The latest road safety news in brief:
- Road safety professionals urged to register for UK Road Safety Week (30 June)
- Government publishes £6.1bn programme of road network upgrades (30 June)
- Kent County Council becomes latest to adopt Project Pictogram (29 June)
- Road safety seminar to feature at Emergency Services Show (28 June)
- US company proposes special lanes for self-driving vehicles (26 June)
- Roadside lorry checks to include emissions test from August (26 June)
Click here to read the road safety news in brief from the week commencing 19 June.
30 Jun: 12.30
Road safety professionals urged to register for UK Road Safety Week
Road safety professionals can now register for UK Road Safety Week 2017 (20-26 November), which this year carries the message ‘Speed Down Save Lives’.
Organised by Brake, UK Road Safety Week is described as the UK’s biggest road safety event and has been running now for 20 years.
Brake says the event provides a great opportunity for road safety professionals to join forces with local partners to run high-profile community engagement and awareness campaigns promoting safer roads on this year’s theme.
The road safety charity is encouraging road safety professionals to go to the Road Safety Week website and register for a free action pack.
Dave Nichols, community engagement manager for Brake, said: “Speeding remains a major problem in the UK. Not only does it put people’s lives at risk every single day, but it prevents them from being able to walk and cycle safely in their communities. That is why we’re encouraging everyone to Speed Down Save Lives this Road Safety Week.”
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30 Jun: 11.15
Government publishes £6.1bn programme of road network upgrades
Road users will benefit from shorter journey times, reduced congestion and increased capacity on roads says the DfT, as it publishes details of a £6.1bn progroamme of road network upgrades.
Unveiled today (30 June) by transport minister Jesse Norman, the programme of road improvements comes as part of a wider £23bn Government plan to upgrade to the road network in England.
Over the next six months, the Government will take the next steps on 55 road improvements across the country, including opening eight schemes, consulting on 10 schemes and publishing final plans for another 29 schemes.
Jesse Norman said: "Road users across England should soon be seeing the benefits of these improvements in their daily lives, which are designed to link people better with their jobs, friends, family and local amenities, as well as connecting businesses with customers.
"Over the next six months we expect to roll out our vital upgrade plan — taking next steps on £6.1bn worth of schemes and seeking to hear from local people, organisations and businesses to help shape our plans and ensure they benefit local communities.
Mr Norman also announced that he is set to reveal the winners of the 2017 to 2018 highways maintenance challenge fund, which will see the Government invest £75m to improve smaller local roads through resurfacing, filling potholes and other infrastructure projects.
THURSDAY 29 JUNE
29 Jun: 13.30
Kent County Council becomes latest to adopt Project Pictogram
Kent County Council has become the latest authority to display Project Pictogram artwork on its highways fleet (pictured below).
Launched in March 2016, Project Pictogram encourages UK fleets to use an industry standard set of vehicle stickers to communicate the dangers of the ‘fatal four’: inappropriate speed, using a mobile phone while driving, not wearing a seatbelt and drink/drug driving.
The initiative was developed by the Hampshire Road Safety Partnership and is promoted by Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service. It is endorsed by a number of the UK’s road safety stakeholders including RoSPA, IAM and the ABI.
Other councils and organisations who have signed up to Project Pictogram include Home Retail Group (Homebase), Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council and Hampshire FA.
WEDNESDAY 28 JUNE
28 Jun: 09.30
Road safety seminar to feature at Emergency Services Show
The 2017 Emergency Services Show will be held at the NEC, Birmingham, on 20-21 September.
The annual event will feature a new CPD-accredited road safety seminar and an ‘extrication competition’, organised in conjunction with West Midlands Fire Service.
More than 80 voluntary groups, NGOs, supporting suppliers and charities assisting the bluelight services will attend the show, which has now been running for a decade.
In total there will be more than 400 exhibitors, providing a unique opportunity to network and engage with the police, fire and ambulance services.
Click here to find out more.
MONDAY 26 JUNE
26 Jun: 14.30
US company proposes special lanes for self-driving vehicles
A US company is proposing special lanes on roads purely for self-driving vehicles. (BBC Click)
The Hyperlanes would be controlled by a central computer allowing self-driving cars to travel along at speeds over 100mph (160kph).
In an interview with BBC Click, Baiyu Chen, a co-founder of Hyperlane, said: "You would use access stations in your local neighbourhoods and once you enter the station your car would start driving themselves and they would launch into Hyperlane. After that point, the car would be able to drive itself and you can just sit back and continue sipping your coffee and check your phone."
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26 Jun: 12.00
Roadside lorry checks to include emissions test from August
From August 2017, roadside checks of lorries carried out by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) will include an emissions test.
Announced in a press release yesterday (25 June), the DVSA will target lorry drivers and operators who try to cheat vehicle emissions as part of plans to help to improve air quality.
In May, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs published a draft plan to improve air quality by reducing nitrogen dioxide levels in the UK.
This included looking at ways to reduce emissions produced by vehicles, especially those used commercially. A final plan will be published by 31 July.
Gareth Llewellyn, DVSA chief executive, said: "DVSA’s priority is to protect you from unsafe drivers and vehicles. We are committed to taking dangerous vehicles off Britain’s roads and this new initiative to target emissions fraud is a key part of that.
"Anyone who flouts the law is putting other road users, and the quality of our air, at risk. We won’t hesitate to take these drivers, operators and vehicles off our roads."
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