Speeding penalties debate begins

The consultation by the DfT on changing the penalties for speeding offences has caused considerable interest. There have been claims that the government is 'pandering to the motoring lobby' while critics of cameras believe this is a long-awaited response to criticisms that too many law-abiding drivers are being inadvertently caught on camera.

In response to the consultation document, PACTS is arguing that policy on speeding offences and the appropriate level of punishment must be based on research and on principles, not as a result of political pressure. PACTS believes that the level of punishment must reflect both the severity of the offence and the potential consequences. The level of punishment must also be transparent and consistent between punishments for different offences on the road, whether they are criminal or civil. PACTS also believes that policy should be based on the best available research - and the proposed scheme fails in a number of areas.

PACTS is encouraging as many people to respond to this consultation as possible by 29 October.

RoSPA urges MPs to back Bill to change time

RoSPA has urged the House of Commons to support a Bill aimed at saving 450 deaths and serious injuries on roads in the UK each year.

MP Nigel Beard's 10-minute-rule-Bill had its second reading this month and if successful it would bring lighter evenings all year around. RoSPA says road safety would be much improved with his plan to move clocks forward by an hour throughout the year. Children and the elderly are at higher risk during darker evenings as they use roads more during this time and motorists' concentration levels are lower during this period. In 2003, the overall casualty rate for road accidents increased once the clocks turned back and weather conditions worsened.

"Research shows that the system we are proposing would result in around 450 fewer road deaths and serious injuries in the UK," said Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety. "There may be more casualties on winter mornings, but these would be outweighed by the reduction in deaths and injuries in the evenings."

If introduced, the Bill will bring the UK in line with most of Europe.

Further information is available at www.rospa.com

Belt up children or face £500 fine

Irresponsible parents could face on-the-spot fines of up to £500 following reports that one in 10 Dorset children does not wear a seatbelt on the way to and from school.

A county council survey showed an average 87 per cent of children wear seatbelts in their parents' cars - but this is no improvement on last year. Road safety chiefs will ask police to monitor sites where this doesn't improve and will distribute publicity material where there is a poor seatbelt wearing record, before carrying out further surveys. Parents found breaking the law will be issued with a fixed penalty notice.

"The message is obviously still not getting through to parents of the importance of making sure their child passengers are safely belted in," said Neil Fitch, road safety officer. "Across Dorset, more children are injured as a passenger in their parents' car than as a pedestrian or cyclist on both the school run and on other journeys, yet parents still take the risk."

Further information is available from Neil Fitch, n.r.fitch@dorsetcc.gov.uk.

Celebrity auction raises funds for Headway

The Kent and Medway Safety Camera Partnership has presented the head injuries charity, Headway, with a cheque for £415.

The Partnership held a charity auction to celebrate the success of its motorcycle campaign Handle It or Lose It, which is dedicated to reducing the number of biker injuries and fatalities across the county.

A signed crash helmet and baseball hat by World Superbike rider Frankie Chili, a signed t-shirt from 500cc world champion Mick Doohan and signed visor and knee sliders from Carl Fogerty were just some of the auctioned items.

Further information about the Handle It or Lose It campaign can be found at www.handleitorloseit.com

Poorer children at risk on roads

Children from poorer backgrounds are five times more likely to be injured on Northern Ireland's roads, according to a report by Barnardo's and Transport 2000.

In 2003, 3224 children were killed or seriously injured on roads and Transport 2000 believes these figures show the need for more speed cameras, reduced speed limits and more play areas away from busy streets.

"It's unacceptable that so many children are killed and injured on our roads, and that fear of dangerous roads is causing children to spend less and less time outside their homes," said Di McNeish, Barnardo's head of policy and research. "We want government to act now to ensure that children get the positive childhoods they deserve."

Both charities are calling for all new housing developments to include play areas for children and an increase in funding for Home Zones.

Further information is available at www.news.bbc.co.uk

Motorists admit poor driving habits

A quarter of all drivers believe they would fail the driving test if they had to take it again, according to a survey of 1500 drivers for Lloyds TSB Insurance (The Guardian, 12 Oct).

Almost half think they would only just pass, while many surveyed admitted driving the wrong way around roundabouts, reversing on motorways and undertaking.

Unqualified driving instructors continue teaching

The Driving Instructors Association is warning learner drivers about unqualified instructors masquerading as genuine ones.

The Driving Standards Agency (DSA), as part of the DfT, tests and registers instructors to maintain and improve the standard of instruction available to learners yet many rogue instructors still teach.

