LOWER speed limits and a tougher enforcement of drink-driving laws are needed to reduce road deaths, say MPs.

Around 3,000 people a year die on the UK

The Commons transport committee also queried whether road injury and death statistics were accurate, as police and hospital figures differ.

Chairman Louise Ellman said road deaths were “the major public health problem of our age” and said 3,000 dead on the roads a year was “too high a price”.

The government said it recognised “more can be done” to improve safety.

The committee said that, although last year saw a 7% fall in deaths on the roads to 2,946, overall progress since 2000 had been “disappointing”.

‘Particularly concerned’

Motorcyclist deaths had risen by 26% between the mid-1990s and 2007.

The committee said it was “particularly concerned” about high accident rates among male drivers, younger drivers and those using country roads.

It also heard evidence that the poorest children were 21 times more likely to be killed as pedestrians hit by cars than those from the richest families.

Less well-off drivers and passengers were also at greater risk of death than the more affluent.

Ms Ellman, Labour MP for Liverpool Riverside, said if 3,000 people a year were killed in train crashes there would be a national outcry.

But because road deaths were seen as individual cases, they were seen as something separate.

She told the BBC: “We think this should be recognised for the problem it is, a national problem affecting people’s lives and affecting people’s families.”

Accuracy questioned

She said 3,000 deaths, and 250,000 injuries were “a staggering annual toll to pay for mobility”.

The committee queried the accuracy of the government’s data on serious injuries and deaths – while police figures suggest serious injuries are coming down, hospital statistics do not.

The committee said there was a “significant body of evidence to suggest that methods for recording road-traffic injuries are flawed” and urged an independent review of the way figures are collected.

The government says the number of injuries on roads is falling far more quickly than the number of deaths.

The MPs called for new road-death reduction targets, separate from those set for serious and slight injuries.

They also recommended that the drink-drive limit be lowered, roadside breath test devices approved and there should be tougher penalties for alcohol-related offences.

More 20mph speed limit zones should be in place, it added.

‘Should be ashamed’

Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Mark Hunter said: “It is a travesty that drunk drivers still kill as many people now as they did a decade ago.

“The government should be ashamed that it has failed to make a dent in this problem.”

A Department for Transport spokesman said road deaths and serious injuries had been reduced by more than a third since the mid-1990s, equivalent to almost 17,000 fewer deaths and injuries.

“But we have always been clear that one death is one too many and so recognise that more can be done to make our roads safer.

“We work continually to improve the way road casualty data is recorded and are now linking police and hospital data.

“However, criticism of our statistics is itself based on flawed comparisons with hospital admissions data, which are published with a warning about their reliability for monitoring trends over time.”

Source: The BBC website

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, a2om BTEC in Driving Science, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

YOUNG drivers are going to be given the green light for safer driving when they sign up to a new Staffordshire County Council initiative.

 

 

The Young Driver Programme, which was launched this week, involves having high-tech equipment fitted into a learner driver’s car to monitor how well they drive.

The black box records acceleration, cornering and other driver behaviours – giving instant feedback on a dashboard warning light system – and feeding into a computer record back home.

The Road Safety Unit at Staffordshire County Council has developed the programme which sees the unit, driving instructors, the novice driver and their parent or guardian working together.

By looking at their driving patterns with their families and road safety trainers, young drivers can learn about how to improve and develop their driving skills.

“Over 40 per cent of those killed and seriously injured on Staffordshire’s roads are aged 17 to 25 – but they are only 10 per cent of the population,” she said.

“That’s why this and wider young people’s safety campaigns are so important.”

Source: Tamworth Herald website

The black box electronic wizardry has won a Prince Michael International Road Safety Award.

UNDER-17s are being given a chance to get behind the wheel in a sponsored six day course at the Royal showground at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, from 25th October.

The Pathfinder course aims to introduce youngsters to the essential driving skills and knowledge needed to enjoy a safe driving career. It is open to 15 and 16 year olds and 50 youngsters will be taking part, each with a parent.

