RoSPA South West Group

04/02/2007 - The following statement was released to help advertise the South West Groups annual lectures and also to raise awareness about our close liason with the police and local councils in the fight to reduce the number of accidents on our roads in Somerset and the surrounding area.

Advanced Drivers Commit To Improving Road Safety on Somerset’s Roads

Traffic accidents account for almost half of all accidental deaths and are the largest single cause of death and injury to young adults in this country. Being a good driver means that you never stop learning. Improving your driving skills and becoming an advanced driver will not only make you safer but will also increase your enjoyment of driving.

In a bid to try and reduce the alarming number of road accidents that happen on Somerset’s roads every day, RoSPA South West Advanced Drivers & Riders Group are introducing a course on ‘Advanced Driving’ for members of the public. The course, aimed to give members of the public an understanding of advanced driving techniques will be followed by free 1-to-1 tuition by RoSPA Approved Tutors.

The course will cost £10, which includes 4 weekly ‘Advanced Driving’ lectures based on the Police system of car control, along with as much free on-road driving tuition as is needed to raise the individuals standard to advanced level. Included with the course fee is one years free membership subscription to the South West Group who meet regularly to socialise and discuss relevant road safety topics.

The course will be held at Holy Trinity Scout Hall, Lysander Road, Yeovil, commencing on Wednesday 7^th March 2007 at 7:30pm.

RoSPA South West Group spokesman, Mr Barton, said, ‘We are always finding ways to educate members of the public on various road safety issues. This series of lectures are just a small part of our on-going training and development schedule. Recently the group has joined forces with Street & Glastonbury Councils and the local police to promote road safety to younger drivers. The project known as ‘Street Safe’ is aimed at young drivers and has been developed to educate safer and more responsible young people. The project is fun and educational, it is not about enforcement. Driving safely is a skill that takes time, being responsible on the road means more than simply driving from A to B.’

For more information about the advanced driving course, contact Ben Barton, chairman@rospasouthwestgroup.co.uk or visit www.rospasouthwestgroup.co.uk

Remember - You could one day save a life, it could be yours!

02/04/2007 - The following letter was released to the Western Gazette in responce to a statement made on 29th March regarding the 'horrific toll of life and limb on our Somerset roads'.

Road Safety issues.

Dear Sir,

I read your article with a great deal of interest (Western Gazette 29th March) regarding the horrific toll of life and limb on our Somerset roads and you invited us to have our say. I thought I would like to add my views to the forthcoming debate.

Education is the key to resolving the problem. All drivers should be taught to travel as the prevailing conditions dictate. The speed of any vehicle should be such that it can be stopped, under control, on the correct side of the road within the distance that the driver is able to see. This of course is well documented in the highway code but it seems to be lost with most of the drivers I see on the road.

Tailgating is a particular problem.

The underlying problem is the general public’s lack of education regarding driver attitude and a comprehensive knowledge of the highway code or even the basic fundamentals of car control. The manufacturer's of the modern car have lured the general public into a false sense of safety or security with their introduction of the latest gismo’s such as A.B.S. and traction control. It matters not if your car is fitted with all these items, momentum and centrifugal forces have still got their part to play in the event of needing to stop in a hurry. The two second rule still applies whether or not your car is fitted with such devices. Lack of concentration has a major part to play in the ability to drive safely. I have seen lorry drivers looking at maps whilst driving through our local villages, simply because the speed limit is so slow, that they feel they do not have to pay too much attention to the task of driving. There have been several references to speed limits in the media of late and I would like to add a different perspective to the argument regarding speed limits and cameras.
For the general public to adhere to speed limits, they first have to respect them. Be honest, how many times have you been travelling though a village at the enforced speed of 30mph, very closely followed by some very impatient tailgater who is champing at your bumper and then puts in an overtake because he or she cannot tolerate the implemented speed limit? I have always held the opinion that you cannot dictate road conditions, therefore it is impossible to dictate speed limits. The problem is not speed in itself but inappropriate speed for the prevailing conditions that causes so many road traffic incidents.

Cameras are not the answer to the problem of road traffic accidents either. Indeed, most motorists who live within at least ten miles of a camera are usually aware of it’s existence and slow down appropriately for the benefit of the camera and then speed up immediately afterwards. Next time your on the Ilminster bypass, take a good look at all the skid marks just before you get to the camera. This particular anomaly has a major impact on road safety. The first car driver sees the camera and slows down, the second car driver sees the first car’s break lights and also tries to slow down, unfortunately, car No 2 is travelling too fast and too close to car No. 1 and as a consequence has to break more urgently. Further down the line you arrive at the domino effect. Whoops! It has to be acknowledged that that particular camera is more than a hazard than a help to road safety.

This obsession of blind obedience of the draconian speed limits that we are expected to obey, takes the responsibility away from the motorist who should be fully aware of the prevailing conditions and should be driving accordingly. Education is of paramount importance. We should be encouraging the government to introduce “Roadcraft” into the routine test and insist that the whole procedure of obtaining a licence to drive a car should be far more rigorous. Re-tests every five years should be introduced to keep up the general driving standards.

Why should all drivers be treated like idiots because of the few that are?

Responsible motorists may be interested to learn more about advanced or defensive driving, I have been informed that we have two local groups of road safety professionals RoSPA (South West Group. I found them on the web) and I believe the well known institute of advanced motorists is currently based in Mudford.

Yours Sincerely,

Nigel Gratton.