
reversing. Brake is urging fleet managers to take action to prevent
reversing crashes by ordering a free resource pack from the Fleet
Safety Forum, a division of Brake.
The pack includes an information sheet for managers with sections
on the law, the extent of the problem and practical measures to
help prevent reversing crashes. The sheet includes sections for
managers of truck, bus, car and van fleets, a photocopiable sheet
for drivers and a comprehensive self-audit.
The pack also includes a poster and leaflet with advice for drivers
of all types of vehicle on reversing safety. Managers can order
additional copies to distribute to their drivers. Posters are free
and leaflets are £1 per 10 copies (plus postage).
The Fleet Safety Forum produces independent, up-to-date information
on how to manage ‘road risk’. It operates a subscription
scheme for fleet professionals who receive monthly mailings to help
them achieve fleet safety best practice. Mailings include Fleet
Safety Forum News, information sheets on specific fleet safety issues,
invitations to conferences and workshops at a reduced delegate rate,
and posters and leaflets on a range of road safety topics. For further
details contact Juliette Bell, Fleet Safety Forum
manager, 01780 752185, or fleetsafetyforum@brake.org.uk. |
New
camera to be trialled in Dorset
A new speed camera that can detect drivers more than a mile away
goes into use next month, according to a report that appeared in
The Mirror last week. It combines video and laser technology and
will identify the driver as well as the car number plate.
The ProLaser III is designed to stop drivers slowing down
at conventional speed cameras, then speeding up afterwards, and
will be introduced in Dorset.
"We know some members of the public race towards cameras and
then break hard as they pass and speed up again," Johnny
Stephens, project manager for the Dorset Safety Camera Partnership,
said.
However, Edmund King, of the RAC Foundation, countered:
"Recent research on the cause of accidents showed that excessive
speed was number seven in importance. Number one was inattention,
which might be drivers looking out for speed cameras."
More @ http://www.mirror.co.uk/news |
CTC
presents national cycling conference
A national cycle training and education conference, Making Cycle
Training Work, will be held at the Business Design Centre, Islington,
London on Friday 25 June.
The conference is organised by CTC, the national cyclists’
organisation, in association with DfT, National Cycling Strategy
Board, LARSOA, IRSO, RoSPA and Sustrans.
The conference will set out to bring the cycling, education and
road safety communities up to date with latest thinking on cycle
user training, and to launch a number of initiatives in the field
and review the developments and progression of some initiatives
already taken.
It is designed for anyone with an interest in the promotion of cycling
and cycle training including local authority officers and members,
trainers, health promoters, police officers, employers, schools,
safe routes to schools co-ordinators, Travelwise, travel plan co-ordinators,
cycle coaches and instructors, and voluntary organisations.
Fees, which include lunch, refreshments and conference papers range
from £250 for commercial companies and central government
departments to £175 for local authorities and £125 for
voluntary organisations and charities. All fees exclude VAT.
To register or for further information contact Greg Woodford
on 0870 873 0060 or by email cycle.training@ctc.org.uk. |
Young
writers set road safety task
Entrants to the Young Motoring Writer of the Year 2004 competition
are being asked to submit an article on the subject of road safety.
A prize of up to £1000 is on offer for the competition winner,
which is organised in association with The Daily Telegraph and Lex
Vehicle Leasing.
The competition aims to give non-professional young writers and
motoring enthusiasts the opportunity to develop the journalistic
skills required for the media and automotive industries. The competition
is open to two age categories, 13-17 years and 18-25 years.
Entrants are being asked to submit an article, no longer than 1000
words, on the subject of road safety. The winner of each age category
will have his/her article published in The Daily Telegraph motoring
section and the associated website, motoring.telegraph.co.uk. In
addition to the prize of up to £1000, the winners will enjoy
a day at Sisley Kart School, Buckmore Park.
For further information or to enter log onto www.telegraph.co.uk/ymw2004,
or call 020 7538 6257 or email Emma.Gilbert-Harris@telegraph.co.uk.
The closing date for entries is Friday 9 July. |
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Camera
partnerships launch interactive CD
The Midlands Safety Camera Partnership – which comprises
eight camera partnerships - launched an interactive safety camera
CD-ROM at the Motor Show Live last week. The CD will be distributed
free to drivers, business owners and fleet managers and aims to
improve safety throughout the region.
The CD also contains the speed limits at camera sites, general road
safety advice, best practice videos for businesses and camera FAQs.
It also includes an interactive map showing all of the fixed and
mobile speed camera sites of the eight partnerships that cover the
entire east and west midlands.
"It’s time for us to focus on education," said Midlands
Safety Camera Partnership spokesman Steve Batchelor.
