Do you have a few minutes to write to your MP and ask them to support our campaign to make our cities safer for pedestrians and cyclists?

On 5th February RoadPeace launched a new website called SeeMeSaveMe dedicated to reducing lorry danger and saving lives. See Me Save Me’s key call is to eliminate lorry blind spots through the use of mandatory HGV safety technologies such as sensors and cameras. That same week The Times also launched their Cities Fit for Cycling campaign which has 8 key manifesto points, the first of which supports See Me Save Me with a call for ‘lorries entering a city centre to be be required by law to fit sensors, audible turning alarms, extra mirrors and safety bars to stop cyclists being thrown under the wheels’.

In just one week over 25 000 people signed up to support The Times’ campaign, and as a result MP for Cambridge Julian Huppert, the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group has tabled an EDM and secured a three hour Parliamentary debate in support of the Times’ campaign to promote safer city cycling.

This is a great opportunity for us to make the roads safer for both cyclists AND pedestrians, and as a RoadPeace supporter we are asking you to please take action today:

• Write to your MP and urge them to sign the EDM and also attend the debate on Thursday in Parliament

• Sign up to See Me Save Me

The debate will be live streamed on Parliament TV.

And for those of you with a bike in London, there will be bike ride on the eve of the debate to Parliament to demand safer cycling for all.

Thank you for your time and support. We can make a difference.

Amy Aeron-Thomas
Executive Director

And as you join the left-hand lane you enter a whole new world: motorway driving.

It soon feels like second nature but that first trip is memorably daunting, not least because motorway driving isn’t something you’re taught while a learner.

At the moment it is illegal to get behind the wheel on motorways in the UK until after passing your driving test.

This means inexperienced drivers are confronted with traffic driving at speeds of 70 mph or above without any preparation; an anomaly Roads Minister Mike Penning hopes to change.

The MP recently unveiled plans for learner drivers to undergo training on a motorway, if they are in a dual-controlled car and accompanied by a qualified driving instructor.

The changes will not be obligatory and will not form part of the test.

But, where relevant, learner drivers will soon be able to experience motorway travel and it is hoped the legislation, which is due to come into force this summer, will make the country’s roads safer.

David Hamilton, chairman of Carlisle and District Driving Instructors’ Association, welcomes the idea. He already takes new drivers onto the M6 through Pass Plus.

The scheme offers post-test tuition to 17 to 20-year-olds in the form of six practical modules on a range of subjects which are not currently included when learning to drive, including motorway driving.

Participants not only learn to be safer drivers, they can potentially receive a reduction on their insurance premium.

“I agree with this proposal; it is something that’s been advised by instructors for quite a long time,” David says of Mr Penning’s plans. “When young learners pass their test they have the option of Pass Plus but they are not obliged to take it and quite a few decide not to.

“Motorway driving should be part of learning to be a good driver and it seems cockeyed that you can go onto a dual carriageway as a learner but not the motorway.

“After all, on a dual carriageway you can go up to 70 mph and there are all kinds of factors to take into consideration.

“But pupils should only go on the motorway when they are properly ready for their driving test, and only with a driving instructor, not with parents or a friend. In our view that would not be acceptable.

“And it has to be at the right time – close to the test date and not just a few lessons in – but the instructor will know when the pupil is ready.”

David believes pre-test lessons on the M6 would be especially beneficial for learners in rural Cumbria, who have the option of mostly minor or A-roads while learning.

“Around Carlisle the only stretch of dual carriageway is near Scotby, for about half a mile, so for that kind of practice we have to go further afield,” he adds.

Kirsty Dewhurst from Warwick Bridge has been learning to drive since last December and is due to sit her test in the next few weeks. She believes motorway lessons could be beneficial.

“I think it would be a good idea, it’s quite a scary thought but would be less scary with a driving instructor and as part of the lesson. It would give you the confidence to go on the motorway once you’d passed.”

The 18-year-old is planning to leave Cumbria and go to university in September, so being able to drive back home will be essential.

