UK Government Road Safety Survey 2020

In 2018, 1,784 people were killed on Britain’s roads – this included 456 pedestrians and 48 children. In addition, 25,511 people were seriously injured. 

The Government is currently reviewing roads policing, and what the future of traffic law enforcement may look like. They are keen to hear your views and invite you to complete this short survey to help inform the Police and Crime Commissioner’s response to Government.

Contribute to the Survey on here: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/apccsaferoads

International Childfree Day 2019 – Spotlight: Childfree Volunteers in Kent Community Speedwatch

Today I am going to thank childfree volunteers, and I want put a special spotlight on childfree volunteers, some being co-ordinators, who take part in Kent Community Speedwatch.

Kent Community Speedwatch is a scheme where members of the community help record speeders in the area with full support from the police. The data is given to them and they send out letters to serial offenders and high speeders, some are hand delivered. If the driver continues to speed, they are put on a Police Watch list.

Many childfree people are willing to give up their time, at all sorts of weird hours between sunrise and sunset, to help reduce casualties of all ages in their towns and villages round Kent. They often have the flexiblity and commitment to attend regular sessions of recording sites to provide police with a lot of valuable data. Sometimes they are up on a weekdays at 7am setting up a Speedwatch session when many parents are making breakfast for their kids and getting ready for the school run.

Of course, many parents do also take part in Speedwatch, but as this is International Childfree Day, I am focussing on them. Thanks to the many childfree volunteers who take part in Kent Speedwatch, they have managed to help make their areas much safer and are a credit to their teams.

In order to take part in Speedwatch, volunteers have to be 18 and older.

For more information on becoming a Speedwatch volunteer, please see https://www.communityspeedwatch.org/, register on the site and find a group in your area you can join and just complete a short training video and one of the group will train you.

London Courts: ITV Cycling Presenter Richard Cunnynghame found guilty of ‘Drunk Cycling’ #summersafetycampaign

As I am doing a Summer Road Safety campaign, here is a story I picked up from the Daily Mail today, which is a little different from the norm, yes, a drunk cyclist and a semi-professional one at that!

I cannot believe how people will put themselves in danger by drunk cycling. And, the fact that he gave the police a ‘police chase’ was also astonishing. Wasting police time too. Think before you cycle.

Cycling and drinking can often go together, which I have seen on my Paris to London experience unfortunately. A lot of cyclists in England, cannot cope without alcohol, and I expect to see many more cases like this. I don’t drink so I won’t get this issue myself and even if I did, I wouldn’t be as stupid as this guy, who tried to get away with it.

This guy brings cyclists like us into disrepute and even his company, he works for.

Check out the story here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4671228/Drunk-TV-presenter-crashed-police-car-chase.html?ito=social-twitter_dailymailUK

Anti-Dangerous Driving Campaign: Booze Driver, Suzanne Barritt from, Westerham, Sevenoaks BANNED!

SEVENOAKS MAGISTRATES COURT

A woman aged 37, from the pretty ‘Winston Churchill’s’ village of Westerham, had been caught drunk driving nearby, in Brasted, by Kent Police with her Landrover Freelander.

She had ploughed into the car in front of her. Her solicitor, weakly, tried to get her off, but the judge saw sense and banned her from driving for 12 months, and also fined her.

In most cases, motorists who crash into the car in front, the blame anyway. A car went into me once in a 20mph in Sevenoaks because a woman drove her car with crap brakes but she got the blame.

Kent Police are currently undergoing a Summer Drink Driving Awareness campaign which was very well publicised. I am happy to report drunk drivers on my blog to raise awareness too.

DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE, AND WRECK YOUR CAREER TOO. CHOOSE AN ALCOHOL FREE MOCKTAIL OR OTHER ALTERNATIVE. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BEING DRUNK AND IN CHARGE OF A CAR, AND IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN TOO, THERE ARE NO WORDS FOR THIS.

More on the Story: http://www.kentlive.news/this-drink-driver-was-involved-in-a-crash-before-she-was-arrested/story-30425461-detail/story.html

London: Black Cab driver caught using a Tablet while driving in Southwark

A professional black cab driver was caught driving with a large tablet today in Southwark, London.

Black cab drivers are reknowned to be ‘the best in the world’, and tourists are encouraged to use them, rather than dodgy mini-cabs. They are supposed to be expert drivers.

The black cab driver denied he was breaking the law, even though his cab’s engine was running, and he was on busy main road. As a professional black cab driver, you would think that after years of being on the road, that driving with a mobile phone in the UK is illegal. He was quite willing to take risks with his career too, as a motorist these days can risk getting 6 points on their licence and a big fine. In some cases, getting so many points will get them disqualified.

However, when he noticed a camera pointing towards him, he put it away. Out of all the cars in the road, at that time, including ‘white van drivers’, he was only one driving with a computer.

March 2017: UK Motorists driving with mobile phones risk losing licence (and job)

From 1 March, new laws came into force targeting feral motorists risking other people’s lives. Motorists will  now be given an instant six points as opposed to three points which it used to be, and £200 fine instead of £100.Overseas motorists will have to pay their fine immediately.

New motorists, and those who already have several motoring offences will be hardest hit. In the UK, the number of penalty points a motorist can have is 12, though there are some exceptions.

Despite a vigorous awareness campaign, many motorists in the UK are continuing to drive with a mobile phone to check their social media and text.  Already the crackdown has caught many , some of whom have  now lost their licence instantly and will need to re-take their tests, which will be time consuming and expensive for them, and a nuisance to their relatives.

Some professional drivers have also been caught which has harmed their career and prospects. The Times said that a news reporter who was going to report on the story about motorists driving with mobile phones, was actually caught by police driving with one. You cannot make this up!

Some of the rules:

• It Is illegal to use a handheld mobile when driving. This includes using your phone to follow a map, read a text or check social media. This applies even if you’re stopped at traffic lights, queuing in traffic or if the engine is running.
• Motorists are allowed to use hands-free phones – but must not press any buttons on their phone to make calls.
• You can only use a handheld phone if you are safely parked or need to call 999 or 112 in an emergency and it’s unsafe or impractical to stop.
• If you’re caught using a handheld phone while driving, you’ll get 6 penalty points on your licence
• Drivers will get a fine of £200.
• Points on your licence will result in higher insurance costs.
• There is a 6-point limit set in the first two years after passing your test, so the 6 points from a mobile phone offence will mean you will lose your licence.
• New motorists who lose their licence will need to reapply for a provisional licence and retake both theory and practical driving tests.
• Using hands free (e.g. for navigation) is not illegal. However, if this distracts you and affects your ability to drive safely, you can still be prosecuted by the police.

Source: Think

Many people think these laws are still too soft, and I would agree as I think all motorists who drive with a mobile should have an instant ban and ideally their  car should be crushed to stop them still driving, but I would say years later, we will be able to gather statistics and can take a look at it again. If there is still no improvement, obviously tougher laws must be taken.

As 1 in 24 of us are sociopaths, the laws will bound tougher in years to come.

Don’t Drink Drive, you could lose your home

My neighbour was a middle-aged builder who bought an old oast house and he put all his hard work into making his home a nice place and showed off to  the neighbours. After three years of working on it, he was caught drink driving by Kent Police and he was banned for several months.

His wife didn’t work so he was the main breadwinner. Without being able to drive for his work, he fell behind with the mortgage payments. Clearly this created problems at home, and his relationship fell apart and he divorced. A few months after this, his home he worked so hard on, was sold and he moved away from the area. And there of course is the embarrassment as all his neighbours knew what happened as an article appeared in the local paper that he was a drink driver.

All because he chose to drink and drive.