Students will drive their own family’s car and need to be accompanied by a responsible adult. They will be given expert tuition from Pathfinder (an educational trust inspired and set up by custodians of the Under 17 Car Club), and AA Driving School instructors who will also be offering one-to-one tuition in Driving School cars.

Simon Douglas, director of AA Driving School, points to the success of the Under 17 Car Club in preparing young people for driving. “Nationally, one in five young people are involved in a crash during their first year of driving, compared with 1 in 12 of those who have gone through the Under 17 Car Club. In addition, the conviction rate for young men passing through the Club is 22.2 per 1,000, compared with 144 per 1,000 nationally.

“I have no doubt that the Pathfinder course will help youngsters start their driving career responsibly and equipped with advanced safe driving skills they will never forget.”

The venue

The private show grounds at Stoneleigh include extensive open areas criss-crossed by metalled roads. Traffic lights, roundabouts, one-way roads and manoeuvring areas are being set up to provide a simulated road network. Youngsters’ progress will be carefully monitored throughout the six days in a combination of theory and practical driving.

Pathfinder runs 25th-27th October and 30th October-1st November inclusive, 09.30-16.30 daily (except Thursday 27th when the day is extended to include driving after dark)

The course is the first event in a proposed programme that is expected to be rolled out throughout the UK.

The event is organised by U17 Drivers Pathfinder Limited, an educational trust set up by the custodians of the Under 17 Car Club, which has taught more than 3,000 11-16 year olds to drive
Sponsors are AA Driving School, Jaguar Land Rover and, leading the initiative, Warwickshire County Council

CLICK HERE for more details.

Source: Easier.Com motoring website

IF speed cameras and ’slow’ signs don’t work – maybe this will.

TAKE CARE: Drivers are being encouraged to take more care

Junior and infant schools in Ringwood are hoping these unusual models will remind drivers to take their foot off the accelerator and drive more carefully.

The metre-tall models have been placed outside the gates of Poulner Junior and Infant schools and at the corner of North Poulner Road and Gorley Road in a bid to slow down drivers.

CLICK HERE for video!

Four of the Ferrocast concrete kids, named Billy and Belinda Bollards by Marshalls, their Northern manufacturer, have got grey trousers and skirts. Those outside the junior school are in its blue uniform and the other pair are in infant school yellow.

Junior school head teacher Beverly Levett said the whole point of them was to cut traffic speeds.

Before moving to Poulner to teach she was employed in Southampton where many of the schools had such models outside.

‘It really made you aware that you were coming into an area where there is a school and you should slow down and take care,’ she said.

‘We’re next to a dangerous crossroads here. People come speeding down from the forest and before they know it they are in a built-up area by a school.’

‘Anything that we can do to raise awareness there’s a school here is a good thing.’

The models, which are concreted to the pavement, cost £300 each. The money has come from the school travel plan fund, provided by Hampshire County Council.

Source: Bournemouth Daily Echo website, by Bob Jolliffe 

 

DAY Two of Britain’s most sensible car race started in the Peak District – ahead lay 200 miles of motorways, country lanes and mountain passes.

It was a route designed to challenge the eco-friendly driving skills of the 80 competitors taking part.

The BBC was travelling with the AA’s entry – co-driven by its president Edmund King, who believes more motorists are now willing to give this easy-does-it style of motoring a try, for financial and environmental reasons.

We arrived at the finish in Bristol and the organisers removed the seals placed on our fuel tank to prevent cheating.

The moment of truth. We had travelled 404 miles, used 25 litres (5.5 gallons) of diesel – and our total miles per gallon average? An impressive 73 mpg.

Fiat publishes what’s called a combined mileage figure for this car – 68 miles to the gallon. Most normal motorists come nowhere near this figure so we are pleased to have exceeded it.

We had been concentrating hard on being light of touch on brakes and accelerator. Keeping the car moving wherever possible and changing up through the gears as quickly as possible.

Eco-driving skills are now being assessed as part of the driving test, and increasingly taught to thousands of business drivers every year.

