Tag: drivers

Fatigue Wake-Up Call for Scotland’s Drivers

New campaign warns drivers: Driving Tired Kills

A powerful new campaign by The Scottish Government and Road Safety Scotland* to tackle the serious issue of driver fatigue, launched today with a clear message for all drivers – Driving Tired Kills.

Fatigue is a contributory factor in crashes which kill or seriously injure around 50 people every year in Scotland.1

In 2018, 14 people died on Scotland’s roads due to fatigue (nine per cent of all road deaths),2 however experts estimate that the real figure is much higher, with up to 30 per cent of all collisions involving driver fatigue.3

Sleep related collisions are around 50 per cent more likely to result in death or serious injury as they tend to be high speed impacts.4

Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Michael Matheson said: “We are committed to achieving safer road travel in Scotland for everyone. Driver fatigue is a severe problem that causes too many serious and fatal road collisions each year.

“Drivers should plan their journeys well in advance, ensure they are well rested before setting out and take breaks every two hours. It’s simple yet powerful advice which can help save many lives on Scotland’s roads.”

Many of the counter measures drivers use (opening a window, turning up the radio) have been shown to be ineffective. A two second micro-sleep at 30 mph can result in complete transition from one lane to the next and you will be unable to notice or react to a child stepping out on the road5. 

Sleep expert Christine Poulter, honorary strategic clinical advisor, Society of Occupational Medicine said: “Fatigue is a major safety issue on our roads. Sleep deprivation can result in micro-sleeps at the wheel causing fatalities for the driver, passengers and other unsuspecting road users or pedestrians.

“Most adults require between seven to nine hours sleep every night; five hours sleep is not enough to function safely. It’s important to keep regular sleep patterns when you can, especially if you are working shifts. Going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time, will programme your body to sleep better to help combat fatigue.”

Drivers often experience early signs of feeling tired such as yawning, eyes dropping and head-nodding, and should stop for a rest as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Blair Boyd, workplace fatigue expert and chartered health and safety practitioner said: “Having felt the effects of fatigue while working shifts, I would never get behind the wheel when tired.  The consequences are just too great. 

“The effects of fatigue are comparable to driving under the influence of alcohol, which we would not accept in society.   With better education and understanding, employers can work to reduce the risk of driver fatigue by planning and managing workloads and shift patterns.”

The new multi-media marketing campaign will run on multiple channels including TV, digital, outdoor, radio, PR and social media.

The thought-provoking advertising features a striking close-up of a tired driver’s eye, with the road ahead reflected in it. After a long blink, the road reappears in the eye, however the car drifts towards the centre of the road as the eye droops further and finally remains closed, resulting in a head on collision with another car and devastating consequences.

For more information visit roadsafety.scot/fatigue or check out the Road Safety Scotland Facebook and Twitter (@roadsafetyscot) pages.

Be Bright, Be Seen winter road safety campaign launch tomorrow

City police we will be joining The City of Edinburgh Council at the launch of a  campaign to raise awareness of issues experienced by those who cycle and those who drive on Edinburgh’s road network tomorrow. The launch is taking place at Middle Meadow Walk at North Meadow Walk between 4pm and 6pm.

It is important that we share road space responsibly and ensure that all road users “look out for each other”. Everyone should take extra care and look properly when turning at road junctions.

• Cyclists can help by wearing bright clothing or reflective accessories and making sure they use lights during the hours of darkness, which must be lit!
• Drivers can help by keeping an eye out for cyclists and allowing them plenty of room – at least as much room as they would for another vehicle.

Pedestrians can also benefit from wearing brightly coloured clothes or using high visibility items so they can be easily seen and we can all benefit from looking properly, without distractions such as mobile phones.

