Have you seen any decent road safety initiatives?
Discussion
When I was an IAM Observer a while back...Essex Police were extreemly supportive in the 'Young Drivers Course' - this is still operating by Chelmsford IAM.
This apart, the IAM group meet in the Police Social Club monthly and have co-operation still from the traffic dept. as far as I know.
One example was when traffic men carried details of the Chelmsford IAM and were in the habit of giving our contact details to 'yoofs who had been spoken to'...not nicked...just given advice about driving conduct.
I personally received hours of advice from serving Trafpols sitting in the passenger seat to help me in observing, prepare for IAM Special and to go for RoSPA.
Many of the 'rank and file' lads have a real interest in avoiding having to give the knock on the door at midnight to parents!
BOF
This apart, the IAM group meet in the Police Social Club monthly and have co-operation still from the traffic dept. as far as I know.
One example was when traffic men carried details of the Chelmsford IAM and were in the habit of giving our contact details to 'yoofs who had been spoken to'...not nicked...just given advice about driving conduct.
I personally received hours of advice from serving Trafpols sitting in the passenger seat to help me in observing, prepare for IAM Special and to go for RoSPA.
Many of the 'rank and file' lads have a real interest in avoiding having to give the knock on the door at midnight to parents!
BOF
ED209 said:
Google - operation dragoon northumbria police.
.http://www.polfed.org/newsroom/3395.aspx
Do I get merit points?
Moonhawk said:
They'd reduce casualties more IMO by cutting hedges around junctions etc - aiding visibility.......but this wouldn't prevent evil speeding drivers.
The highway code should be on the national curriculum. Making more people aware that the highway code doesnt just apply to drivers would help.
The cutting hedges thing <-- absolutely. They may be planted/grown to deliberately slow drivers down but being able to checkout roundabout traffic before entry and stopping can make for smoother driving and avoid unnecessary stopping and, I guess, reduce fuel consumption a tad.The highway code should be on the national curriculum. Making more people aware that the highway code doesnt just apply to drivers would help.
I think gaining the IAM qualification is too difficult and time-consuming and something else, an IAM-lite kind of thing, may be useful as a refresher course for drivers, to reinforce lane discipline say, educate on roundabout and junction etiquette, defensive driving smarts, and tell/show people how to avoid holding other people up.
Chris944 said:
I think gaining the IAM qualification is too difficult and time-consuming and something else, an IAM-lite kind of thing, may be useful as a refresher course for drivers, to reinforce lane discipline say, educate on roundabout and junction etiquette, defensive driving smarts, and tell/show people how to avoid holding other people up.
It doesn't need to be. I have RoSPA "Gold" passes both in a car and on a bike, both have been achieved by reading Roadcraft, thinking about the system, understanding what is being talked about and why and then practising in my own time whilst going about my normal day to day business. For both vehicle types I have then had a single observed ride/drive before the test and then gone for it. In fairness I wasn't expecting "Golds" but achieved them because I understood what I was doing and why rather than robotically following a mantra, there are always things in a test that enable you to demonstrate understanding rather than blind adherence and that is what separates the grades of pass. A RoSPA Gold is arguable harder to achieve than an IAM pass and I've proved twice that it can be done with minimal commitment and tutoring just thinking and understanding. Back to the original question and although not a Police initiative I honestly think the Biker Down Scheme which is being adopted by Fire Services all over the country is the best one. Because it's done by the Fire Service And not the Police it takes the entire enforcement, suspicion and mistrust elements out of the equation and concentrates purely on the important bit of keeping people alive.
The HA ran a "keep left" campaign a few years ago. Essentially it amounted to most unused signs on the target motorway being filled with "stay in the left lane" and "keep left unless overtaking" and "don't hog the middle lane" etc. I had some correspondance with them after singing the praises of the campaign, sadly I've not seen anything similar since.
To bring balance, my local council has installed enormous speed bumps on the only road to and from the village. Not only does it cause huge congestion because of buses travelling very slowly down the road and nobody wanting to overtake over speed bumps, it's also a killer for fuel economy. Handily I have discovered that I can keep my TVR in first gear, and the space between the speed bumps means I can accelerate up to the speed limit, use the overrun to slow down to a manageable pace to go over a bump, rinse and repeat.
To bring balance, my local council has installed enormous speed bumps on the only road to and from the village. Not only does it cause huge congestion because of buses travelling very slowly down the road and nobody wanting to overtake over speed bumps, it's also a killer for fuel economy. Handily I have discovered that I can keep my TVR in first gear, and the space between the speed bumps means I can accelerate up to the speed limit, use the overrun to slow down to a manageable pace to go over a bump, rinse and repeat.
souper said:
The introduction of mandatory wearing of seatbelts, pretty much everyone prior to the introduction didn't wear one even though they were fitted to most cars.
I remember the day of introduction and feeling like a bit of a dick putting on the belt for the first time, but then noticed every other driver was doing the same.
Yes I know some still don't agree with it but I feel like somethings' missing if I start to drive off with it off even if just reversing up a driveway. Weird.
