NO EXCUSE: Road safety campaign scoops international award (From Dorset Echo)
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NO EXCUSE: Road safety campaign scoops international award
1:30pm Tuesday 3rd January 2012 in News By Joanna Davis
AWARD: Rob Torok, left, receives the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award from Tony Spalding, representing the prince, watched by the Road Safe team
DORSET’S No Excuse road safety campaign has scooped the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for improving road safety.
The radical campaign was launched after it was revealed that Dorset was the worst performing shire county for achieving a 40 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on the roads.
Joanna Davis speaks to some of those involved in the campaign.
ROAD safety campaigners have told of their delight that the No Excuse campaign has been internationally recognised.
They are celebrating winning the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award after judges praised the campaign’s ‘outstanding’ contribution to improving road safety Partners involved, including members of the police, fire and rescue, Road Safe and the NHS, received the award at a ceremony at Dorset Green Technology Park in Winfrith.
The award was formally presented by HRH Prince Michael of Kent at London’s Savoy Hotel.
The £800,000 No Excuse campaign was launched in January 2010 as a zero tolerance blitz on bad driving.
Since then, the campaign has seen an 18 per cent reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorset’s roads, compared to the 18-month period before it was launched.
There has been a 25 per cent reduction in casualties across Dorset in the same time period.
Brian Austin, project manager for the No Excuse campaign, said: “We’re extremely proud to have received this award.
“The reduction in the number of people killed or seriously injured on Dorset’s roads is very encouraging and all the partners have played an important role in trying to make our roads safer.”
The No Excuse project was one of 50 shortlisted from several hundred international entries before being selected by Prince Michael and his committee to receive the international award.
Chief Inspector Bob Nichols, head of Dorset Police’s traffic unit, said the enforcement and education campaign was changing people’s attitudes.
“Some people say ‘it’s my choice not to wear a seatbelt’.
“But someone who has been involved in a life or death-changing incident has a very different attitude,” he said.
Inspector Nichols added that there has been good feedback from drivers who have been caught driving carelessly.
He said: “Driving is the most dangerous thing you do in everyday life.
“When was the last time people who drive had assistance with their driving?
“Although people don’t volunteer to do the course, the feedback we’ve had from people is that it’s been extraordinary and they’ve changed their habits.”
More than half of local authorities in the South West saw increases in casualties in their areas from 2009 to 2010.
Mr Austin said: “Even accepting that there are many factors that can affect road crash figures, such as the downturn in the economy and severe weather – which both affect traffic volumes – I believe the No Excuse project has played a significant contribution towards the very encouraging fall in road casualties.”
The campaign focuses on the main contributory factors in road collisions known as the ‘fatal four’, which are excessive or inappropriate speed, driver distractions like using a phone while driving, drink or drug driving and not wearing a seatbelt.
Rob Smith, the road safety team manager for Dorset County Council, said: “The success of the No Excuse campaign is down to the different partners – not an individual.
“Most people have been really supportive and almost 95 per cent of people we ask say they recognise the campaign and can tell us about the key four fatal things we’re trying to highlight.
“People have said they would like to see more of a focus on stopping people using mobile phones and texting.”
Dorset Fire and Rescue
Craig Baker, who is head of fire safety at Dorset Fire and Rescue, said the fire brigade was heavily involved in the campaign.
He said: “The paramedics, the police officers and ourselves are the ones who have to turn up at the scene and deal with the aftermath.
“We will do anything we can to prevent it happening to anyone.”
Mr Baker has worked for Dorset Fire and Rescue for 23 years and said he has been to ‘countless’ road accidents – the majority of which could have been prevented through better driver education.
“We’re really pleased for everyone involved with No Excuse and really pleased it’s starting to have an effect on safety.
“If it reduces the number of incidents we are called out to then we cannot fail to support it.”
The Victim
ALEX Mottram, of brain injury charity Headway Dorset, said he thinks No Excuse is a good idea.
Mr Mottram suffered a brain injury after falling off his bike as a teenager.
He said: “I think No Excuse is brilliant and has done really well.
“We’ve been involved with the Dorset Road Safety Partnership, going round and teaching children the importance of wearing cycle helmets.”
Kath Baker, a specialist community nurse at Headway, said: “We’ve had really positive feedback from the children.
“We’ve got a great working partnership with Dorset Police and Sustainable Transport.
“We’re saying that wearing cycle helmets should be compulsory for everyone.”
