Driving instructor training aids and business products provider, Ideas4ADIs, has partnered with Brake, the road safety charity to develop a new guide for driving instructors to use with their pupils.

Overtaking, a guide written specifically for young drivers, will be included in Brake’s pack for Buddy Driving Instructors, a scheme which is open for any driving instructor to join.

Ideas4ADIs developed the guide with the aim of providing the instructor with a teaching aid which shows young and inexperienced drivers the dangers of overtaking, and the possible consequences. It includes a case study from Brake of Emma, Kate and Beccy, who were hit by a young driver overtaking at speed. 

The Buddy Driving Instructor Scheme aims to help young people understand the grave dangers of driving and educate them about driving responsibly. Driving instructors who sign up are given a range of resources including the overtaking guide to distribute to clients, and use as a prompt for discussing road and driver safety.

Driving instructors are asked for a £25 donation to join the scheme. As a member they will be provided with enough resources for 25 clients, and a year’s FREE subscription to Brake’s Road Safety Forum (worth £47), giving them the regular e-bulletin Target Zero, as well as discounts at Brake events. Instructors can recoup their costs by asking their next 25 clients for a £1 donation in return for the resources.

Instructors who join the scheme before the 30^th September will automatically be entered into a free prize draw to win great prizes for them and their pupils, including a year’s subscription to ADI News, Alcosense portable breathalysers, subscriptions to www.passyourtestonline.co.uk, and Ideas4ADIs ADI Lesson Presenter DVDs.

Mac McDade, Director of Ideas4ADIs said: “We are proud to support Brake and the great work they do. Developing training aids is what we do, so it made sense for us to produce this guide. Instructors can sometimes struggle to get the ‘safety’ message across to pupils who just want to get their licence; this pack will help them do this and hopefully save lives.”

Caroline Perry, Marketing Manager at Brake, said “Brake is delighted to be working with Ideas4ADIs on this new resource. Deaths and injuries on roads caused by young drivers devastate families and communities. By using this fantastic guide and the other resources in the pack, driving instructors can help educate young people about driving responsibly, change attitudes and save lives in the process.”

More information on the Buddy Driving Instructor Scheme is available at www.brake.org.uk.

To join the Buddy Driving Instructor scheme (£25) contact Brake on 01484 559909 or admin@brake.org.uk.

For media enquiries contact Caroline Perry on 01484 550068 or cperry@brake.org.uk

Brake the road safety charity has welcomed falls in the number of casualties on roads, announced by the Department for Transport (DfT) today, but warned that the good news is tempered by flawed reporting and uncertainty about the future of road safety.

The figures show continued reductions in deaths on the road and also suggest that serious and slight injuries are steadily falling:

• Deaths have fallen to 2,222 in 2009 from 2,538 in 2008, a reduction of 38% from the 1994-8 baseline*.
• The number of people reported as being seriously injured is also falling. In 2009, 47,656 people were seriously injured on our roads, falling from 26,034 in 2008. A reduction of 45% from the 1994-98 baseline*.

* The Government set a target in 2000 of cutting the number of deaths and serious injuries by 40% from the 1994-8 baseline of 47,656. According to the statistics published today, this target has been achieved, with a drop of 44% in deaths and serious injuries from the baseline.

Brake points out that a similar target for cutting the number of deaths alone would not have been achieved. Worse, gaps in reporting highlighted by hospital statistics put the achievement of the ‘killed and seriously injured’ target in doubt. DfT’s own annual road casualty report for 2008 compared casualty statistics with hospital data, finding significant under-reporting.

Tuesday’s budget and other recent announcements have suggested significant cuts in future road safety spending, causing concern for the future of life-saving road safety measures. Read Brake’s reaction to the budget here.

Ellen Booth, campaigns officer for Brake, the road safety charity, said: “The Government’s road safety strategy and targets were a step in the right direction but all too often crucial road safety action has been undermined. There have been too many missed opportunities to save lives in the past decade. Every death is a tragedy so this is no time for congratulations. We want to challenge the new Government to seize every opportunity to protect road users, starting with setting new, challenging targets. We also need a bold strategy that spells out the importance of investing in road safety, despite government cuts.”

RideSafe BackSafe, is urging all bikers to wear the right protective clothing this summer, even when it is tempting to ‘dress down’ in hot weather.

A wide range of clothing, boots, gloves, back protectors and other body armour is now available to offer significant protection in the event of a crash, but some motorcycle and moped riders choose not to wear it during the warmer months.

