Plenary meeting - members invited to attend
The 2006 LARSOA Plenary Meeting takes place at the end of this month, and Association members are invited to send representatives to attend the meeting. The meeting will be held in the Signals Lounge at Gresty Park, home of Crewe Alexandra FC, on Tuesday 31 October, commencing 10.00am.
After the formal business, Adrian Walsh, director of RoadSafe, will present the Prince Michael Awards Commendation for the LARSOA website.
Other speakers will include Alison Ferst (DTW), who will brief members on LARSOA's press and public relations strategy for the next 10 months; Heather Bolton, Telford and Wrekin Council, UKLAST training officer; and Josie Wride, LARSOA school crossing patrol adviser, who will update members on progress with school crossing patrol guidelines.
To book a place at the meeting, or for further information, contact LARSOA secretary Brian Hogarth on 01526 322199, or brian.hogarth@btinternet.com.
Creative opportunity for Cumbria pupils
Senior pupils at three South Lakeland schools are competing against each other to produce a radio advertisement targeting the county's young drivers, which will be broadcast during Road Safety Week. The project is part of the Kendal Youth Radio project organised by Cumbria Business Education Consortium (CBEC) and Cumbria Safety Cameras.
Kevin Tea, communications manager for Cumbria Safety Cameras said: "Young drivers continue to be a cause for concern. We felt it would be a good idea to give pupils the opportunity to flex their creative muscles and come up with a road safety message aimed at their peers.
Liz Hogarth, CBEC, added: "The project teams will be fully supported as they put their advertisement together. They can talk to a professional scriptwriter, utilise the resources at Lakeland Radio and the technical production facilities at Kendal College.
For further information contact Kevin Tea on 01768 217791.
InRoads invites contributions 
IRSO is inviting RSOs to submit information about campaigns they are running, to appear in the forthcoming issue of the InRoads journal for road safety professionals.
More specifically, the magazine's editorial team is looking for information about seatbelt and winter driving initiatives or campaigns, and examples of road safety teams working with the local fire service to deliver a hard-hitting presentation to young people in secondary schools and sixth forms.
To submit an article, or for further information, contact Anushka Desai on 01296 387187, or adesai@buckscc.gov.uk .
Observer article incorrect, Brake says Brake, the road safety charity, has informed LARSOA that the recent article in The Observer stating that it had 'dropped' road safety minister Stephen Ladyman from its Road Safety Week launch was incorrect.
The Observer article said the minister has infuriated Brake after making 'irresponsible' comments defending the BBC's Top Gear, and that the charity felt that his defence of the show glamorised speeding.
However, Brake says that the minister stated he was unable to attend the Road Safety Week launch on 7 November due to 'Government and departmental pressures on his diary'. The minister is now providing Brake with a recorded statement, which will be played at the media launch.
Brake has asked The Observer to publish a correction. For further information contact Zoe Ward, zward@brake.org.uk .
Walk to school success
Over 5,000 pupils from 23 schools from across Kensington and Chelsea took part in the autumn Walk to School campaign, which took place 2-6 October. This year more information packs were sent to schools than ever before, and resources for participating children included stickers, bookmarks and certificates.
Cllr Mrs Frances Taylor attended a breakfast at Christ Church Primary School on 6 October to mark the end of the week. "I am thrilled that so many of our young people and their parents are again taking part in this excellent campaign," she said.
For further information contact the media and communications office on 020 7361 2999.
Cameras blamed for rise in uninsured drivers
A number of Conservative politicians have blamed 'the proliferation of speed cameras ' for a rise in uninsured drivers, according to the Observer.
Leading the group is the shadow transport spokesman, Chris Grayling, who believes that increasing numbers of motorists are prepared to drive without insurance because traffic regulations are more often enforced by speed cameras than police patrols.
Research viewed by the Liberal Democrats recently found that one in eight of those driving on London's roads are doing so illegally and that illegal drivers are nine times more likely to have an accident than legal road users.
Mr Grayling says that the rise in hit and run accidents, which have increased by 30% since 1997, can be attributed to the number of people getting behind the wheel without insurance.
"If you have got someone on the road in a knackered car, without a licence and insurance, having a speed camera by the side of the road makes no sense at all because it can't stop them," he said.
The Conservatives are expected to press for an amendment to the Road Safety Bill in the coming weeks in a bid to increase the maximum sentence for not stopping after an accident to 14 years imprisonment. They will also call for uninsured motorists to face automatic disqualification if caught.
