Hi-Way Driving Ltd

Lessons to Children

Texaco is handing out thousands of free books. There are five books in the series, which centres on Hector, a boy with a vivid imagination who discovers lots of road safety messages such as the importance of using a seatbelt and crossing the road safely.

More than 1.7m copies are now available at Texaco garages. They will include a reflective sticker that children can attach to their schoolbag.

The campaign will be supported by point-of-sale materials and a website, has been launched to coincide with the arrival of the books.

The Department for Transport, which runs the Think! Road safety campaign, provided the road safety advice. The books are written by Natalie Herbert and Tristan Poulter and illustrated by Tom Percival.

Ack Roadsafe Newsletter

Stay Visible. Stay Safe

According to the DfT, it seems inevitable that UK drivers are going to have to accept the latest EU motoring-related directive - the mandatory requirement to have headlights illuminated at all times when driving, irrespective of the light level. It seems this is likely to be a legal requirement by 2008

Whilst this will no doubt require a substantial culture shift by UK drivers, the Fleet Safety Association is hoping that one of the highest risk groups of drivers in this country - high mileage business drivers - will not only accept the added safety benefits of the proposal but also set an example by complying readily.

The latest DfT publication "Contributory factors to road accidents" confirms that the most common cause of crashes was failing to see properly. Vehicles with headlights on will be easier to see and therefore to react to.

Ack Roadsafe News

Driving Abroad?

Don't be caught out

You may know the British Highway Code inside out, but if you plan to drive in Europe in the holidays, read on. Continental road rules can be a mine field for the unwary.

Drink Driving:-- In general, the fines and penalties are harsh. the alcohol limit is zero in the Czech Republic and Hungary, while Macedonian law requires the front seat passenger to be sober too.

Parking:-- Forget penalty notices - your car can be impounded for causing an obstruction in Luxembourg and Turkey, while Greek authorities can confiscate your number plates.

Equipment:-- In Spain, it's compulsory for a driver who wears glasses to carry a spare pair. Two warning triangles are a requirement in Turkey and Cyprus. Russia, Latvia and Greece insist on first - aid kits and fire extinguishers.

Accidents:-- Exchanging details may not be enough - you'll need to call police to the scene in Lithuania and Slovakia, or the local warden in Malta. And be sure to have the correct documentation (check with your insurers at least a month before you travel)

For a more detailed list, visit www.theaa.com

Ack Readers Digest

Road Safety Bill

The Governments' ongoing drive to improve safety on our roads took a significant step forward today after the Road Safety Bill was granted Royal Assent.

The Road Safety Act will introduce the new offences of causing death by careless driving or causing death by driving while unlicensed, disqualified or uninsured.

It will crack down on motorists who break the law by driving without insurance, or using a vehicle that is unroadworthy, and will also make it more difficult for foreign drivers to escape penalties for driving offences committed in the UK.

It will also brings in measures to raise driving standards through better education and training, and offer more appropriate penalties for offences such as speeding or driving using a hand-held mobile phone.

The new Road Safety Act plugs gaps in current legislation to stop drivers who kill walking away from court with just a fine. It clamps down on those who keep untaxed, uninsured or unroadworthy vehicles. It provides greater powers as we work to eradicate the scourge of drink driving and puts in place measures to improve the training and testing of our young drivers.

Research shows that one moment of carelessness on the road can have serious consequences. 32% of car occupants die in single vehicle accidents, which involve no other vehicle, and statistics show that these types of accidents are increasing. It is for this reason the Road Safety Act is being introduced.

Its main actions are:---

1     Introducing a new offence of causing death by careless or inconsiderate driving and of causing death by driving while unlicenced, disqualified or uninsured. These offences will carry a custodial sentence of up to 5 years and 2 years respectively and are likely to come into law next year. The Act will also increase the penalty fines for careless and inconsiderate driving, doubling the fine from £2500 to £5000.

2     Introducing the new offence of being the registered keeper of an uninsured vehicle. This will carry a fixed penalty fine of £100 plus the power for the enforcement authorities to clamp and, in appropriate cases, dispose of such vehicles. The technology already in place - automatic number plate recognition cameras - linked to databases on uninsured vehicles already helps police to instantly spot and ultimately seize and destroy cars being driven without insurance. Consulation on the detailed regulations for this scheme will be launched early next year.   

3    The penalties for the existing offences of using a hand-held mobile phone while driving and for failing to have proper control of the vehicle will increase to include three penalty points and a £60 fixed penalty fine.

4    The range of penalty points for speeding is to be extended and retraining for speeder will be available under the new Act.  This will allow tougher punishment for those who speed the most seriously, as well as scope for leser penalties for less severe seeding.  Consultation on the detail of how this will work will be launched soon.