Communications Manager for RideSafe BackSafe, Linda Sanderson, explains;-

   “We regularly visit motorcycling shows and bike meets in the north-west region to talk to hundreds of bikers about what we do and to promote the very obvious benefits of rider training. But the recent spell of hot weather has allowed us to see how a minority of riders will abandon good sense just to stay cool.  Watching bikers come and go, dressed only in shorts, t-shirts and trainers is astonishing; and some pillion passengers seem to think it is okay to wear sandals and short skirts. I would rather sweat than take the chance that I won’t come off on a nice day“.

RideSafe BackSafe is keen to stress that most bikers wear the right kit, but those that don’t should know that in the event of a collision, tarmac can wear down to the bone in just 3 seconds at 30mph. Linda Sanderson continues;-

    “Scar tissue and mobility problems can last a lifetime and wearing the proper kit can make a huge difference. The better clothing manufacturers now use breathable layers, fabrics that transfer moisture away from the body and air vents to help regulate body temperature. There is no good reason why some should decide to ride without it“.

The North report on drink and drug driving commissioned by the Department for Transport has today recommended that the UK drink drive limit be cut to 50mg alcohol per 100ml blood, the maximum limit recommended by the European Commission. The current limit is 80mg per 100ml blood.

Brake is bitterly disappointed by this recommendation, which would still leave the public in confusion over ‘how much is too much’. In reality, even one drink impairs driving and it’s impossible to know if that drink would put you over the limit. Research by Brake and Direct Line clearly shows that the public want the message to be clear to all drivers – not a drop

More than half of drivers (55%) support Brake and Direct Line’s calls for a zero tolerance approach to drink driving. This means a limit of 20mg alcohol per 100ml blood or lower – an effective ban on drinking any alcohol before getting behind the wheel, which would support the Government’s THINK! campaign message, ‘Don’t drink and drive’.

Julie Townsend, Brake’s Deputy Chief Executive, said: “Sir Peter North has missed a fantastic opportunity to make far-reaching recommendations to Government based on the evidence at hand. It makes no sense to lower the drink drive limit to 50mg/100ml blood when even Government campaigns are sending out the message that you shouldn’t drink any alcohol before getting behind the wheel. Let’s get the message straight so there can be no confusion – let’s make the limit 20mg alcohol or less, an effective zero tolerance approach.”

“We welcome Sir Peter’s recognition that new laws are needed on drug driving combined with urgent roll out of existing drug screening technology and development of evidential roadside testing devises for drugs.”

“No one needs to drive after drinking or taking impairing drugs – it’s high time we stamped it out once and for all. We all know it makes no sense and results in the needless death and injury of many people every year.” 

Brake gave evidence to Sir Peter North as part of the review and made the following recommendations, backed up by solid and independent academic research. Brake called for:

• The drink-drive limit to be cut to 20mg/100ml blood or lower.
• A new law making it an offence to drive on illegal drugs without having to test for impairment.
• Random, targeted, and ‘blanket’ testing for drink and drug driving, with more resources for traffic policing, ensuring sufficient numbers of officers to carry out a significantly higher number of tests.
• Type-approval for roadside drug testing devices, such as those already used by the police in Germany, Australia and Finland.
• Mandatory alcolocks, for repeat drink-drive offenders, which requires them to pass a breath test before they can start their engine.
• Life-long driving bans for drink and drug drivers who have killed or maimed.
• Compulsory road safety education, delivered in schools, to 11-16 year olds outlining the horrific consequences of drink and drug driving.

Key recommendations from the North review of drink and drug driving

Drink-drive recommendations

• Reducing the drink-drive limit to 50 mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood – Sir Peter acknowledges that there is a case for a reduction to 20mg/ 100ml, which, he says, would be wholly consistent with a policy of “Do not drink and drive”. He believes there is considerable public support for a 50mg limit, but warns that a 20mg/ 100ml limit could risk the loss of public support for tougher measures for drink drivers.
• Reviewing the impact of the new 50mg limit on young and novice drivers after five years. If the new limit has not resulted in the anticipated casualty reductions among young and novice drivers, consider introducing a limit of 20mg/ 100ml for these drivers.
• Keeping penalties for drink-driving at current levels (a minimum 12-month disqualification and band C fine). Sir Peter argues that although this would give Britain relatively tough penalties for a country with a 50mg limit ‘the threat of a substantial period of mandatory disqualification has proved to be a potent weapon in combating drink driving.’
• Routine consideration by magistrates of permanent disqualification for repeat offenders.
• More police powers to enable random and blanket breath-tests.

