MP surprise at alcohol demonstration

Shadow road safety minister Owen Paterson (left in pic) is calling for more public education on alcohol after witnessing a demonstration from the alcohol education organisation, TTC Group.

TTC Director Graham Wynn (right in pic) showed how an apparently small fluted glass was the same size as a large 250ml glass - which contained three alcohol units and would put a woman over the drink drive limit after drinking just a single glass.

"Information on the dangers of alcohol should be taught to schoolchildren from a young age," said Mr Paterson. "It was striking to see the different sized glasses lined up and how volumes of alcohol have increased."

For more information visit www.ttc-uk.com or call 0845 270 4380.

Man jailed for speed camera blast
A man who blew up a speed camera because he feared he would lose his licence after he was caught speeding has been jailed for four months.

Craig Moore, 28, of Doncaster, South Yorkshire, admitted causing £11,700 of damage to the camera last month. He destroyed it using material from his welding job after he was caught in Hyde near Manchester.

Brake, the road safety charity, welcomed the sentence. Jools Townsend, head of education at Brake, said: "Tampering with or maliciously damaging any roadside signage or safety equipment such as speed cameras, is putting lives at risk. Speeding drivers plague our roads and many drivers simply don't see the harm in breaking the law.  

"Brake is concerned that the new system for funding cameras, being introduced in April 2007, may mean a drop in camera use due to the fact that funding for cameras is not guaranteed.  We want to see more cameras brought in - especially around schools and homes - and more traffic police on our roads."

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

Mock accident raises awareness
Emergency services last week staged a mock accident in Stornoway to raise awareness of road safety.

Representatives from Northern Constabulary, Highland and Islands Fire and Rescue Service, the Scottish Ambulance Service and Western Isles Council were in attendance to highlight the dangers on Western Isles' roads.

As well as the mock accident, pupils from two educational establishments took part in a road safety awareness day at Stornoway Town Hall. The event was aimed at giving young and pre-drivers greater awareness of road safety and how to reduce the risks on roads.

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

Alcohol training company moves to new HQ

The alcohol education organisation TTC Group - which began in a tiny office in Shrewsbury in 1993 - has just moved into a new 9,500 sq ft purpose built HQ at Hadley Park, Telford, Shropshire.

Each year TTC educates 10,000 convicted drink drivers in 14 counties, and is the largest alcohol training provider in the UK.

TTC has extended its programme to educate employees about the dangers of alcohol, drugs, prescribed and over the counter medicines and illegal substances. TTC also provides training courses to help businesses to manage occupational road risk.

For further information contact Graham or Jenny Wynn on 0845 270 4380, or train@ttc-uk.com.

Poor sight hampers young drivers
One in seven motorists has problems reading road signs because their eyesight is so poor - and the figure for drivers in their 20s is higher, a survey suggests.

The research, for Vision Express and the RAC, shows that three out of every 10 drivers in their 20s have eyesight difficulties.

Researchers say that apart from not seeing other cars or hidden bends, not being able to read road signs can lead to erratic driving.

For the full story go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5309584.stm.

Beacon teams announce open day
Three of the councils awarded Beacon status for road safety earlier this year have announced plans for an open day next month.

Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Norfolk will jointly run the Open Day on 20 October at Barnsdale Hall Hotel, Rutland Water, nr Oakham, Leicestershire.

Among the themes being covered are partnerships; red route profiling and motorcycle red routes; road casualties in deprived areas; LTP delivery; young drivers; communication; and community engagement.

For more information or registration details contact either Di Thompson on 01604 654679 or dithompson@northamptonshiire.gov.uk , or Simon Mills on 01604 654305 or simills@northamptonshire.gov.uk .

Support Road Safety Week, Brake urges
Brake is urging road safety professionals to get involved in National Road Safety Week 2006, 6-12 November.

Brake is hoping the 'invaluable support' it has received from RSOs and other professionals for past Road Safety Weeks will continue this year.

Brake has focused on young drivers and passengers in its national and regional media work this year, but RSOs can choose any issue to support Road Safety Week.

For more information, and details of how to get involved, go to: www.roadsafetyweek.org or contact Dianne Ferreira on 01484 59909, or dferreira@brake.org.uk.

Russians have sex while driving
Russians are Europe's worst drivers with 25% admitting to having had sex behind the wheel, according to a new survey.

The poll, by KRC Research and Goodyear, also found Russians do not use seatbelts, break speed limits, drive through red lights and drive drunk more often than other Europeans.

36% of Russian drivers admit to regularly exceeding speed limits - the highest rate in Europe. Russians also talk on their mobile phones while driving more often than drivers in the other 14 European countries polled.

Russians also do not pay enough attention to their physical condition when taking to the wheel. Only 9% of those polled across Europe will drive if they don't feel well, compared to 23% of Russians.

For the full story go to: http://www.ananova.com

Community service for horse and cart drink driver
A farmer who drove his horse and cart home following a 20-pint drinking session has been given a community order.

Adrian Whitaker was so drunk he fell off his cart when police officers pulled him over at Northaw on 2 August. The 37-year-old had quaffed a staggering 20 pints of Guinness and five vodka alcopops before riding back to his home at Brook Farm, Bayford.

He was shopped to the police by an irate motorist who was stuck in the queue of traffic behind the cart.

For the full story go to: http://www.whtimes.co.uk