The doctor
ROB Torok, a consultant in emergency medicine at Dorset County Hospital, has been involved with Dorset Road Safe’s Safe Drive Stay Alive presentations.
The presentations involve a team of first responders visiting schools and showing students a hard-hitting DVD that features a car accident.
The responders pause the DVD and talk about real-life experiences relating to each segment of the accident.
Dr Torok said: “The DVD is hard-hitting, it’s graphic and it doesn’t dress it up.
“It ends with a relative talking about the experience of losing a loved one.
“We want children to be aware of the responsibility that goes with the privilege of driving. When you get behind the wheel of a car you’re in control of half a tonne of metal.
“We’re trying to make people think a bit more.
“It’s really nice to look at the new figures from No Excuse and see a dramatic drop in the number of fatally and seriously injured people.”
Dr Torok said it is a ‘distressing’ experience for the family and friends of people injured on the road and admitted to his department.
“For the relatives and friends it is an experience they will never forget. The saddest thing is that 98 per cent of collisions involve human error.”
Comments(19)
dorsetspeed
says...
3:10pm Tue 3 Jan 12
Dorset has performed extremely badly in casualty reduction for obvious reasons – the same reasons that is has the highest course fees – it is obsessed with making money, which is incompatible with making the roads safer. If the reductions in Dorset are now slightly higher than some other counties what we are probably partly seeing is a bit of “regression to the mean” where the differentials between counties are simply levelling out over time.
“The £800,000 No Excuse campaign was launched in January 2010 as a zero tolerance blitz on bad driving.”
No, a zero tolerance blitz on driving a little over limits much too low, not wearing a seatbelt which won’t effect others, and holding a mobile phone, and only very infrequently when enough drivers are doing it to make it financially worthwhile. But sending a text from a cradle mounted phone, dangerous speeding on 99% of the roads, tailgating, overtaking dangerously, road rage, incompetent driving, lack of attention / awareness / respect of other road users etc etc etc are not targeted at all.
Mr Austin said: “Even accepting that there are many factors that can affect road crash figures, such as the downturn in the economy and severe weather – which both affect traffic volumes – I believe the No Excuse project has played a significant contribution towards the very encouraging fall in road casualties.”
How much, Mr Austin, and how do you calculate this? Why won’t you have a proper, independent study carried out? Would it disagree with you? Why do you call a probable increase in road deaths in 2011 a "very encouraging fall in road casualties"?
Why is Dorset Police unable to tell us where all the money from the course goes? Does this money keep DRS running, and therefore your job? Are you able to ignore this when you send out mobile cameras to locations where they have contributed to a death, where the 85th %ile speed is 15MPH ABOVE the ridiculous 50 limit and 75% of speeds are above, on a perfectly good dual carriageway designed for 70MPH, which anyone with ½ a brain will tell you is an indication only that the limit has now been set far too low?
Instead of where such cameras might actually have some benefit, outside schools, shopping streets etc at busy times where they would only detect a small number of dangerous speeders and therefore make less money?
Why can you not answer any of the nearly 100 articles at www.dorsetspeed.org.
uk which indicate that DRS is only interested in job preservation even if it means making the roads more dangerous?
In this article:
http://www.dorsetech
o.co.uk/news/9448847
.NO_EXCUSE__Campaign
ers_unveil_new_detec
tion_system/
Brian said: “I would prefer not to catch anyone” We believe you, Brian (not). Because if you didn’t catch anyone, no one would fund Dorset Road Safe and you would be out of work.
“The death toll on Dorset’s roads for the whole of 2011 is expected to rise following two recent deaths in a head-on collision near Swanage on November 30.”
Great result, Brian, Dorset Road Unsafe / No Excuse. Did you tell Prince Michael this?
cj07589
says...
3:41pm Tue 3 Jan 12
dorsetspeed
says...
3:47pm Tue 3 Jan 12
dorsetspeed
says...
3:48pm Tue 3 Jan 12
cj07589
says...
4:00pm Tue 3 Jan 12
dorsetspeed
says...
4:24pm Tue 3 Jan 12
burtthebike
says...
5:44pm Tue 3 Jan 12
The only fly in the ointment being Headway, who do the opposite, spreading their inevitable cycle helmet propaganda, and it's sad to see an otherwise positive campaign ruined by this negative victim blaming. Headway's attitude might be excusable if cycle helmets worked, but all the reliable evidence from everywhere with a helmet law shows clearly that at best they make no difference, and at worst make cycling more dangerous. Check out www.cyclehelmets.org for a few facts rather than Headways fairy stories.