Fierce competition

But our 73 mpg may not be good enough. The results are still coming in but some of our rivals believe they might have managed more than 80 mpg – one team using less than two gallons of fuel to get from Bristol to the Peak District, at a total cost of about £10.

A former rally driver and Fuel Marathon champion – James Sutherland – has managed 83 mpg in previous events in his car, a perfectly normal, Toyota Aygo.

The secret, he says, is to keep things nice and smooth.

Other tips include driving in socks – which can help you feel how much pressure you are putting on the pedal.

There are two prizes in this challenge – for the best overall fuel consumption, and the best improved consumption above the manufacturer’s published figure.

The most difficult challenge has been the traffic jams. Get stuck in one and the last 10 miles of careful eco-driving are rendered useless as the mileage drops like a stone.

It has to be said that some of the jams have been encouraged by our fellow competitors, a few of whom have reduced their speed to eke out the fuel, regardless of the column of traffic behind.

Often though this has simply meant sticking to the speed limit, something many non-racers on the roads have been reluctant to do.

We’ve taken a more realistic approach – driving close to normal speeds. Which is probably why we haven’t won.

In the end this sort of driving does require concentration. Of course everyone knows they should concentrate harder when behind the wheel. But usually the pressures of life, and shortages of time, get in the way.

MPG MARATHON WINNERS

THERE is no road rage and no rush hour and just one mini roundabout, down on the pier.

The quiet roads in Gairloch are credited with helping its learner drivers to become the most proficient in the UK

Traffic lights appear only when the council is digging up the road. And the main hazards, if you can call them that, are single-track roads and the occasional sheep asleep in the fast lane.

Welcome to Gairloch, a learner-driver’s haven. This tiny West Coast village (population 1,056) is the top place in the UK for passing your driving test first time.

Figures released by the Driving Standards Agency show that Gairloch has an admirable 71 per cent pass rate at the first attempt. This compares with the lowest figure — 27 per cent — in Heaton, West Yorkshire.

Rural Scotland generally has some of the most proficient drivers, with eight test centres among the top ten in the UK with the highest pass rates. Lerwick, in the Shetland Isles, had a 68 per cent first-time pass rate; while Oban had a rate of 63 per cent; Lochgilphead, Campbeltown and Ballater 62 per cent; and Isle of Tiree and Cupar, Fife, 61 per cent.

English test centres fill all the bottom ten centres for pass rates.

Richard Greene, a local councillor, said: “Obviously we have a very competent local instructor, Jonathon Talloch. Maybe it is the mild temperament … you could say we have no road rage.” Mr Greene said he thought that there was a different mindset when driving in Gairloch, a 150-mile round trip from Inverness. The final four miles of the journey into the village were on single-track road, as were all the local side roads. This, he said, made drivers more aware, cautious and better at anticipating.

A spokesman for the Driving Standards Agency said that the regional variation was due to drivers in some areas being more prepared for their test than others. “The wealthier the area, the more money budding motorists have to spend on lessons,” he said.

Source: The Times Online website by Melanie Reid

The following taken from DSA website quote ‘ 

Statistics Information

 

The practical test centre pass rate statistics are influenced by a number of factors. It is not necessarily true to say that some test centres are easier than others, as the number and ability of candidates presented for test at any one centre can make a difference statistically.

Socio-economic factors also have a significant bearing on pass rates. The wealthier the town/area, the more likely people are to invest more money in lessons and to have more opportunities for private practice (access to family vehicle(s) etc.). The age and gender of the candidates will also affect the pass rate at the test centre. In general, younger candidates have a higher pass rate, and males have a higher pass rate than females.

DSA is well aware of the variances in pass rates between test centres. We monitor them very closely and, from the ongoing quality assurance work we carry out, we have established that there are acceptable reasons for the differences. Test centres located in conurbations tend to have high throughput and lower pass rates. Those in rural areas tend to have higher pass rates but lower throughput.

When comparing pass/fail statistics, it is important to take account of the differences in location, the deprivation of the local area and the age and gender of the candidates, alongside the number of tests conducted.

