Achievements & Performance : On the Road
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| The RoSPA Road Safety team. |
Supporting and Raising Awareness of Managing Occupational Road Risk
Encouragingly, an increasing number of businesses approached RoSPA during the year for guidance on incorporating Managing Occupational Road Risk (MORR) into their mainstream health and safety policies.
RoSPA has been seeking views on a management standard for MORR, which will provide a benchmark for managers when checking that they have suitable people, policies and procedures in place.
RoSPA formed a unique partnership with the UK’s largest supermarket chain, Tesco. Van drivers serving Tesco.com are now put through ROADTest, the first advanced driving test for occupational drivers. To implement the plan, Tesco has trained ROADTest examiners from within its own ranks. And Ryder, one of the country’s leading commercial vehicle, fleet management and supply chain companies, developed a training scheme with RoSPA so that the driving skills of 900 employees are assessed each year – 20 lead drivers are being trained to become in-house assessors.
The Society’s Driver Profiler was named Innovative Road Safety Product of the Year at the Highways Magazine Excellence Awards. The online risk assessment tool had previously won the British Safety Industry Federation Product Innovation Award.
Development began on new driver theory workshops, which will be tailored to the needs of individual businesses wanting to change the behaviour of drivers to make them safer on the roads.
RoSPA provides the secretariat for, and continues to campaign with, the Occupational Road Safety Alliance (ORSA) which presses for MORR to be incorporated into employers’ health and safety policy and practice.
The Society is part of the Department for Transport’s Driving for Work Champions programme which supports organisations committed to work-related road safety.
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Seminars were held to brief road safety professionals on the new laws on child restraints in cars. |
Improving Driving and Riding Standards
As well as updating its motorcycling policy paper, the Society gave written and oral evidence to the House of Commons Transport Committee’s inquiry into the Government’s Motorcycling Strategy. Written evidence was given to the same committee’s inquiry into novice drivers. RoSPA continued to contribute to the Department for Transport’s Road Safety Advisory Panel.
Up to 10,000 people a day were logging on to RoSPA’s website www.childcarseats.org.uk before the introduction of new laws on child restraints in cars. Seminars were held to brief road safety professionals about the changes and hundreds of calls from members of the public were dealt with by the Society’s Information Centre.
The Society campaigned strongly on issues such as speed, drink and drug driving, sentencing and driver behaviour. It supported moves to alter the system under which Britain changes its clocks, because switching to lighter evenings all year round could save 450 deaths and serious injuries on the roads each year. A poll on RoSPA’s website showed massive backing for the plan.
Improving Drivers’ and Riders’ Behaviour
With driving and riding at inappropriate speeds still a major problem, the Society published Top Ten Tips to Stay Within the Speed Limit. Other publications included leaflets on driving for work, covering driver assessment and training and in-vehicle technology, such as the correct use of satellite-navigation systems. Around 50,000 copies of a leaflet on Carrying Other People’s Children Safely in vehicles were distributed. A Volunteer Driver's Handbook and a Guide to Safer Motorcycling Through Work were completed as well as a Theatre in Education support pack.
Thousands of people have used the new online Stopping Distances Simulator – www.stoppingdistances.org.uk - which demonstrates the effects of driving too fast or when impaired by alcohol or distracted by mobile phone use.
A toolkit has been produced to help professionals promote refresher driver training and RoSPA is a partner in a project to develop adult education learning materials raising awareness about the risks and consequences of road crashes.
RoSPA staff in Scotland and Wales work with key players in the road safety movement. Activities in Wales included involvement with the Pass Plus Cymru scheme, enhancing post-test training for 17-25 year-olds, and a study into the cause of young driver collisions. In Scotland, briefings have been prepared for MPs, MSPs and MEPs and seminars staged on a variety of road safety topics.
RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders
More than 50 RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders groups around the UK continued to play an important role in improving driver and rider behaviour. More support was provided for the network of experienced volunteers who give free tuition to people wanting to take the RoSPA advanced test. A new website has been developed to not only serve RoSPA advanced drivers and riders, but to provide information on safer driving and riding techniques for all road users. New groups were established and more are planned.
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RoSPA is a registered charity: Registered Charity No: 207823 Patron: Her Majesty the Queen RoSPA Head Office: Edgbaston Park, 353 Bristol Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B5 7ST, UK |
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