A recap of the road safety news in brief from 14 March to 08 April.
FRIDAY 08 APRIL
08 Apr: 10.00
Read: Road safety minister’s address on the future of road maintenance
Road Safety minister Andrew Jones gave a keynote address on the future of road maintenance at the Road Surface Treatments Association conference yesterday (7 April).
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WEDNESDAY 06 APRIL
06 Apr: 14.30
Vietnam traffic offender skips fine by writing 50 lines
A Vietnamese police force is winning plaudits after letting a woman avoid a traffic fine by writing 50 lines promising not to repeat the offence, it’s reported. (BBC News)
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TUESDAY 05 APRIL
05 Apr: 13.00
‘Smarter motorway’ opens for drivers on the M1
The final phase of a £205 million upgrade to improve journey times and reduce congestion on a 20 mile section of the M1 spanning the East Midlands and South Yorkshire went live today.
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FRIDAY 01 APRIL
01 Apr: 10.45
Ireland’s police officers ‘cut out for the job’
Thousands of motorists on Mayo roadways will be duped by an April fool’s trick with a difference — a life-size cardboard cut-out of a garda with a speed gun faced at the traffic.
Read more on the initiative
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THURSDAY 31 MARCH
31 Mar: 11.30
New app brings ‘gamification’ to car insurance
The Norfolk-based insurance broker Adrian Flux has launched the UK’s ‘only’ telematics insurance policy to give drivers daily updates of their next renewal premium, based on the quality of their driving, via a handy smartphone app.
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WEDNESDAY 30 MARCH
30 Mar: 14.15
EU changes night-time driving rules for people with diabetes
Changes to the European Commission’s driving rules will mean that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) will be asked to overturn its ban on drivers with diabetes who have severe hypoglycaemia when they are asleep.
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TUESDAY 29 MARCH
29 Mar: 12.00
Operation checks validity of driving instructors in Wales
A joint operation between North Wales Police and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to check that driving Instructors were qualified and registered with the DVSA was carried out in the Bangor area on 23 March.
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THURSDAY 24 MARCH
24 Mar: 13.00
It’s time to address the problem of time – RoSPA
Ahead of the clock change on Sunday, RoSPA is asking for the Government to consider implementing Single/Double Summer Time (SDST) for a set trial period so that its potentially life-saving effects can be properly and accurately assessed.
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WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH
23 Mar: 15.30
Roadworks to be cleared for Easter
More than 450 miles of major roadworks will be lifted over the four-day Easter break as Highways England says that it wants to make journeys better for families.
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23 Mar: 12.00
IAM and Under 17 Car Club form partnership
Driving charities the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Under 17 Car Club (U17CC) have joined together in a bid to provide young drivers a unique pathway to safe and enjoyable driving before even passing their test.
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TUESDAY 22 MARCH
22 Mar: 10.00
Clerics to bless Mayo roads in novel road safety bid
Clerics in Co. Mayo will this weekend bless the county’s roads in a novel ceremony aimed at creating road safety awareness in a bid to reducing the number of people who die in traffic accidents each year.
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MONDAY 21 MARCH
21 Mar: 13.45
£38m fund will use F1 technology to design greener cars
Formula 1 technology could soon make family cars lighter, improve fuel efficiency and help plug-in vehicles go further – after an ‘innovative’ research project won a share of a £38.2m government prize.
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FRIDAY 18 MARCH
18 Mar: 11.30
Nominations open for Wales’ Road Safety Awards 2016
The nominations for the annual Welsh Road Safety Awards are now open, with the deadline on 15 April. The awards recognise the good practice, innovative projects and personal contributions to road safety.
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THURSDAY 17 MARCH
17 Mar: 12.30
New sat-nav range features safer driving alerts
The sat-nav manufacturer Garmin has unveiled a new product lineup which boasts a number of driver alerts to encourage safer driving and situational awareness.
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WEDNESDAY 16 MARCH
16 Mar: 13.30
IAM provides tips on how to cope with a motorway breakdown
The IAM’s director of policy and research, Neil Greig, is advising drivers on how to cope with a breakdown on the motorway with six essential tips.
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16 Mar: 10.00
Google calls on US to shake-up self-driving car laws (BBC News)
Google’s self-driving car chief has urged lawmakers to ensure the US sets consistent laws for the technology.
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TUESDAY 15 MARCH
15 Mar: 11.00
GEM makes donation to support Project Edward
Road safety organisation GEM has made a donation to support the forthcoming European Day Without A Road Death (Project EDWARD), which takes place on 21 September.
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MONDAY 14 MARCH
14 Mar: 14.45
Twitter: Emojis tell the story
☀️ day
quiet road 🛣
but if you’re 🍔 or 🍼 or looking ⬇️ at your 📲
then 💥🚗 the kerb
it’s 🎮 over#eyesontheroad pic.twitter.com/87ei4t3P8q
— Road Safety Wales (@RoadSafetyWales) March 14, 2016
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14 Mar: 13.00
‘Switch off traffic lights to ease congestion’
Traffic lights could be switched off in towns and cities across the country in a bid to ease congestion and improve journey times after the idea was put forward by Conservative MP Philip Hollobone.
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14 Mar: 11.00
European-wide seatbelt enforcement operation takes place this week
Police officers across Europe will be conducting seatbelt checks throughout this week (14 to 20 March) as part of an operation organised by TISPOL.
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