The Somerset Road Safety Partnership has joined forces with local driving instructors in a new initiative to reduce the number of young people killed and injured on the county’s roads.
The partnership has organised a series of workshops to provide instructors with information on a wide range of road safety issues.
More than 50 instructors attended the first series of workshops which included sessions on accident investigation, safety cameras, drink and drug use and a talk by Dr Cris Burgess of the School of Psychology at Exeter University, on driving attitudes and behaviour.
Rina Cameron, of the Somerset Road Safety Partnership, said: “Driving instructors are in a unique position to underline safety messages, particularly to young drivers, in a way which will influence their behaviour behind the wheel hopefully for the rest of their lives.
“Feedback from the first series of workshops was extremely positive. The instructors told us they found the sessions extremely interesting and very helpful.”
Trevor Wedge, chief driving examiner from the Driving Standards Agency, said: “DSA is very supportive of this scheme and appreciates the work of everyone involved in developing it, and the efforts taken by the driver trainers in completing it.”
The courses, which also included modules on marketing and business skills, form part of the driving instructors’ Continuous Professional Development programme.
For more information contact Rina Cameron on 0844 980 0028.
I welcome measures which will help road safety, but while road crashes continue to be referred to accidents by the media and by others, then we will not get the message across that Breaking the Law is a Criminal Offence. Virtually all Crashes are caused by someone Breaking the Law -eg. speeding, on a mobile, jumping traffic lights, ignoring cross roads – junctions – zebra crossings and school crossings.
Also, Surley the correct terminology is Collision Investigations, as in the Road Death Manual – not accident investigations.
Road Deaths of innocent men, women and children in a random unprovoked attack of Road Violence by another road user who used their vehicle as a lethal weapon whilst committing one or more criminal offences and Playing Russian Roulette with the lives of people going about their daily lives. This is worst type of Road Violence and as such should be treated as that of Gun and Knife Violence, as all are Violent Crimes Against the Person.
Amazingly we hear driver behaviour – not criminal driving, which is endangering the lives of innocent people.
Judith Hall – Essex
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