
‘Speed Dating’ once again proved to be a highlight at the 2019 National Road Safety Conference, with 90% of attendees rating the session as ‘good or excellent’.
Speed Dating – which comprises a quick fire series of five-minute presentations about specific campaigns and interventions – was piloted at the 2018 National Conference, and following a successful debut returned this year.
Among the highlights was a presentation by inspector Andy Trotter from Lancashire Constabulary (pictured above), who outlined how the force was providing ‘education on a shoestring’.
Insp Trotter’s presentation stressed the importance of innovation – with a demonstration of a simple, low cost initiative in which pieces of drainpipe are used to measure the height of children.
His presentation was rated ‘good or excellent’ by 86% of delegates.
A presentation by Zena Oliver, road safety manager, Via East Midlands, proved equally popular, also being rated ‘good or excellent’ by 86% of delegates.
Zena’s presentation outlined a campaign to tackle distraction among pedestrians.
‘Ditch the Distraction’ involved using pavement art outside school entrances – and proved to be effective in engaging with young pedestrians.
Another highlight was a presentation by Debbie Huckle, vice chair of 2Wheels London and road safety officer at the London Borough of Brent.
Debbie’s outlined the ‘Angry Al’ #RideBetter social media campaign, launched by 2Wheels London in August.
The campaign comprises eight films which encourage riders to use the roads in a manner that gives them the best chance of staying safer and avoid being involved in a collision.
In total, the films have been viewed approximately 140,000 times across various social media platforms.
Debbie’s presentation was rated ‘good or excellent’ by 85% of delegates.
Click here to view all 12 presentations from the Speed Dating session.
The problem with speed dating is that you make mistakes and poor choices you regret later.
The problem with speeding is that you have less time to correct your mistakes or those that others make.
It’s those sudden changes that lead to loss of control like exceeding the coefficient of friction of the tyre road interface or centripetal forces that roll your vehicle over.
So buy a copy of Roadcraft and make a date with the IAM because you know it makes road sense.
Pat Bolton, Leeds
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