“I hope to save up for a car when I go to uni and it will be helpful to have the practice on the motorway then I can bomb backwards and forwards. I’m going to do the Pass Plus but it’s expensive and I’ve already spent a lot of money on driving lessons.”

Katie Taylor from Carlisle passed her test recently.

The 17-year-old thinks she would probably have been too fearful to drive on the motorway while still a learner, and that passing her driving test gave her the confidence to face her fear.

“I did my Pass Plus and I now drive on the motorway all the time, I drive up and down the M6 to visit friends in Scotland,” says Katie, a sixth former at Austin Friar’s.

“The first time I did it I was terrified, it was one of the scariest things I’ve ever done, just how fast I was going.

“It was the first time up to 70 miles per hour and with all the other lorries and cars around it was scary.

“I’ve got used to it now and it’s fine, but if I’d had to do it before I’d passed my test I’d have hated it because I wasn’t a very confident learner.”

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) is not thrilled at the idea of motorways suddenly being awash with red L-plates.

“Motorways are not a safe environment for either the learner driver or other road users,” says RHA Chief Executive Geoff Dunning. “While we are not in favour of learners drivers using the motorway prior to their test, we would welcome the introduction of formal motorway training by a qualified instructor before new drivers venture out unsupervised.

“We would also welcome the mandatory use of green P-Plates for newly qualified drivers and consider that their use should be included in the New Drivers Act.

“P-Plates provide a simple, safe and cost effective method of showing others that there’s a new driver on the road who should be given due consideration.”

Mr Penning’s plans will not be compulsory because some people who live in rural areas would have a long way to travel for the training. This is good news for David Murray, a driving instructor who teaches people in west Cumbria, from Workington to Maryport, Whitehaven to Cockermouth.

“I think it’s a good thing in theory. It would be very useful, bear in mind that someone can pass their test on the Monday and be on the motorway on the Tuesday, and it’s a lot different driving on the motorway,” he asserts.

“But being out west it would take a long time to get onto the motorway and would be too expensive for pupils. You’d be looking at lessons of around two-and-a-half to three hours. There is already Pass Plus where we do a couple of hours on the motorway, but not many people take the Pass Plus now.”

David has been a driving instructor for five years. Before that he was a long-distance lorry driver.

He adds: “As a lorry driver I’ve seen both sides and I can definitely see the benefits of motorway lessons.

“There are a lot of bad drivers out there; not just young ones who have just passed their tests but people of all ages.”

First published at 11:27, Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

Nationally around 17,000 cyclists are involved in reported road collisions each year, including around 2,500 who are killed or seriously injured. Across South Yorkshire, 45 cyclists were seriously injured on the county’s roads throughout 2010.

If the Police see cyclists riding their bike after dark without lights they will normally receive a fixed penalty notice for £30. As part of a new initiative being trialled in Doncaster and Barnsley, cyclists will have the opportunity to attend a local police station within seven days of their offence to collect a set of lights and avoid having to pay the fixed penalty notice.

Chief Inspector Neil Thomas said “By not making themselves visible to other road users some cyclists are causing a danger not only to themselves, but also to pedestrians and motorists, which is why initiatives like this are so important.

“All cyclists should take necessary steps to be seen when they’re travelling on the road. Bike lights are a legal requirement when riding in the dark but I would also urge cyclists to think about their actions, and would recommend wearing high-viz clothing and a cycle helmet. Additionally, drivers must allow for cyclists on the road, leaving suitable space when overtaking and paying increased attention to cyclists when turning into junctions.

He added: “This initiative is being run as a trial in Doncaster and Barnsley, if successful we hope to run similar schemes again in the future”.

Rotherham Borough Council has published a report by a scrutiny panel which has 47 recommendations for improvements.

The council said it had already made changes to its provisions following the snow in 2010/11.

Karl Battersby, from the council, said the authority held a “a proper review to see what lessons can be learnt and what we can do better next time”.

The report is due to be discussed by the cabinet on Wednesday and has highlighted a number of issues.

