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ROAD
SAFETY NEWS - WEEK COMMENCING 24 NOVEMBER
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DfT plans
could make authorities responsible for speed cuts
Highways authorities would be charged with lowering the majority
of speed limits to either 40mph or 50mph under plans being studied
by ministers (Surveyor 20 November).
The DfT’s head of speed policy, Adrian Waddams,
has revealed that officials are considering replacing the national
60mph limit with a two-tier hierarchy.
High quality roads would retain 60mph limits while lower quality
road limits would be revised down by councils according to their
use – to 50mph on A and B roads and possibly to 40mph on
minor roads. The other option – to lower the national limit
to 50mph everywhere except where roads are high enough quality
to justify a 60mph limit - is seen as being trickier politically.
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Mothers'
main worries -'road safety, schools and health'
Mothers worry more about what their children eat than their involvement
in drugs, smoking or crime, according to a survey reported recently
in PA News.
But the top concern among mothers in relation to their children
was road safety (71 per cent), followed by education (70 per cent)
and health (68 per cent). Fears about what their offspring ate and
drank were also a major worry for more than two-thirds of women
taking part in the survey. This was well above other worries such
as bullying, drugs, smoking and alcohol.
A random sample of 1,022 UK mothers of children under 16 were used
in the poll by packaging manufacturer Tetra Pak.
More @ file:///new%20ibook/Documents |
Minister
issues mobile phone reminder
Road safety minister David Jamieson last week reminded
motorists that as of 1 December they face a £30 fine if they
are caught holding a mobile phone while driving. The reminder coincided
with the launch of an advertising campaign to remind motorists of
the new offence.
Initially offenders will be subject to a £30 fixed penalty
fine, which can be increased to a maximum of £1000 if the
matter goes to Court (£2,500 for drivers of vans, lorries,
buses and coaches).
Research has shown that a driver is four times more likely to have
an accident if using a mobile phone while driving - as concentration
and anticipation are affected.
A list of frequently asked questions about mobile phones and driving
is available from the Department for Transport's website www.dft.co.uk. |
New
factors to consider in speed limit reviews
Highways authorities will be challenged to take into account air
quality, noise disturbance and severance as well as casualty reduction
when reviewing speed limits under a new DfT approach (Surveyor 20
November).
The eagerly awaited speed assessment framework, designed to allow
a consistent way of judging the appropriate limits for different
types of roads, was unveiled by TRL at a seminar last week.
TRL’s chief road safety research scientist David Lynam
said the framework - immediately hailed as globally innovative by
road safety campaigners - would see more than half of A and B roads
assigned 50mph limits.
Highways authorities would examine the accident costs, journey time
costs and a range of other qualitative factors - including whether
or not severance would be reduced - to find the most appropriate
speed for a road. |
HA
gears up to keep roads running this winter
The Highways Agency has overhauled its contingency planning and
procedures for dealing with winter weather, and is committed to
making sure everything is done that can be done to keep major roads
free of ice and snow this winter.
The Agency has:
- Instructed
staff and contractors to keep winter service equipment at full
readiness and to prepare for the worst projections from weather
forecasts
- Scrutinised
with the police its contingency planning procedures for handling
serious incidents and enhanced its emergency contact procedures
- Developed
firmer working relationships to ensure motorways and trunk roads
are operated to the standard the public expects
- Held
a series of contingency planning exercises involving its staff,
managing agents, contractors, and the police to test the effectiveness
of the new procedures, and ensure they are understood.
More
@ http://www.highways.gov.uk/news
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Superbike
champ launches bikers’ campaign
World Superbike champion, Neil Hodgson took time out
recently at the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at the
NEC to launch the ‘Stop The Rough Ride’ campaign,
developed by motorcycle insurers Bennetts in association with the
BMF. The campaign is bidding to improve the condition of roads for
bikers.
Stop The Rough Ride has evolved from the Bennetts Biker Report
– a survey of bikers that provides an authoritative insight
into the views of the modern day biker. Bikers were asked what their
biggest issue or concern as a rider was - with respondents most
commonly highlighting the poor conditions of some roads in the UK.
95 per cent of bikers surveyed have had a problem with the roads
– 61 per cent said they frequently encounter problems with
potholes and manhole covers when riding.
A Stop The Rough Ride flyer encouraging bikers to ‘name and
shame’ and unveil the worst roads for bikers in the country
has also been produced.
Full details of Stop The Rough Ride are available at www.bennetts.co.uk. |
DfT
unveils UK’s first truck driving simulator
A driving simulator that tests how well truck drivers respond to
difficult road conditions and gives them potentially life-saving
experience of handling dangerous situations was opened last week.
Funded by the Government's Road Haulage Modernisation Fund,
the £1.2m simulator is the first of its kind in the UK and
will enable over 600 commercial vehicle drivers to benefit from
the latest training technology designed to improve driving skills.
The new simulator will put truck drivers in real-life situations
that cannot be recreated on the road for safety reasons - including
a vehicle approaching a roll-over condition, mountain driving and
unexpected weather conditions.
General skills, such as braking, acceleration and gear selection
will also be monitored. Their skill levels will be measured at the
start and end of the training session to identify improvements.
The Road Haulage Modernisation Fund in England began in 2001/02
and has developed, with the industry, a number of demand-led schemes
in key areas, including: training, improving fuel efficiency, retrofitting
emission-reduction equipment to older lorries, best practice self-help,
and enforcement.
More @ http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns |
Pope
speaks out about road safety
Pope John Paul II last week appealed
for respect for one's own life as well as that of others by the
‘observance of highway safety norms’.
The Pope was speaking on World Day of Highway Victims as
he addressed pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the
Angelus on 16 November.
When bidding the pilgrims’ farewell, the Holy Father commended
the victims of traffic accidents to God and renewed ‘the urgent
appeal for conduct that is respectful of human life and of the norms
of security’.
According to the World Health Organisation, 1.26m people died in
highway accidents in 2000.
More @ http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=44623 |
BRAKE publishes road safety calendar
The road safety group BRAKE has produced a 2004 road safety calendar,
which
is derived from work produced by children. A limited number of the
calendars
are available for purchase, priced at £3.00 per copy. If road
safety teams
sell the calendar on, £1 of the sale proceeds may be retained
for local
fund-raising activities.
For further information visit www.brake.org.uk,
or email brake@brake.org.uk.
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