For the full story go to: http://news.intranetics.co.uk/articles/3017.html
Passive Revolution gathers momentum
A test crash demonstration held recently in Suffolk demonstrated how crash friendly roadside furniture can save drivers' lives, according to the organizers, the Passive Revolution.
The demonstration featured a remotely controlled car crashing into a traditional road signpost at 60mph, and a car driven by a stunt professional at the same speed into a new-technology Lattix signpost. According to Passive Revolution, the vehicle driven into the traditional signpost was written off while the stunt driver of the one crashed into the Lattix sign walked away unscathed. The demonstration will be aired on Channel 5's Fifth Gear programme this winter.
Andy Pledge, managing director of the Passive Revolution and traffic management consultant for Mott MacDonald, said: "The Passive Revolution was set-up to promote safer roads, and this is part of our commitment to demonstrate the impact of 'safer' road-side furniture.
"One year on from the first crash test we had filmed by Channel 5, much progress has been made, largely through excellent support from the Highways Agency, but there's still more that can be done to make Britain's roads safer."
For more information contact Moya Galal, moya.galal@mottmac.com , or 020 8774 2000.
MP warns of HGV night time danger
More people will die on Britain's roads because the Government will not stand up to Brussels and insist on heavy goods lorries being fitted with retro-reflective tapes, a rebel Labour MP has claimed. Tory and Liberal Democrat MPs last week backed David Drew, Labour MP for Stroud, in a showdown with the Government over its Road Safety Bill - pointing to research showing that 37% of collisions with lorries at night occur because they are seen too late.
Dr Drew said: "Too many accidents are caused because people simply do not see the poorly lit vehicles which do not have the appropriate reflective tape." He also said that passenger side mirrors and audible warnings should also be installed.
MPs rejected a new clause proposed by Dr Drew by 280-201 votes, and Dr Ladyman said the UK had to wait for Brussels to introduce a Europe-wide law, which is not expected until 2012.
The Bill was given an unopposed Third Reading, completing its passage in the Commons. While the Tories did not oppose it, shadow transport minister, Owen Paterson, said it was a 'missed opportunity'.
For the full story go to: http://www.surveyormagazine.com
DSA to restructure
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) is to restructure and close three of its administrative centres.
Currently the DSA's test centres are supported by five area offices, but by April 2007 the Agency will move to a structure whereby its test centres are supported by two area offices based in Newcastle and Cardiff. The offices in Edinburgh, Birmingham and London will close.
The Newcastle and Cardiff area offices will become centres of excellence for customer services including the bookings of driving tests and general enquiries. There will be no change to test centres or how driving and riding tests are delivered to customers.
DSA Chief Executive, Rosemary Thew, said: "This restructuring will enable us to focus more activity on driver safety issues while providing a more effective service to our customers."
For further information contact the DSA on 0115 901 2851/2.
Footnote:
The DSA is one of the top 50 companies that women most want to work for. The DSA is one of only six public sector companies listed in a survey by The Times on 4 October.
The DSA is also conducting a survey to update the information it holds about the number of local authorities actively involved in subsidising the Pass Plus scheme. The questionnaire comprises just six questions, which can be completed in a few moments.
Click here to download the questionnaire, and on completion please return it to wendy.donnan@dsa.gsi.gov.uk.
Speeding motorists to get safety lessons
Thousands of speeding motorists in Norfolk are to be offered road safety lessons instead of fines and points on their licence.
The initiative will be introduced across the county as part of a new road policing strategy, which includes tougher measures to combat road rage incidents.
Eligible drivers - mainly those travelling just above the speed limit - will be able to attend a three-hour course rather than pay a fine and have points added to their licence.
Chief inspector Mick Kirkham said: "Traditional punishments such as fixed penalty notices and action through the courts will still be used where appropriate - such as when people are driving at well above the speed limit.
"But for other cases these courses will be offered as an option. We will not make the threshold public but the option will be used when people are marginally above the limit and where there is a hope of them changing their behaviour."
Sat nav system leads driver to sand
An 80-year-old German driver ended up in a pile of sand after following instructions from his new car's satellite navigation system.
Volker Heinmann ignored the diversion signs on the busy A24 near Hamburg when all the other motorists on the road were turning off.
He said: "I thought the navigation system knew a shortcut and it seemed to be a good one, there was no other traffic on the road, so I sped up - and hit a pile of sand in the middle of the road."
The sand had been put on the road by construction workers who were upgrading the section of motorway near Reinbek, Germany.
Police spokesman Jan Kalisch said: "We had a call from the elderly man and found him half a mile along the closed section of road standing with his wife beside the car, that was wedged firmly in the sand."
Both were unhurt, but the car had to be towed to a garage. |
