Crash exhibition hits the road

A photographic exhibition depicting the after-effects of road crashes will begin a nationwide tour in Birmingham later this month (Surveyor, 5/10).

When lives collide portrays the human misery and emotional cost of road traffic collisions. It features victims of car crashes and offers an insight into the thoughts and feelings of people who have been affected by reckless driving.

The exhibition appeared in the Oxo Theatre in London during January 2006 and the images can be viewed at www.whenlivescollide.co.uk . When lives collide also won the inaugural LARSOA 'campaign of the quarter' award earlier this year.

For further information contact Paul Wenham-Clarke on 07721 902670, or wenhamclarke@btinternet.com.

Partnership launches phase three speed campaign

The Kent & Medway Safety Camera Partnership has launched the third stage of its Speed Shatters Life campaign, which encourages road users to slow down and stay within the legal speed limit.

The campaign comprises temporary purple and white posters positioned by fixed safety cameras.

Rachel Moon, communications manager for the Partnership said: " Speed Shatters Life aims to make road users think about the tragedies that have occurred before a camera was installed."

For further information contact Rachel Moon on Rachel.Moon@kent.gov.uk.

Freebie helps children 'Be Safe, Be Seen'

Pupils at five Peterborough schools have been given free high visibility vests to wear on the way to school as part of a 'Be Safe Be Seen' roadshow touring the city during Walk to School Week.

The vests were donated by local workwear suppliers Howsafe. During the roadshow pupils helped road safety mascot Spike dress up ready for the dark nights, were fitted with their new vests and had their faces painted with fluorescent face paints.

The roadshow visited five schools where more than 70% of pupils walk on a regular basis.

For further information contact Clair George, AAC292@peterborough.gov.uk.

Data pinpoints young cyclist dangers
Analysis of collisions involving cyclists in Hull aged 10-15 years indicates that these cyclists are in particular danger when riding off the path onto the carriageway, and when crossing the carriageway.

"Hull's road safety officers have been providing practical cycling training for nearly 20 years," explains Mark Jessop, Hull Road Safety. "To ensure the training has casualty reduction value, we regularly analyse collision data to identify trends in causation factors. Where possible, we then evolve the training to address developing factors.

"Although there are few recorded injuries to cyclists on the footway, there is clearly a problem with young cyclists riding off the path onto the carriageway, and riding across the road," Mark Jessop adds. "This type of activity has replaced the 'changing position for right turns/overtaking' manoeuvre, which was significant in previous analyses.

"Both the theory and practical elements of our cycling training programme need to be modified to reflect this," he concluded.

Click here to download a summary of the analysis.

For further information contact Mark Jessop on 01482 612103, or Mark.Jessop@hullcc.gov.uk.

Child seatbelt publicity paying off
Dorset County Council's latest annual child seatbelt wearing survey suggests the publicity accompanying the new child seat legislation has had a positive impact on seatbelt wearing rates among children on the school run.

Provisional figures - the survey is on-going - reveal an overall 4% increase in average wearing rates among primary school aged children, to a record high of 91%.

The council's road safety team has been keeping data since 1993 - when the wearing rate was just 60% - and visits the same sites each year. This year the survey began the day after the new child seat legislation was introduced.

Robert Smith, head of road safety at Dorset CC said: "The average wearing rate in Dorset increased steadily for 10 years until 2003, when it reached 87%. Frustratingly, that figure has remained unchanged for the past three years despite targeted education, publicity and enforcement initiatives.

"The increase of at least 4% in one year suggests that national media coverage has had a very positive initial outcome on seat belt wearing figures for young children."

For further information contact Robert Smith on 01305 224680, or r.smith@dorsetcc.gov.uk

Mayor launches cycle map

Mayor of Wirral, Peter Johnson, swapped his chains of office for bicycle chains at the launch of Wirral's new cycle map last week.

The map shows Wirral's 60km of cycle routes, suggests the best routes for cyclists and highlights difficult junctions, and provides a host of other useful information.

The launch took part at Manor Primary School and pupils were on hand to give the map a big thumbs up.