‘unquote.

 

 

 

Gairloch has only one test route shown on the DSA website, whereas Bradford (Heaton) has twenty two. Does anyone think that could make a difference?

LEARNER drivers could be spared the ordeal of having to convince a driving examiner of their ability to reverse round a corner or parallel park, under plans being considered by the Tories.

Performing a three-point turn could also disappear from the test under the proposals.

Generations of learner drivers have failed because exam nerves have made them incapable of carrying out these manoeuvres.

Instead, under proposals drawn up by Robert Goodwill, the party’s roads spokesman, these routine tasks would be “signed off” by a qualified driving instructor before the test takes place.

Under the current arrangements, learner drivers have to perform two out of three of these manoeuvres successfully to pass the test.

The Tory proposal would entail all three being completed successfully, but before the test itself.

It would free up 10 minutes from the test itself, which would be dedicated to more time on the road in traffic.

The Tories believe that the young drivers who pose the greatest risk are to be found in the ranks of the overconfident novice motorists who sail through their test, rather than their nervous counterparts.

However the party believes that extra safeguards would be necessary to ensure that instructors do not “sign off” these skills prematurely.

One option would be for “mystery shoppers” to carry out spot-checks on driving schools to make sure that these manoeuvres are being properly assessed.

The Tory initiative comes as the Government is considering the biggest overhaul in the driving test in more than five decades.

Both parties believe an overhaul is necessary to ensure that novice drivers are better qualified to take to the road on their own.

It is estimated that around 300 drivers and passengers are killed by motorists who have passed their test within the previous two years.

Ministers’ plans entail splitting the test into two with the manoeuvres being carried out separately from the rest of the exam and expecting candidates to produce a certificate, signed by their instructor, of their readiness to be examined.

The Tory proposals were given a cautious welcome by Rob Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

“I think this is fine,” he said. “It would enable examiners to focus the test on other key skills such as hazard awareness, journey planning an so on.

“This would be a much better use of time. However the only query I do have is whether it would mean that everyone would have to have some professional tuition.”

Source: Telegraph website, By David Millward, Transport Editor

Check out what the general public think about the proposals in this article on the Telegraph website!

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, a2om BTEC in Driving Science, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

TEAMS of drivers have started a two-day motoring rally across the country – but the winner is not necessarily the first vehicle over the finishing line.

 

Four hundred miles of beautiful British countryside using as little fuel as possible: That’s the challenge for the competitors in the MPG Marathon.

It’s being held to show how much fuel people can save if they alter their driving habits.

We started out at 10.30am from Bristol, a shiny collection of mainly small cars with the odd police Cruiser and Corvette thrown in.

The BBC was travelling with the AA entry co-driven by its president Edmund King.

“When we asked motorists what they considered doing to help the environment, 60% said they’d consider eco-driving,” he said.

“I do think people are conscious of this issue and the price of fuel has brought it to the fore. People are already driving more slowly, particularly on motorways.

Expert secrets

One of our rival competitors, the former rally driver James Sutherland, is the man to beat.

In a previous fuel marathon he managed to get 83 miles to the gallon out of his car, a perfectly normal diesel Toyota Aygo.

The secret, he says, is to stay off the brakes and be as smooth as possible on the accelerator.

Instructors that teach eco-driving advise getting into a higher gear as soon as you can and being aware when you can ease off while going down hill.

They also recommend proper footwear for the job, thin-soled shoes through which you can feel the accelerator pushing on your feet.

Hill trouble

Our route takes us through the Wye Valley, across the midlands to the Peak District and Stockport before returning to Bristol via the Brecon Beacons mountains.

It’s not easy driving. We are finding it hard not to burn fuel as we labour up some of the steeper hills.

By 1500 on Day One our average fuel consumption was a not-embarrassing 71 miles per the gallon.

That is only a touch over what the manufacturers of our Fiat 500 say is possible and some way behind the 81 mpg claimed by a fellow competitor. But the race isn’t over yet.