There are main four rules that should be followed:

• Check the instructor is licensed by the DSA
• Is the instructor an Approved Driving Instructor (ADI) or Provisional Driving Instructor (PDI)?
• Choose the instructor rather than the driving school
• Is the instructor fully insured?

Call for cut in drink-drive limit after deaths rise

RoSPA has called for Government action after recent figures revealed a two per cent increase in the number of people killed in drink-drive accidents.

In 2003 there were 560 drink-drive deaths - the highest number for seven years and RoSPA believes the drink-drive limit should be cut from 80mg to 50mg. It also wants to see the police given wider powers to breath test, as drivers would be less inclined to flout the law if they feared they could be tested anywhere and at anytime.

"All the evidence points to the road safety benefits of reducing the drink-drive limit," said Kevin Clinton, RoSPA head of road safety. "We believe there would be wide public support for this and are frustrated that the

Government continues to oppose a measure that would save lives. The likely introduction of a Road Safety Bill this autumn provides an ideal opportunity for the Government to act."

Children compose prose for Walk to School Week

Schoolchildren across Lancashire composed poems for a competition as part of National Walk to School Week.

Local footwear distributor, JBI Ltd, sponsored the event and awarded the winners with pairs of its new range of road safety themed shoes, which include reflective strips and impact sensitive mini-traffic lights. The footwear has been given special approval from the THINK! campaign and The Association of Chief Police Officers and is being promoted alongside the countrywide Stop, Look, Listen, Live campaign.

SRSC evaluates 2003 drink-drive campaign

The Scottish Road Safety Campaign has commissioned research to evaluate the 2003 drink-drive festive campaign and the wider Don't Risk It campaign.

Part of the evaluation included testing awareness and understanding of the campaign, assessing whether it has had an impact on driving behaviour and informing about further developments.

'Invisible' speed camera vans spark row

Removing blue lights and police logos from speed camera vans is 'playing directly into the hands' of those who believe they are there to make money, said Barry Parnell, the former head of Norfolk's speed cameras.

Police chiefs in Norfolk sought legal advice before deciding to remove the blue lights and logos from the mobile safety camera vans.

Barry Parnell, who resigned as manager of the Norfolk Casualty Reduction Partnership in July, said other non-emergency police vehicles, such as those delivering post, carry blue lights and he wants to know if these are being removed too. He believes it's important for the vans to be clearly recognisable if the Partnership is to counter claims by some drivers that the cameras are designed for making money only.

Further information is available at www.edp24.co.uk

Campaign raises profile of sustainable transport

In Town Without My Car Day was held in Newport last month to increase awareness about sustainable means of transport.

The campaign encourages motorists to leave their cars behind and either bus, bike or walk. To tie in with this year's theme, Safer Streets for Children, 80 six and seven-year-olds joined a supervised walk through the city centre to learn about potential hazards and safety tips.

Road humps given 'thumbs up' in study

Research for the DfT into the charge that road humps can damage vehicles and cause undue wear and tear has found in favour of the humps (Surveyor , 7 October).

The study by the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL) and Millbrook Proving Ground follows claims by motorists and bus companies that humps have damaged car exhausts and suspensions, increasing vehicle maintenance costs.

Four different humps were tested with a Vauxhall Astra, London taxi, ambulance, minibus and single-decker bus. The humps were given a bill of clean health with the recommendation that highway authorities continue to use them as an effective means of improving road safety.

It is suggested that taxis and ambulances, which had the bumpiest rides, could be better designed to make trips more comfortable for passengers.

Remembrance service planned for road victims

The annual Oakleaf service to remember all those who have been killed, bereaved or injured on roads across the UK is being held on Sunday 21 November.

The SCARD (Support & Care After Road Death) service is open to everyone at Leeds Parish Church commencing at 3pm.

For further information telephone 0845 123 5541.

Transport Statistics 2004 published

The DfT has published national statistics on a range of topics relating to transport in its annual compendium volume, Transport Statistics Great Britain 2004.

The publication, which has been restructured, covers topics like aviation, freight, maritime, roads and traffic, vehicles and public transport.

View the 2004 edition at www.dft.gov.uk  

And finally...

Electronic back seat driver improves road safety

Researchers at National Information and Communications Technology, Australia have developed an electronic version of a back seat driver to point out motorists' mistakes.

The system uses three cameras inside the car to detect road signs and alert drivers if they fail to react in an appropriate and safe way.

"The system is able to monitor the speed of the car and its acceleration or deceleration and if it sees a sign and you're not reacting to that, it can give you a more noticeable warning," explained researcher Nick Barnes.