So how about it Headway? How about joining in positive road safety and stopping your misguided propaganda campaign about cycle helmets?
burtthebike
says...
5:44pm Tue 3 Jan 12
The only fly in the ointment being Headway, who do the opposite, spreading their inevitable cycle helmet propaganda, and it's sad to see an otherwise positive campaign ruined by this negative victim blaming. Headway's attitude might be excusable if cycle helmets worked, but all the reliable evidence from everywhere with a helmet law shows clearly that at best they make no difference, and at worst make cycling more dangerous. Check out www.cyclehelmets.org for a few facts rather than Headways fairy stories.
So how about it Headway? How about joining in positive road safety and stopping your misguided propaganda campaign about cycle helmets?
unexpected error
says...
5:47pm Tue 3 Jan 12
dorsetspeed
says...
5:51pm Tue 3 Jan 12
Judging from this report, which is mostly written by those whose jobs depend on success. Deaths in 2011 increased, probably when Dorset Road Unsafe have been shouting the loudest about "no excuse".
This scheme is a disaster.
TenBobDylanThomasHardy
says...
7:21pm Tue 3 Jan 12
I seem to remember there was a group called MAG who were against motor-cycle helmets...they seem to be very quiet these days?
malkie
says...
7:31pm Tue 3 Jan 12
burtthebike
says...
7:44pm Tue 3 Jan 12
dy says...
7:21pm Tue 3 Jan 12
Burt, that's all very interesting but that's about as far as it goes, interesting. From personal experience I won't ride a bike without a helmet again.
You only find it interesting that there is a massive propaganda campaign to promote cycle helmets, despite the fact that it has been proved that they don't work? You're not interested in why it's happening? A wise man once said that if you don't understand what's happening, follow the money. Helmet manufacturers are making millions, on a product that doesn't work and can't be taken back when it fails. I find it interesting that the manufacturers make no claims for their products, but that propagandists like Headway do.
I seem to remember there was a group called MAG who were against motor-cycle helmets...they seem to be very quiet these days?#
And MAG were right: the evidence that motorcycle helmets reduce the risk to riders is flimsy at best, and disproved at worst.
Try reading "Risk" by John Adams. You might learn something interesting about seat belts too!
siratb
says...
11:15pm Tue 3 Jan 12
.
The reason I object is because this is not a proactive way to change people's driving habits. The illuminated signs which flash your speed are better but what you need to do that is to be pulled over by a Police officer and given a rollicking and have it explained WHY what you are doing is dangerous. Police can also exercise discretion and although one was speeding it may not actually be dangerous - think of a dentist or doctor rushing to get to an emergency at 3am (where someone is in pain but not life threatening) or some other abnormal situation where someone is maybe just over the speed limit but the roads are dry and empty and they are driving perfectly safely.
Monmouthsman
says...
1:30pm Wed 4 Jan 12
If we are to be serious about making the roads safer then get real and spend on improving the roads, new measures like protected zones around school buses and crossings with big penalties for infringements, sensible and justified speed limits designed to allow traffic to flow rather than snarl it in slow and frustrating convoys, monitor speeds and distances between vehicles and use a simple computation to show where dangerous driving is occurring and use cameras to detect dangerous overtaking which really does kill the innocent along with the guilty. Periodical requalification for driving licences would not go amiss either.
Just as important - Don't do this as a fad short term campaign but do it as a part of regular duty with the only changes being improvements and refinements of operation.
markerpen
says...
5:55pm Wed 4 Jan 12
There appear to be no statistics proving that cameras reduce deaths and this reduction in one year does not provide evidence of anything as safety figures only count over 3 years. Due to fluctuation about a mean point I believe.
(There is more conclusive evidence to show that cameras increase death rates based on the evidence/statistics quoted in the article)
What is evident is that there are less cars on the roads and fewer people driving to due to economic reasons and lack of jobs to go to.
The 'Safety' camera partnership should be very careful about declaring a success when the underlying figures have not changed otherwise it's our lives they are risking by believing their own myths.
dorsetspeed
says...
6:57pm Wed 4 Jan 12
http://www.dorsetspe
ed.org.uk/news/neg.a
spx
Desk24
says...
5:16am Mon 9 Jan 12
cj07589 says...
1:41pm Tue 3 Jan 12
Surely its a no brainer lots of fog on offenders equals lots of fines!