Check the Streets Ahead website for more information – http://ow.ly/llVy50wS0jW

MiDAS training with PEP

MiDAS training at PEP: Friday 9 September

PEPvan

Accredited Minibus Training (MiDAS) – limited places still available for Friday 9 September 
Pilton Equalities Project (PEP) is registered with the Community Transport Association funded through the City of Edinburgh Council and recognised as the community transport operator for the North Edinburgh quadrant.  We are a partner of the Edinburgh Community Transport Operators Group (ECTOG) PEP, Dove Transport, SEAG and LCTS.
MiDAS is the nationally recognised Minibus Driver Awareness training Scheme, organised by the Community Transport Association U.K. (CTA) which promotes a nationally recognised standard for the assessment and training of minibus drivers. It is a membership based scheme that is designed to enhance minibus driving standards and promote the safer operation of minibuses,
It comprises low cost classroom-based training, plus an on-road driving assessment, as well as oponal Passenger Assistance training (PAT’s) for drivers who will be transporng passengers with disabilities.
Criteria:
a) Aged over 21 years
b) Held a full Driving Licence for 2 years
As places are limited, for further information on any of our courses call our trainer Theodora Hidalgo on 0131 315 4466 or email pepequalities@btconnect.com
theopepequalities@hotmail.co.uk
PEP applies a good practice model ensuring the Health & Safety of its passengers

 

 

Sacro seeks volunteer drivers

Edinburgh Travel Service postcard 2016-page-0

Do you enjoy driving? Have you got access to a car? Sacro are currently recruiting volunteer drivers for the Sacro Travel Service. The Travel Service transports people to the State Hospital at Carstairs and prisons predominately throughout the central belt of Scotland. Full training is given and expenses are paid.

For more information please contact  Joan Alexander, Travel Service Coordinator, Sacro: email JAlexander@sacro.org.uk or telephone 0131 622 7500.

PEP looking for volunteer drivers

Make a difference in your local community

PEPvan

Pilton Equalities Project is looking to recruit new volunteers to drive minibuses; D1 is required on your driving licence.

For more info contact Elaine Anderson at PEP, telephone 315 4466 or email elainepepequalities@hotmail.co.uk

Driver only POSTER

 

Many thanks
Elaine

Respect! Road users urged to embrace the Nice Way Code

Transport Minister Keith Brown was joined by representatives from Cycling Scotland and the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) yesterday to officially launch a ground-breaking new campaign aimed at all road users.

Starting on 5 August, the Nice Way Code campaign will target pedestrians, cyclists and motorists and ask them to respect one another while out on the road. It asks people to make small changes to their behaviour on the roads, in order to make them a safer and more pleasant place for everyone. The campaign asks drivers to give cyclists more space and overtake them with care, and to look carefully for pedestrians crossing, while cyclists are asked to obey red lights and not cycle on the pavement. Pedestrians are included too, with messages about not trying to cross the road while looking at your phone.

The campaign uses TV ads, accompanied by a poster campaign which uses a humourous take on everyday road signs to deliver the serious messages in an upbeat way which encourages road users to be more respectful of each other, with the key message of ‘Let’s All Get Along. Follow the Nice Way Code.’

Funded by Transport Scotland and initiated by Cycling Scotland, the Nice Way Code campaign has the backing of major organisations that represent road users, such as the IAM, Sustrans, Paths for All and the AA.

Transport Minister Keith Brown said: “The Nice Way Code campaign seeks to build a culture of tolerance and patience between cyclists, motorists, pedestrians and all other road users across Scotland.

“While the numbers of road casualties in Scotland are at their lowest ever level there is still simply no room for complacency. One death on Scotland’s roads is one too many and our focus is on working with key safety partners to reduce the numbers further. I believe this campaign will play its part in making Scotland’s roads safer for all users in the future and raise awareness that road safety really is everyone’s responsibility.

“I am also pleased to announce an additional £200,000 worth of funding for implementing the learning from the pilot partnership programme ‘Smarter Choices, Smarter Places’ which will be allocated to local authorities to introduce local mapping, branding and signage to increase local active travel journeys.”

Ian Aitken, chief executive of Cycling Scotland, said: “Road safety is everyone’s responsibility and it is important we move away from the ‘us and them’ mentality of some drivers, cyclists and pedestrians when in fact almost everybody falls into at least two of those categories.

” Road safety is most effectively achieved through a combination of the three E’s – engineering, education and enforcement, so we see this as being a key step towards educating people about the need for consideration of other road users. In conjunction with measures such as Police Scotland’s recent enforcement campaign to support vulnerable road users and a continued programme of infrastructure investment, this campaign will help everyone know how to respect each other in our shared road space.”

Neil Greig, director of policy and research at the IAM, said: “The IAM supports the Nice Way Code campaign because we believe that sharing the road safely is the key to encouraging more cyclists on our roads.