It said the council’s emergency plan to link services and agencies together in December 2010 was not activated, and added that the council’s budget was inadequate for salting the borough’s roads, as it overspent by £700,000.

Mr Battersby, strategic director of environment and development services for the council, said: “There are a lot of recommendations here and quite a few have already been acted on because clearly it’s been along time since we had this event.”

‘Pretty good job’

The report also highlights some of positive work which was carried out by the local community. The report said “without them the community would have been cut off entirely”.

During the cold spell the council received an increase in reports of broken down boilers – 2,645 over a two-month period.

Mr Battersby said arrangements had already been made for the future, including asking local farmers to assist if needed, as well as improving lines of communication.

“We have much better arrangements in terms of being able to call on 4x4s and we’ve acquired some additional equipment in terms of salting attachments and ploughs to use in the town centre,” he said.

“Clearly we can always learn from these things. We think actually we did a pretty good job with the resources given the nature of the event – clearly we can always do better.”

Rotherham Council has a programme of schemes to improve the safety and operation of the highway network. Many schemes start from requests made by the public.

As well as concerns about the safety of individual road junctions, there are requests for pedestrian crossing facilities, speed restraint measures, such as road humps, and minor issues such as new warning signs.

If you would like to report a junction which you feel is dangerous, or if you feel speed restriction measures need to be implemented on a certain road, please contact them.

The 27-year-old topped a league table of learner drivers in the North East who took multiple tests.

Even a driving instructor was shocked by her “horrendous” number of attempts.

She trumped a 29-year-old Sunderland man who had to be quizzed 16 times.

And 13 was the lucky number for two Morpeth teenagers, aged 17 and 19, when they passed the exam last year after failing a dozen times.

The astonishing figures are revealed in a Freedom of Information Act request by the Chronicle to the Driving Standards Agency (DSA).

We found a legion of L-plate motorists determined to do whatever it takes to pass.

At the current rate, the woman who took the most tests would have blown £1,519 just on taking the exams.

Driving instructors said it was likely that she did not speak English as a first language, so she would have struggled with the test’s complex technical words.

The figures only start from September 2004, meaning the woman must have failed at least one test every eight weeks. She will now have to pass the practical test within two years – or she will need to start the process all over again.

Many drivers also found the practical test a challenge.

Topping our chart was a 40-year-old Sunderland woman who passed on her 20th attempt.

She beat a 32-year-old woman from Hexham, who passed on her 17th attempt, and a 36-year-old woman who passed her 16th test at Elswick, Newcastle.

But thousands of lucky motorists passed first time.

More than 8,000 17-year-olds in the North East passed their theory test on their first attempt last year. Two-thirds of 17-year-olds were successful in Newcastle.

While their grandkids passed first time, some older drivers also got behind the wheel.

A 79-year-old passed the driving theory test, while an 82-year-old flew through her practical.

“That would take some determination,” said Alice Brunton, a Newcastle driving instructor. “It is absolutely extraordinary.

“I have had an elderly pupil but nobody to teach to drive at anything like that age.

“I’ve had a couple in their late 40s – and it does take them longer.

“They tend to be more nervous – probably quite sensibly – but of course it does make it more difficult to learn.”

She said drivers were most commonly failed when they put their foot down approaching junctions or forgot to check their mirrors often enough.

“You are allowed 15 minor faults, but 16 and you fail,” said Alice, who runs her own firm – Alice’s School of Motoring. “But you are not allowed a single serious fault, let alone a dangerous fault.

“There are certain drivers who just find it difficult to concentrate, to keep their attention going for long enough not to make a single serious mistake.”

She added that many of her pupils come with “completely hopeless” ideas of how few lessons they will need before passing.

Most people need between 40 and 50 hours behind the wheel before taking their test, said Alice.

“It is no good telling them that after 20 hours they are going to have a hope in hell – they’re not. It’s just not fair.

“If they can get some practice at home, so much the better.”

Men generally pass on their second attempt while women need at least three tests, she added.

