Road safety budgets slashed across England.

Local councils in England slashed their road safety budgets by 15 per cent (£23 million) last year compared to average spending cuts of just six per cent for other council services, according to road safety charity the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM).

This includes cuts to services such as rehabilitation courses for motoring offenders, training and information for young drivers, safe routes to schools schemes and school crossing patrols.

The research also shows that over half of English councils cut their spending on road safety and traffic management by more than ten per cent. Of the 152 councils contacted, 81 replied.

Spending on road safety saw huge variations. For example, London’s Camden Council cut road safety spending by more than 70 per cent (£4million), despite the fact that road casualties have increased by 10.6 per cent there since 2006. More than 100 people were killed or seriously injured on Camden’s roads in 2010. At the same time, neighbouring Islington Council increased funding for road safety and traffic management by £134,000.

Limo Operator Concern.

Parents have been advised to proceed with caution when hiring a limousine operator for their children’s school prom nights.

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) warned that unlicensed drivers are working around the UK, many of whom may be operating unsafe vehicles.

VOSA Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: “The limousine and novelty vehicle industry has seen rapid growth in recent years and I want to see these legitimate businesses continue to thrive.

“However, those operating vehicles outside of the law put the safety of their passengers and other road users at risk, and create unfair competition for legitimately-run businesses.

“This is something that will not be tolerated and VOSA will make full use of their powers to stop the small minority of cowboy operators who threaten to bring the industry into disrepute.”

The hiring of limousines and other novelty vehicles has become an increasingly popular part of school and college proms and leaving celebrations. It is estimated that there are more than 15,000 limousines operating in the UK.

To check if a company holds a passenger service vehicle licence, visit VOSA’s website or call the helpline on 0300 123 9000. Or contact your local council to check if a company holds a private hire licence.

Repeal of motorcycle helmet law in Michigan.

The American Automobile Association Michigan says it is extremely disappointed that legislation which allows some motorcyclists to ride without a helmet on the state’s roadways has been signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder. 

 

Public Act 98, which has now come into effect, is poor public policy and will increase motorcycle fatalities and injuries, AAA Michigan reports.

The repeal erases more than three decades of Michigan’s mandatory helmet law. The new law allows motorcyclists to ride without a helmet if they have a $20,000 medical policy, have had the cycle endorsement for at least two years, or completed a motorcycle safety course.

The repeal of the motorcycle helmet law will result in at least 30 additional motorcycle fatalities each year, along with 127 more incapacitating injuries and $129 million in added economic costs to Michigan residents. This analysis by the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning is based on the experience of other states where similar measures have been enacted. As evidenced by increased medical costs passed on to taxpayers, motorcycle deaths and long-term catastrophic injuries are on the rise.

Crashes Down – Down Under

In 2011, Australia recorded the lowest number of road deaths since 1946, down to about a third of the deaths recorded at the peak in 1970. Over the past 10 years annual fatalities on Australian roads have fallen by almost 26 per cent.

New official figures for December 2011 show 1,292 lives were lost on the nation‘s roads during 2011—a 4.4 per cent reduction on 2010. This fall continues the downward trend over the last five years.

Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Transport, Catherine King, said the Government is working to reduce the national road toll even further through the implementation of the new National Road Safety Strategy.

“Even more encouraging is the 22 per cent drop in the number of young driver fatalities compared with 2010. The 2011 figures for driver fatalities in the 17 to 25 age bracket are also 34 per cent lower than those recorded in 2007.

“These figures reflect the proactive road safety initiatives pursued by Federal and State governments over recent years; the efforts of police and the greater care being taken by motorists when behind the wheel.

“The Gillard Government will continue to look at initiatives for younger drivers with a focus on saving lives through education with programs such as keys2drive offering free lessons to learners.

Do not read this article due to Health and Safety!

Judith Hackett CEO of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has recounted her recent experience of  health and safety being used in an  nonsensical fashion.

 

“At my daughter’s graduation ceremony, I wanted an official photo to mark the proud occasion. As we were queuing I was bemused to see in big red and white letters this warning: ONLY PEOPLE BEING PHOTOGRAPHED are allowed beyond this point due to Health and Safety”.

Clearly it was nonsense – a ruse to keep the new graduates corralled out of the frame of their mates’ photos. I have no doubt that the assumption was that people dare not challenge ‘health and safety’ rulings, that it forces them into submission.

This is one of the reasons why  HSE has  just launched the Myth Busters Challenge Panel to give the public the support and confidence they need to take on the jobsworths and cynics.