Source: BBC News website, By Tom Symonds, Transport correspondent

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.

RESEARCH by accident management specialist Accident Exchange reports that if you are born under the star sign of Gemini you are more likely to be involved in a car accident.

The study of over 115,000 accidents found that Gemini drivers made up nearly 9 percent of all claims handled by the company. The survey is based on a very large sample so it is hard to ignore, we already know that star signs influence the type of career you pursue with such people as soldiers and artists grouped at different points of the calendar. There is a clear majority of professional footballers that are born under the signs of Sagittarius, Scorpio and Aries. The different characteristics of star signs could apply to driving temperaments.

Taureans rank second place in the table of most accident prone star signs making up 8.84 percent of all drivers with the fiery Arians coming a close third. The quick minded Scorpios and laid back Sagittarians were the least likely to be involved in a collision.

Celebrity drivers involved in recent motoring accidents include Courtney Cox (Gemini), Morgan Freeman (Gemini), Shia LeBeouf (Gemini), George Clooney (Taurus) and Jerry Seinfeld (Taurus). However, Top Gear presenter, Richard Hammond, who was involved in a near-fatal crash whilst filming, defies his more fortunate Sagittarian star sign.

Interestingly, the three most accident-prone star signs are from consecutive months of the year, suggesting drivers born between March and June are most at risk in their vehicles.
By Geraldine Ashton-Green

Source: Motoring.co.uk website

Whether you are a Gemini or not, do not forget our own claims management company BADDIA Assist: -

BADDIA Assist
 

THE Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has launched a major research study aimed at helping young drivers to stay safe when they are on the road as part of their job.

RoSPA’s Young Drivers at Work project is seeking the views of managers who employ 17-24-year-old drivers. It will lead to a better understanding of the safety issues involved in these employees getting behind the wheel for tasks such as making deliveries, going to meetings or travelling between sites.

A questionnaire for employers can be accessed at http://www.rospa.com/roadsafety/youngdriversatwork/index.htm until December.

Young drivers and work-related driving are two of today’s biggest road safety challenges. Figures show that young motorists are more at risk of being killed or injured on the roads than more experienced drivers. It is also estimated that one in three crashes involves a vehicle being driven for work. This means that every week about 200 deaths and serious injuries on Britain’s roads involve someone at work.

As part of RoSPA’s project, employers are being asked to compare the driving styles of young and more experienced drivers, including how they assess risks, route planning, fuel-efficiency and awareness of the danger of fatigue.

They are also being questioned about: any policies they have in place, such as a minimum age limit for drivers; how well the present system of learner driver training and testing prepares people to drive for work; and whether post-test driver training would be useful in the workplace.

The views of young drivers themselves will be sought in focus groups taking place during the project, which is being funded by the Department for Transport.

Duncan Vernon, RoSPA Road Safety Manager for England, said: “A range of factors put young drivers at particular risk, including their lack of experience, their weakness in identifying potential hazards and some attitudes, such as over-confidence.

“We also know that driving is one of the most dangerous things that any of us do during our working lives. Deadline pressures, unfamiliar routes and making frequent delivery stops can make driving for work very different to driving at other times and issues such as these are not covered during learner training.

“The Young Drivers at Work project will help us to find effective ways to prevent accidents involving young motorists. The findings will enable us to develop new road safety resources and they will also inform the Driving Standards Agency (DSA) as it develops strategies for post-test training for young drivers at work and lifelong driver development in general.”

RoSPA is working on the project in partnership with the DSA, Driving for Better Business, Buckinghamshire County Council and Lancashire County Council.

A report on the findings will be published in March 2009.

Source: The Fleet Directory website and RoSPA for images.

Comments please from driving instructors and driving schools who are BADDIA (Bedford and District Driving Instructors Association) members giving driving lessons, Pass Plus, advanced lessons, automatic lessons, disabled lessons, towing lessons, refresher courses, motorway lessons, fleet training in preparation for driving tests or driver improvement in the Bedford area.