“One thing I have noticed is that if people fail their first attempt they then go on to fail a few times – it can be quite depressing for them. They are often the ones who take three or four attempts to pass whereas some people you just know will pass the first time.”

Talking about the woman who clocked up 48 failed theory tests, she said: “That is horrendous. I have a lot of people living where who do not have English as a first language and I feel really, really sorry for them. They struggle with the test’s complex technical words.

As of 23 January, the questions used in real theory tests are no longer exactly the same as the questions published in revision materials such as the Offcial DSA Theory Test book. The change is designed to ensure learner drivers and riders gain a better understanding of driving theory rather than just learning by rote which options are correct for individual questions.

The format of the test is not changing and the familiar theory test books and software still offer revision questions for candidates to test themselves and assess their progress.
Announcing the change, Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said: DSA has also launched its frst iPhone apps for theory test revision which are available from the iTunes Store.
“By bringing a stop to publication of theory test questions we aim to encourage candidates to prepare by learning each topic area thoroughly rather than just memorising the questions and answers.
DSA books, electronic books and software are available from bookshops or can be ordered or downloaded directly from the publishers TSO at www.tsoshop.co.uk/dsa

More than half of all motorists now use digital services to tax or declare their vehicles off the road, according to latest figures released today by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency.

The DVLA’s digital service – which includes online and telephone facilities – has been used more than 100 million times. Last year the service was used more than 26 million times.

Roads Minister Mike Penning said:

“The numbers show that more and more motorists want to deal with the DVLA at a time and place that suits them. The digital service is quick and easy to use and enables the DVLA to automatically check that MOT and insurance is in place so customers do not have to dig out additional paperwork.”

Currently around two million vehicles each month are taxed or declared off the road by the digital service. The busiest day for motorists using this service last year was on
28 February 2011 when 227,000 vehicles were taxed or declared off the road.

To tax or declare off road using the digital service, go to www.direct.gov.uk/taxdisc or telephone 0300 123 4321.

The website link is www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk which then has a link page to resources, facts, hints, tips and advice for educators, communities and road safety professionals.

The theme for this year is Too Young to Die, which in itself is an English lesson in how to use the appropriate spelling of to, too two, etc.

For access to advice and resources there are some other sites that may be of help such as www.dft.gov.uk for the Department for Transport, then click on ‘resources for road safety’ and then’Think Education road safety professionals toolkits’. This is then split into Primary and Secondary education sections. The route to the resources and activities is a bit convoluted but there are a lot of interactive resources which can be used in IT lessons or for background information to road safety projects. There are introduction video’s and the possibility of burning resources to discs for use away from live websites, (for example the rotation of pairs of children to work on a classroom computer).

Another site is RSGB or the Road Safety Great Britain site, a place to contact you local road safety team who will be overjoyed to respond to requests for school activities. Select www.roadsafetygb.org.uk and then click on ‘free resources’ or ‘contacts’ for further information. Their resources are a bit more worthy than those at DfT as they are designed for a long term change of attitude to child safety on the school journey. They may even seem a bit dull in the context of a special week, however all resources will have been tried and tested by Local Authorities before they are listed.

There is another organisation which could help with advice and resources, but who have their own National Safety Week, the Child Accident Prevention Trust or CAPT for short. Just try CAPT on a Google search for access to advice and fact sheets. Their remit is wider than pure road safety but they do get involved in all the important child safety issues and have just produced a policy document for the Government in child development called Making the Link, available at www.makingthelink.net .

One other supporter of note for child safety is the Bicycle Helmet Initiative Trust, (winners of the 2009 European Road Safety Award). They evolved from an ‘Accident and Emergency’ Hospital in Berkshire, and exist to promote the use of cycle helmets by school children. More information is available from www.bhit.org . They have a Kids Zone with child road safety games and they sell cheap, (but good), cycle helmets. They have a fantastic resource for class sessions or assemblies that involves children attempting smashing eggs in little cycle helmets. (The substitution of a rotten egg can sometimes make the session even more memorable for the children!)