When people hear about children being ordered to wear goggles to play conkers or the dangers of candy floss on a stick it undermines public confidence in our true task, which is to manage serious risks to life and limb in Britain’s workplaces.

Warnings replace prosecutions for speeding drivers.

The number of speeding drivers escaping with warnings is soaring due to savage police cuts. This follows a Freedom of Information request from the Daily Mirror.

And road safety campaigners have accused the ­Government of putting lives at risk by hiring an army of ­volunteers to use speed guns in place of officers.

Drivers going too fast can only be ­prosecuted if caught by police.

Last year, 50,000 warning letters were sent to those drivers who were recorded speeding by police officers, up from just 10,000 in 2009.

And police chiefs fear more drivers will be let off with a slap on the wrist as officer numbers are slashed, speed cameras are switched off and road safety spending is axed under George Osborne’s austerity cuts.

Ellen Booth of campaign group Brake said: “These shocking figures show the Government is not taking road safety seriously.”

Police Federation spokesman Inspector Steve White added: “We have seen an increase in crime in the last 12 months because of cuts in police numbers. We don’t want to see an increase in road ­casualties.”

Shadow policing minister David Hanson said: “If this is one of the first signs of the impact of cuts to the front line then it is a warning to the Government to stop, rethink and look again at what it is doing to our police.

“We know the ­consequence of more drivers speeding is more accidents, ­injuries or worse on our roads.”

Police chiefs need to axe 16,000 officers as the ­Chancellor slashes 20% from force budgets. Home Secretary Theresa May has also proposed sending civilians out on the beat with cops.

And town hall chiefs have given volunteers speed guns to monitor streets under schemes such as Community Speedwatch.

They were issued with at least 157 radar kits over the last three years, according to the 18 forces who replied to Mirror freedom of information requests.

Ms Booth said: “People looking to make their community safer is fantastic but it shouldn’t be left to volunteers.

“At the end of the day, these are criminal offences and ought to be taken seriously.”

Training esssential to increase cycle journeys to school.

The Department for Transport  has  published a report looking at the number of children cycling to school since the introduction of the Bikeability scheme five years ago. In March the scheme celebrated five years of delivering training for children in schools.

This report shows that where there is a longer history of delivering cycle training, a higher proportion of children are cycling to secondary school.

Further, those authorities that have received higher levels of Bikeability funding have seen larger increases in cycling to secondary school.

Full details of the research can be viewed at -

www.dft.gov.uk/bikeability/wp-content/uploads/120320_Cycling_to_School_Bikeability_Data_Report_v_final.pdf

Gaming trade body announces initiatives to boost UK game industry

The UK’s gaming trade body UKIE has announced three new initiatives designed to provide tangible benefits to the gaming industry, including the forming of a Scottish office and advice for all development studios.

Via EDGE.

The Worldwide Campaign To Knit Sweaters For Penguins

Many blue penguins were caught in a recent oil spill off the coast of New Zealand and a yarn store called Skeinz has come to their rescue. They came up with the idea to knit sweaters for the affected penguins who are waiting to be scrubbed clean, this way they won’t injest the oil when they preen themselves. Sweaters have been pouring in from all over! What a wonderfully creative way to help!

As it stands right now they may have more than enough sweaters but you can keep tabs on the situation via the link below!

Skeinz blog: http://theyarnkitchen.blogspot.com/

(via BOOOOOOOM!)

MF, studio, dbda

 

 

 

 

 

Government publish report into local road safey delivery.

Independent research into local road safety, commissionedby the DfT, highlights concerns over staff and funding cuts, data analysis andco-ordination between stakeholders

According to a LocalGov.co.uk news report, independent research into local road safety, commissioned by the DfT, highlights concerns over staff and funding cuts, data analysis and co-ordination between stakeholders.

LocalGov.co.uk says that the three-year project, carried out by AECOM in association with the Tavistock Institute, also found ‘a shift towards route- and area-based treatments, and increasing consideration of specific groups such as motorcyclists, through targeted interventions’.

The report, Delivery of Local Road Safety, says that ‘staff reductions and restructuring are leading to the loss of established core functions and skills, and management input’, and that ‘staff turnover and a lack of succession planning continue to be central threats to effective delivery’.

Mike Penning, road safety minister, said: “We hope the report will be of interest to local authorities who are responsible for decisions on local road safety delivery and evaluation.”

Richard Redfern, AECOM’s regional director for transportation, said: “The evaluation demonstrated that road safety is a complex matter that requires the involvement of numerous agencies, such as the police, fire and rescue services, the Highways Agency, health authorities and other stakeholders.”