Brake & Direct Line Report on Safe Driving – Roads, Policing and Criminal Justice

‘Brake’ the road safety charity are calling for an increased Police presence on the roads to deter people from breaking the law, as a report is launched revealing that drivers feel roads are more dangerous now than they were five years ago.

The report by road safety charity Brake and Direct Line, based on a survey of more than 1,000 drivers, revealed that 7 in 10 feel that the roads are more dangerous now than five years ago, with less than 1 in 10 disagreeing.

Drivers also think that the numbers of speeding vehicles and the extent of mobile phone use behind the wheel have increased over this period but that the number of Police cars has declined.

With severe funding cuts impacting the Police service, Brake is concerned that a diminished Police presence is contributing to Britain’s stagnating road safety record. Brake’s report revealed that drivers share these concerns, with 8 in 10 agreeing that a visible Police presence deters people from breaking the law and a further 8 in 10 thinking there should be more Police cars patrolling the roads.

More than 70 people are killed or seriously injured on British roads every day, a figure which has failed to decline over the past decade.

Police officers play a vital role in enforcing the law, but equally important is their role as a deterrent to dangerous driving, with research showing the safety value in a visible Police presence. In the past three years there has been a 15% decline in road policing numbers in England and Wales, with just 4,457 full time equivalent officers in March 2019.

Road safety charity Brake wants to see increased investment in road policing to halt the stagnation in road safety and ensure there is a visible deterrent to dangerous driving on our roads. This is a view backed up by drivers, with 6 in 10 agreeing that the Government should make road policing an investment priority.

Brake state that drivers’ perceptions tell us a lot about the safety of our roads and so it’s deeply concerning to find that drivers feel the roads are more dangerous than they were five years ago. With road policing suffering severe cutbacks, and drivers noticing the decreased Police presence on our roads, this shouldn’t come as such a surprise. Action is needed to address the stagnation in British road safety by increasing Police numbers, to deter and enforce against dangerous driving.

Education, legislation and enforcement are essential to making our roads safer. As this research shows road users feel our roads are not as safe now as they were five years ago. Changing driver behaviour can only be achieved through ensuring they are aware of the potential consequences of their actions and having robust laws in place that are able to be enforced.

Attachment:

Brake & Direct Line Report on Safe Driving – Roads, Policing and Criminal Justice

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB542 Brake & Direct Line Report on Safe Driving – Roads, Policing and Criminal Justice

BRAKE-Report on Safe Driving – Roads Policing Criminal Justice 2019

TUC Survey Of Union Reps & TU Safety Reps:

The TUC National Health and Safety Policy Officer has requested that all Unions request the support and participation of all Union Reps, including Health and Safety Reps. This is an additional survey to the TUC Biennial Safety Reps Survey due next year.

This is a special time in the TUC calendar when they survey TU Reps from all Unions. This is not just a taking of the temperature, or a chance to reflect on ‘tough times’.  It is a very real chance to influence what support the TUC offers to Reps through training courses, guidance documents etc.

This survey is part of a major piece of research by the TUC into the role of Union Reps in the modern workplace.  Your response will help to shape the future of the TUC and help them to decide how the TUC and affiliated Unions support Reps in future.  This is a major survey and will take in the region of 20 minutes to complete depending on your answers.  You can save and print your answers before you submit them at the end.

The TUC believes in a movement with Reps at the forefront of what they do. That means supporting Reps to win in the workplace – from resources and learning, to events and guidance.

If we want to change things, it needs all of us involved. Union Reps/Safety Reps can take this survey to contribute to the TUC strategy and help shape the future of the TU movement. The TUC is undertaking a major piece of research into the role of Union Reps in the modern workforce and they’ve been travelling round the country speaking to Reps and are now launching this UK-wide Trade Union Reps survey. Responses will help shape the future of the TUC and refine how they and our affiliated unions support Reps in future.

Please Take the survey now

Completing this survey will also enter you into a prize draw to win:

• First prize: £500 TUI travel gift card

• Second prize: SONOS Smart wireless speaker
• Third prize: Crosley Bluetooth Vinyl Record Player

The direct link to the survey is https://www.snapsurveys.com/wh/s.asp?k=156633107402.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB541 TUC Survey Of Union Reps & TU Safety Reps

Stoptober’ Campaign 2019 – Helping Smokers Quit!

To: All Branches

Dear Colleagues,

As October is approaching we are reminding Branches of the national ‘Stoptober Campaign’ promoted by Public Health England.

Giving up smoking is not easy, but the benefits are huge:

• Save Money – You’ll have much more cash in your pocket. If you smoke a packet a day, you could save around £250 each month!
• Boost your health – No matter how long you’ve smoked for, quitting can help improve your health straight away.
• Quit for your family – You’re more likely to live longer and have more energy for quality time with your children, family and friends.

If you don’t smoke, why not try and support and reassure someone who does, remind them of the benefits of giving up.

If you need support to stop smoking there is lots of guidance on the ‘Stoptober’ Website at: www.nhs.uk/OneYou/Stoptober and the RMG ‘Feeling First Class’ Website at: www.feelingfirstclass.co.uk. The guidance includes advice on how to suppress the triggers that make you want to smoke and handle cravings.

For more information on wellbeing why not take a look at the ‘Feeling First Class’ Website at; www.feelingfirstclass.co.uk (Use the code FFC1 to sign up). The CWU Health Safety and Environment Department are encouraging RMG employee CWU members to ‘Sign-Up’ as a “FFC” Website member in order to utilise all the on-line Health Tools and utilise the full benefits available.

There are also lots of ideas for ways to support giving up smoking on the Stoptober web page.  Visit the following Link: https://campaignresources.phe.gov.uk/resources/campaigns/6-stoptober/resources

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB540 ‘Stoptober’ Campaign 2019 – Helping Smokers Quit!

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Electric Vehicle – (Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems (AVAS) Safety Systems) – Update to LTB532/19:

Further to the issue of LTB532/19 there appears to be some confusion over AVAS system fitting requirements for new electric vehicle models and new electric vehicles based on existing models. Having spoken further to Royal Mail Senior Fleet Engineers this is to clarify the position as it’s understood.

The AVAS legal requirement for ‘New Electric Vehicle Models’, that being models of a new design which are type approved from July this year will require AVAS fitted from new when they come off the production line and before they are registered and go on the road so to speak.

As for ‘Existing Models’ that is vehicles which are already type approved and are in production – for example models on the road with different power plants – e.g., with a petrol or diesel engine – are not subject to this requirement as they have type approval for electric propulsion prior to July this year.‎

Therefore existing models which are in current production (e.g., the Peugeot Partner and Mercedes Vito) do not have to be fitted with an AVAS system from new.

This changes from July 2021 when all new Electric Vehicle Registrations (new and existing models and designs) will all need AVAS to be fitted before going on the road and into service.

There is currently no requirement within the EU directive to retrofit AVAS systems but following discussions between Royal Mail Fleet, the Royal Mail National Road Safety Mangager and the CWU Health, Safety and Environment Department, plus the fitting, joint testing and evaluation of an AVAS system, fitted to an existing Royal Mail electric vehicle, Royal Mail Fleet are proposing to retro-fit the AVAS system to all of its in service Royal Mail electric vehicles at the earliest opportunity as part of a national programme.

Yours sincerely

Dave Joyce
National Health, Safety & Environment Officer

19LTB539 Electric Vehicle – Acoustic Vehicle Alert Systems AVAS Safety Systems – Update to LTB532-19