"We want to make the public aware of what we are doing. We
have always ensured that detailed information is available to the
public but the scheme has been perceived by some as secretive for
far too long. This is just the start of an exciting campaign that
will assist the motorists of Britain."
For further information contact Susan Beck, susan.beck@nationalsafetycameras.co.uk. |
CAPT
publishes cycle safety leaflet
Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) has published a cycle
safety leaflet for young people and their parents and carers –
and is offering the leaflet at a special price for the next few
weeks.
"The leaflet provides information about the most frequent causes
of accidental injuries to children and young people when riding
bikes on roads," says Amanda Pritchett, CAPT
press and publicity manager. "It also explains why children
under 10 years of age should not be riding on roads without adult
supervision, and provides important safety advice and information
about keeping a bike in good, roadworthy condition."
As a special offer to LARSOA newsfeed readers, CAPT is offering
the leaflets at a price of £4.00 per 100 plus postage and
packing (£2.50 for 100 leaflets, £5.95 for orders of
100+).
To obtain a free sample of the leaflet send a SAE to LARSOA cycle
safety offer, Child Accident Prevention Trust, 18-20 Farringdon
Lane, London EC1R 3HA. To order call publication sales on 020 7689
4326 or email csw@capt.org.uk.
The special offer ends 30 June 2004 and orders need to be placed
now for leaflets to be supplied in time for Child Safety Week, 21-27
June.. |
New
cameras to catch tailgaters
Roadside cameras that will allow police to catch motorists who drive
too close to the car in front are to be introduced, according to
a report in The Guardian last week. The laser camera will
measure gaps between vehicles and record number plate details.
Senior officers hope that the device will prove popular with drivers
because it will help reduce tailgating.
"We are developing technology to help the detection of this
problem," said Deputy Chief Constable Meredydd Hughes,
of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO). "We have
tested a laser-based camera system that has been used mainly in
Alpine tunnels and has the potential to detect incidents of close
following.
"The public have told us that close following is some of the
most dangerous behaviour on the roads," he added. "It
is something that is most frustrating for the public and we accept
that. Evidence from the transport research laboratory shows that
it does contribute to road crashes."
More @ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story |
GEM
praises ‘Tufty Club for the 21st century’
GEM Motoring Assist has praised Starting
Out, a child pedestrian training scheme for five to seven year
olds that has been initiated in Staffordshire.
GEM says that children in Great Britain are more likely to be killed
by vehicles on the road than in almost any other country in Europe,
and that practical child pedestrian training has been sadly neglected
since the demise of the Green Cross Code Man and the Tufty Club.
Five schools have taken part in Starting Out and the programme has
been rolled out to a further five. If financial support remains
in place the whole of Staffordshire’s younger pupils could
be trained in avoiding injury and death on the road.
"Starting Out uses paid road safety trainers to take children
out in small groups over 10 weeks," says road safety student
of the year, Louise Martin, who works for Staffordshire
County Council. "The course is designed so that children experience
a range of road side situations such as identifying unsafe places
to cross, safer crossing points and dealing with parked cars and
junctions.
"A road safety trainer is teamed with two children for a weekly
half-hour session to discuss with and question the children in a
way that enables them to think and solve problems for themselves.
The whole scheme is carefully monitored and record sheets are used
for each child."
David Williams, chief executive of GEM, says that
projects of this kind need to be operated throughout the UK if the
misery of child deaths on the road is to be brought under control.
"We would welcome this scheme, or ones like it, being adopted
nationally," he says. "However, all parents should train
their children in road safety and make sure they know the risks
themselves. It is a role active grandparents could undertake and
will give them a practical way of protecting the youngsters they
love."
Further information about Starting Out can be obtained from, roadsafety@staffordshire.gov.uk. |
Raise
the speed limit at night, says police chief
Variable speed limits could be introduced to
win back the trust of motorists, according to a senior police officer
(Evening Standard, 21 May). Under the plans, speed limits in 30mph
zones could be raised at weekends or late at night when there is
less traffic and fewer pedestrians.
Limits outside schools and in shopping areas could also be varied
depending on the time of day. The controversial proposals were put
forward by Meredydd Hughes, deputy chief constable
of South Yorkshire, who admitted police were losing the public relations
battle over safety cameras.
Mr Hughes, who is also a national spokesman on road traffic technology,
said the burgeoning number of cameras was failing to persuade drivers
to slow down. "I think we have lost the PR battle at a time
when we shouldn't have," he said.
He cited his own experience in Sheffield where he drove to work
along a dual carriageway with a 30mph limit. "There are roads
which do not appear suitable for the speed limit set for them. If
I have difficulty identifying what speed I should be doing I have
some sympathy for the public," he said.
More @http://www.thisislondon.co.uk |
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