"We want to encourage cycling and are always working to improve routes and facilities for cyclists," said Wirral Council's cycling officer, Mark Osborne. "But it's just as important to tell people what and where they are. These routes are for everyone - whether you cycle for fitness, leisure or to just to get around."

The map will be available free from libraries, leisure centres, bike shops and council offices.

For further information contact Anna-Rose Richards on 0151 606 2175, or anna-roserichards@wirral.gov.uk.

Junior medics have more 'crashes'
Junior doctors are at increased risk of road traffic accidents because of exhaustion.

A survey of 1,619 junior doctors by the Royal College of Physicians found that one in six had a road traffic accident when commuting in 2004-05.

Returning from a night shift was found to be most risky, although half of accidents happened on the way to work. The College warned that working patterns were to blame with doctors doing too many night shifts in a row.

The annual survey of specialist medical registrars found that 264 of the doctors questioned had a road traffic accident - 134 when driving to work, and 130 when returning from work.

For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk

JRSOs meet counterparts

Pupils and staff from dozens of South Lanarkshire primary schools attended an information day recently to learn about the Junior Road Safety Officer (JRSO) scheme.

The start of the new term means a new batch of JRSOs are now in place and the youngsters met with their counterparts from all over South Lanarkshire.

The scheme encourages peer education by empowering pupils to address local road safety issues in their schools. It is aimed at pupils in Primary 6 or 7.

The JRSO scheme was introduced in South Lanarkshire in September 2003, and this year 96 schools took part in the initiative.

For further information contact SLC's road safety team on 01698 453617.

New cross-border safety campaign launched
A new cross-border road safety campaign in Ireland is targeting people who refuse to wear seatbelts.

The PSNI and the Garda Siochana are to clampdown on motorists and passengers breaking the law.

The campaign is also sending a message to parents of young children - the authorities recommend that children aged up to 12 years should use a booster seat along with the seat belt.

Statistics show that the worst offenders are backseat passengers aged between 14 and 29 years - with one in four not wearing a seatbelt. On a more positive note, almost all children under five are properly restrained while travelling in cars.

For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk

Bucks hosts winter driving events
Buckinghamshire's road safety team is hosting a series of winter driving events for drivers during October.

The sessions will provide drivers with information on weather and vision, driving on wet roads, fog, snow, ice and frost, driving in winter sunshine, and planning a journey.

Peter Cartwright, lead spokesperson for transportation in South Buckinghamshire, said: "We encourage young drivers in particular to attend as they are particularly vulnerable on our roads."

For further information contact the road safety team on 01296 382450.

Businesses asked to do their bit
Herefordshire Council is urging company directors and business managers responsible for health and safety, human resources, and fleet vehicles - or staff who drive as part of their work - to attend a one-day event on managing occupational road risk on 3 November.

Ann Mann, road safety officer with Herefordshire Council, said: "Managing occupational road risk is not driver training. It is about helping businesses drive profits up and make a contribution to the reduction of casualties on the roads."

The event will aim to give managers and their drivers the chance to consider problems and risks, and come up with practical solutions.

For more information contact Colin Pettener at The TTC Group on 0845 270 4363, or train@ttc-uk.com.

Southend camera produces 'dramatic' fall in collisions
Fatalities and accidents at a notorious collision blackspot in Southend have dropped 'dramatically', according to figures revealed last week (Surveyor, 28/9/06).

The figures were presented in a report to Southend Council as members discussed changes to funding for the Essex Safety Camera Partnership.

The report states the council is on course to achieve government targets for accident reductions by 2010, and notes 'a particularly dramatic reduction' at what was a notorious accident blackspot before a camera was installed in 2003.

In the 10 years prior to the camera, 26 collision involving personal injury - including one fatal and 12 serious - took place. In contrast, since the camera was placed only one accident has been recorded.

Crash victim saved by breast implants

A Bulgarian car crash victim was saved by her huge breast implants, which acted as airbags to absorb the impact.

Elena Marinova, 24, from Sofia, was involved in a full frontal crash with another car in the northern city of Ruse.

Despite both cars being written off and the other driver being badly hurt Marinova escaped serious injury thanks to her breast implants, according to the local newspaper.