5    The Act will give the Government powers to make repeat drink-drive offenders retake their driving test. This will ensure that repeat offenders are kept from driving until they have completed the necessary medical examination.  It also enables the future use of alcohol ignition interlocks - which have been shown to be very effective in discouraging persistant re-offending. 

6    To prevent foreign drivers evading penalties for breaking our laws of the Road, the Act will enable police and VOSA enforcement officers to require offenders who cannot supply a satifactory UK address to pay an immediate deposit in lieu of a fixed penalty, or pending a court hearing.  If they fail to pay a deposit officers are to be given powers to immobilise the vehicle, preventing drivers from leaving the country before payment of a fixed penalty.

7    To improve the training and testing to young or new drivers, the Act will facilitate the introduction of new arrangments for professional driving instructors, thereby helping to further improve their standards.  It will also provide for the introduction of mandatory quality assurance arrangements in those areas of driver training that are not currently regulated, and where there is a clear need for intervention to raise standards. Alonside this, it provides for the publishing of information about persones and organisations providing driver training.

The complete version of the Road Safety Act will be available on http://www.parliament.uk

The Road Safety Bill was introduced to Parliament on 24th March 2005. Royal Assent was granted on Wednesday 8th November 2006.

Ack AIRSO Newsletter

It's a crazy world on the road.

Recent fine by magistrates for a cyclist who ignored a cycle path and used the roadway thereby causing motorists who wished to overtake having to cross a double white line :--- £100.

Recent fine for a driver whose car, with three defective tyres, skidded across the road on black ice killing four cyclists :--- £180

The court was told that police did not consider the defective tyres to be a contributory cause of the crash.

So what was the cause? Driver error maybe?

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PC Mark Milton has been convicted of dangerous driving for doing 159mph in an unmarked police car.

The verdict came in a second trial after he was originally acquitted last year. But the judge gave PC Milton an absolute discharge, saying he had suffered enough during the two and a half years of court proceedings.

Do these judges live in a different world than the rest of us?

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A driver in Poole, Dorset, has been fined £75 for flicking cigarette ash out of his car window.

Produce the evidence.

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London Mayor Ken Livingstone said cyclists in the capital may have to show number plates, in a bid to crack down on 'lycra louts who jump red traffic lights.

The RAC Foundation called the idea impractical, bureaucratic and dangerous saying police already have powers to tackle law breaking cyclists.

He is definitely in a different world than the rest of us.

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Tyre prices are set to rise due to a poor rubber harvest, adding £50 to the price of a set of tyres for a family car.

More money please motorist!

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New powers have been introduced to tackle motorists who abuse the blue badge scheme for disabled drivers.

They authorise the police, traffic wardens and parking attendants to inspect blue badges. Refusal to produce a badge for inspection can be punished by a fine of up to £1000.

I agree with this one BUT:---

Does that mean the poor policeman has to get out of his car to inspect a badge, whatever next!!!!!!!!    Supposing it's raining.

Drivers Skills First

Drivers in London and the South East recognise driver ability as the key safety factor in any car journey, according to a poll conducted by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM)

The poll showed 61% of drivers surveyed in and around the M25 ranked driver ability as more important in safety terms than seat belts (34%), airbags (3%), or speed cameras (which scored just 1%) Another 1% replied "none of these"

But when asked "what in your opinion is the single most important safety factor in any car journey?" only 39% of drivers in East Anglia put driver ability first, and in the North, just 25% acknowledged the importantance of driver ability.

Exactly half of the drivers polled in the West Midlands saw driver skill as important in preventing crashes.

Drivers surveyed nationally who had admitted to having a crash over the last two years were less likely to blame the lack of driver ability, preferring to cite unexpected hazards (32%) and driving too close to the vehicle in front (10%)

"This survey is a bit of a shock. There is clear confusion surrounding what contributes to potential crashes," explained IAM Chief Examner Christopher Bullock.  "Collisiona are not just 'accidents' : They are caused by human error. Driver skill gives the ability to not only anticipate unexpected hazards but also to set safer following distances. And while seat belts and airbags are great innovations, neither of them actually prevents a crash happening in the first place.       They do precious little for the more vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. This is where the skill of the driver is so important.

Drivers should recognise the need for that responsibilty and be prepared to act accordingly." he said.    

"Perhaps those who have to cope with daily congestion in London and the South East are that more realistic about how crashes happen because they see more of them. Surveys indicate that so-called road traffic accidents cause 24% of congestion, and the M25 Heathrow stretch is one of the busiest motorways in Europe."

Mr Bullock said that perceptions and attitudes to driver safety were an important first step to improving behaviour, as illustrated by recent research by Brunel University.

Ack :-- Advanced Driving (IAM Mag)