Drug-drive recommendations

• Increasing the number of police officers trained in Field Impairment Tests (FIT), with forces routinely carrying out FIT tests in all cases of suspected impaired driving.
• A five-stage approach to developing better ways of detecting and dealing with drug driving:

•  
  1. Reducing the time between the suspicion of impaired driving and the taking of blood for testing.
  2. Type-approving reliable devices for drugs screening in the relatively controlled environment of the police station (within two years).
  3. Introducing a new specific offence of driving with certain controlled drugs in the blood (at levels deemed to be impairing, or if this proves scientifically impossible, for any level of these drugs), with drug screening in police stations.
  4. Continued work to enable type-approving of drugs screening devices for use at the roadside.
  5. Developing an evidential drugs testing kit, initially for use in police stations and ultimately for use at the roadside.

• Better information on impairment of over-the-counter medicines, including clearer advice related to driving.
• Making the combination of alcohol and drugs an ‘aggravating factor’ in sentencing.

Keep Speed in Sport says road safety charity and transport research body

As the sporting season hots up, Brake, the road safety charity, backed by sporting celebrities, is calling on sports lovers who drive to keep speed in sport and off the roads.

A worrying minority of high profile sports people, often footballers, are sometimes sadly in the media spotlight for the wrong reason:  driving offences, most frequently speeding and often in high performance cars.

This sad abuse of power, particularly by role models admired by young people, has prompted Brake to ask TRL, the Transport Research Laboratory to try to demonstrate the power of speed in terms that may drive home the danger to some sports lovers.

20mph is fast enough around homes and schools. At this speed a driver could stop in time if a child ran out three car lengths ahead (about 12 metres).  But a car driven at 30mph would hit the child at about 27mph. A child hit at 27mph is the equivalent of a child falling backwards out the window of a three storey house (a drop of about 7.3 metres).

The energy of the collision between a car and a child at this speed, says TRL, is equivalent to:

• about 18 times that of a world class golfer’s drive
• about eight times that of a world class footballer’s free kick
• about 20 times that of a world class tennis player’s serve

Ellen Booth, campaigns officer at Brake, says: “Many people have an intention to abide by speed limits but then don’t, and many people who do stick to speed limits think that 30mph is ‘slow enough’ because it is the limit on so many residential streets – but this is a limit that’s too fast. We are committed to convincing and reminding drivers to drive at 20 mph or lower around schools and homes. Explaining the power of speed is one way to help drivers do this. Just imagine a child being kicked in the head eight times by a world class footballer, and you get some sense of the horror.”

Dr Nick Reed, senior researcher from TRL, who calculated the energy in sports terms, says: “I was alarmed by the finding that a child hit at 27mph was equivalent to a child falling backwards out the window of a three storey house. I wondered if there were other analogies that may help people understand just how dangerous it is to be driving at 30mph in residential streets should the worst happen. Many will marvel at the capabilities of international sports stars over the summer. It is startling to realise that the energy of the impact between a car and a child would be so many times greater than that applied to a drive by the world’s best golfers, a serve by the world’s best tennis players or a free kick by the world’s best footballers. Keep speed in sport and keep our roads safe.”

Sports personalities back Brake’s campaign Keep Speed in Sport:

Broadcaster and World Cup presenter Adrian Chiles says: “I am proud to help pledge my support to the life-saving work that Brake does. As a dad, I urge all drivers to think about the safety of kids when they’re driving through a community. Everyone can help look out for our kids by slowing down - it’s a simple step, but a crucial one.”

Formula one racer Eddie Irvine says: “I get my kicks on the track not on the road. Speeding in built up areas puts children’s lives at risk.” 

Gold medal winning cyclist Nicole Cooke says:  “When I race all I think about is speed. But in sport, just like in every day life, I cannot go over the limit of what is safe because it may end in disaster, either in a crash or putting others in danger. Sport is a good outlet for energy and high speed, but speed is dangerous on public roads. I support Brake’s campaign to Keep Speed in Sport and off the roads.”

Paralympic gold medal winner Danny Crates says: “I was just 21 when I lost my arm in a road crash. Keep Speed in Sport.”

For interviews with Brake call 01484 550067 or for TRL call 01344 770141