“IAM research suggests that half of drivers already own a bike but only 19% of them actually use it regularly mainly due to safety concerns. If everyone on the roads can work together to reduce stress, give each other more room and stick to the rules then many more people will be encouraged to dig out their bikes and get back in the saddle.”

AA president Edmund King added: “We have been campaigning for years to break down the tribalism which exists on our roads between some drivers and some cyclists. Road users being individuals are all different, so sometimes they don’t conform, make mistakes or fail to show respect for others.

“When we’re on the roads we should be more at one with each other, sharing the space thoughtfully not provocatively. The Nice Way Code is a brilliant way to encourage all road users to get along in harmony, making our journeys calmer and safer.”

Ian Findlay, chief officer of Scottish charity Paths for All said: “We believe it’s important for all users of roads, paths and pavements to respect each other. It makes good sense, nobody wants to be responsible for an accident or be hurt themselves.

“Our goal is for more people to be active through walking and cycling in their everyday lives and we’ll only succeed if it’s safe and welcoming for all of us to do so. If drivers, cyclists and walkers unite in respect and consideration for one another, getting from A to B will be safer and more enjoyable for everyone.”

Superintendent Iain Murray, head of road policing for Police Scotland, said: “Mutual respect among road users can have a positive effect on road safety and I would encourage it at all times. Police Scotland recently held an initiative aimed at improving the safety of vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians and received positive feedback for our efforts in education and enforcement.

“We have seen in recent weeks the tragic consequences of cyclists and pedestrians being involved in road traffic crashes and incidents and there is a responsibility on all road users to be prepared, act responsibly and be aware of others around them at all times. Police Scotland is committed to keeping people safe on Scotland’s roads and will continue to support campaigns and initiatives which help meet that commitment.”

The initiative goes live on 5 August.

NiceWayCode

Driver warning – don’t leave dogs in hot cars

Dogs die in hot cars

Can you imagine the horror of returning to your car to find your beloved pet dog boiled alive? The Scottish SPCA is urging pet owners not to leave their dogs in hot cars, warning they are risking their animals’ lives by doing so. Concerned members of the public have been contacting the charity’s animal helpline after seeing distressed dogs left in cars during the recent spell of warm weather.

The Scottish SPCA is keen to remind people that leaving a dog in a warm vehicle for even a short period of time can have serious consequences for both the dog and the owner. A 53 year old man from the Glasgow area has already been cautioned this year under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006 with causing two dogs unnecessary suffering after leaving them in a hot vehicle. A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We run this campaign every summer but some owners simply are not getting the message and we fear that they don’t fully appreciate the dangers they are putting their animals in. Many people might not realise that even on warm, cloudy days, cars can effectively turn into ovens and dogs can overheat in minutes. Leaving a window open and providing water is not enough. Being left inside a hot vehicle causes dogs to pant to try to cool down and this can lead to severe dehydration and hyperventilation which is extremely dangerous.

“Most people know what it’s like to get into a car after it’s been sitting in the sun. It’s unbearable and we immediately roll down the windows or turn on the air conditioning. Imagine being trapped inside a hot vehicle wearing a fur coat for minutes, possibly hours, and you are some way to understanding how dogs in hot cars feel.”

The charity is urging owners to leave their animals at home in warm weather rather than taking them on a car journey, stressing that dogs have previously died in Scotland as a result of being left in hot cars.

CS Flynn added: “We aren’t scaremongering. Sadly, we have dealt with cases where dogs’ body temperatures have increased to such a point they have effectively been boiled alive from the inside. The suffering they endured would have been horrendous and what’s even worse is these tragedies were entirely avoidable. Our advice is to leave dogs at home on warm days if they are going to be left in the car for any period of time as it is simply not worth the risk.

“Owners should ensure that their dogs have fresh water available at all times and that there is adequate ventilation in the room. When dogs are kept outdoors, shelter should be provided so they can escape the heat of the sun. Causing an animal unnecessary suffering is a criminal offence and anyone found guilty of doing so can be fined and banned from owning animals. However, there would be no greater punishment than an owner returning to their car to find their dog has died a horrific death due to their own ignorance.”

Scottish SPCA posters highlighting the dangers of leaving dogs in hot cars are available to be displayed in local communities. To request copies please phone the charity’s Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999 and
select option 5.

Alternatively, email info@scottishspca.org, providing the address you wish your posters to be sent to and the number you wish to receive.

Dogs die in hot cars poster