I appreciate what you are saying, but the reality is seat belts have nothing to do with road safety; they are only deployed when you are actually having an accident. There is also significant evidence that all crash limitation devices contribute considerably to the effect of risk compensation, actually having a negative effect on driving standards, and therefore road safety.I remember the day of introduction and feeling like a bit of a dick putting on the belt for the first time, but then noticed every other driver was doing the same.
Yes I know some still don't agree with it but I feel like somethings' missing if I start to drive off with it off even if just reversing up a driveway. Weird.
J
jith said:
souper said:
The introduction of mandatory wearing of seatbelts, pretty much everyone prior to the introduction didn't wear one even though they were fitted to most cars.
I remember the day of introduction and feeling like a bit of a dick putting on the belt for the first time, but then noticed every other driver was doing the same.
Yes I know some still don't agree with it but I feel like somethings' missing if I start to drive off with it off even if just reversing up a driveway. Weird.
I appreciate what you are saying, but the reality is seat belts have nothing to do with road safety; they are only deployed when you are actually having an accident. There is also significant evidence that all crash limitation devices contribute considerably to the effect of risk compensation, actually having a negative effect on driving standards, and therefore road safety.I remember the day of introduction and feeling like a bit of a dick putting on the belt for the first time, but then noticed every other driver was doing the same.
Yes I know some still don't agree with it but I feel like somethings' missing if I start to drive off with it off even if just reversing up a driveway. Weird.
J
Vaud said:
Can you share that evidence? I would have though that belts have a significant upside for overall safety outcomes - not least the passengers.
The point is valid though. Virtually everybody now would drive more carefully if they took a one-off journey without a functioning seatbelt. Therefore, although the seatbelt is likely to reduce the damage after an accident, it is also increasing the likelyhood of an accident occurring in the first place.The same logic applies to the likelyhood of aggressive driving in a Nissan Micra as opposed to a Mitsubishi Shogun. The Micra driver is likely to feel more vulnerable than the Shogun driver, and vice-versa.
Vaud said:
souper said:
The only scheme I think worked was the 'Green Cross Code' adverts in the 70's most who'd seen them would still remember the look listen part and still use it today.
There was one with "Charlie says" but I can't remember the points it was trying to make, only the Prodigy remix.mel said:
It doesn't need to be. I have RoSPA "Gold" passes both in a car and on a bike, both have been achieved by reading Roadcraft, thinking about the system, understanding what is being talked about and why and then practising in my own time whilst going about my normal day to day business.
Hmmm, I'm ROSPA Gold in the car but couldn't even get to IAM standard on a bike.I actually did the bike first and whilst doing the commentary on my car test the examiner actually said "this is why I like taking bikers through commentary as you realise how much more they are seeing than most car drivers" right or wrong that's as he said it. It was after I'd commented about seeing the very top of a caravan over a crest and that I was moving left to pre empt, the caravan, the queue behind it, and the car that would probably be sticking it's nose out to have a look at grabbing the overtake, as I said it we crested the ridge and there was a Caterham out having a look.
Really? I doubt it.
Bert
Bert
jith said:
I appreciate what you are saying, but the reality is seat belts have nothing to do with road safety; they are only deployed when you are actually having an accident. There is also significant evidence that all crash limitation devices contribute considerably to the effect of risk compensation, actually having a negative effect on driving standards, and therefore road safety.
J
J
cmaguire said:
The point is valid though. Virtually everybody now would drive more carefully if they took a one-off journey without a functioning seatbelt. Therefore, although the seatbelt is likely to reduce the damage after an accident, it is also increasing the likelyhood of an accident occurring in the first place.
The same logic applies to the likelyhood of aggressive driving in a Nissan Micra as opposed to a Mitsubishi Shogun. The Micra driver is likely to feel more vulnerable than the Shogun driver, and vice-versa.
But assumes that all want to be good drivers.The same logic applies to the likelyhood of aggressive driving in a Nissan Micra as opposed to a Mitsubishi Shogun. The Micra driver is likely to feel more vulnerable than the Shogun driver, and vice-versa.
And ignores sudden mechanical failures, etc
It's a logical fallacy.
tapereel said:
caelite said:
I cant for the life of me remember what it was called but the proactive police bike riding safety scheme where a pro police rider takes a group of bikers out and critiques there riding habits.
Seemed like a good scheme, apparently police on the scheme where mostly accepting of motorcyclists only loosely following the law.
http://www.bikesafe.co.ukSeemed like a good scheme, apparently police on the scheme where mostly accepting of motorcyclists only loosely following the law.
I've been on a few of these and I don't recall the police instructors "...accepting of motorcyclists only loosely following the law".
caelite said:
Bikesafe, thats definitely the one. Pal went on one a long while ago, I can remember him saying that the officers he did it with where very open to the bikers 'making progress' on open NSL roads.
Which only goes to show that you never know where you stand with the Police these days. Come across one in a 70 limit and you've no idea whether they are an 'up to 85 is ok' type or a part of the new breed that appear to buy into all the crap being peddled.Dr Jekyll said:
mel said:
It doesn't need to be. I have RoSPA "Gold" passes both in a car and on a bike, both have been achieved by reading Roadcraft, thinking about the system, understanding what is being talked about and why and then practising in my own time whilst going about my normal day to day business.
Hmmm, I'm ROSPA Gold in the car but couldn't even get to IAM standard on a bike.Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff