Category: IAM RoadSmart

1. THINK! HIGHLIGHTS ‘SNOWBALL EFFECT’ OF DRINK-DRIVING

   Posted on 9:23am Wednesday 4th Dec 2013

   Millions of people risk losing their job or face difficulty getting work if they drink and drive this Christmas, the Government’s latest THINK! drink drive campaign has revealed today.
   
   The campaign highlights the snowball effect a drink drive conviction can have on future job prospects.
   
   Up to one million people work in jobs they could lose as a result of a drink-drive conviction, while a survey has shown that almost a third (27%) of people would have to give up their job because they rely on a car to get to work.
   
   People who drive as part of their job are particularly vulnerable but someone with a conviction could also be denied access to millions more jobs which are eligible for criminal records checks. These jobs include professional driving jobs, teachers, care workers and jobs in banks and finance.
   
   Any employer can ask to see unspent criminal convictions and research shows that three-quarters of employers admit to taking a criminal conviction into account during the recruitment process.
   
   Launching the ‘Snowball Effect’ drink drive campaign, Transport Minister Robert Goodwill said:
   
   “For many people Christmas is about spending time with friends and family and celebrating, but if drivers have a tipple they should not get behind the wheel.
   
   “Just one drink can put you over the limit and the consequences are devastating – not only will you be cuffed and put in a cell, but if you’re convicted you will lose your licence and, as this research shows, you could even lose your job.”

   Edmund King, Automobile Association president, said:

   "Drink drive convictions have dramatic and traumatic snowball effects. One third of people will lose their jobs and experience years of hiked insurance premiums. A snowball might melt away quickly whilst the effects of a driving ban last way beyond any winter thaw.

   "If you are going to drive - don't drink. If you are going to drink - don't drive."

   
   Simon Edwards, head of logistics at recruiting firm Manpower, said:
   
   “In this highly competitive job market a drink drive conviction puts you at a serious disadvantage. It is very common for a client making a decision between two otherwise equal applicants to favour the individual without a drink drive conviction.
   
   “And with the boom in ecommerce and the exponential rise in the dot.com delivery market a conviction rules candidates out from a new and growing industry.
   
   “Everyday I see the devastating impact of a conviction on a candidate’s ability to get or retain a job and the limits this puts on future opportunities”.
   
   Meanwhile a recent survey by Drink Driver Education has shown that 28% of people with convictions worry about applying for jobs in case they conduct a criminal records check.
   
   A third of respondents said not being able to drive limited their choice of job while 47% said their social lives had been affected because they were unable to visit family or friends.

   Roger Singer, Head of Drink Driver Education said:
   
   “I help hundreds of drink drivers every year, and they all say the impact of their conviction is much more severe and far-reaching than they imagined.
   
   “Everyone I meet has been given at least a 12-month driving ban. For many this meant instant dismissal from their jobs, for some it meant resigning because they couldn’t get to work. Many haven’t applied for future roles they want because of the conviction and have got stuck in careers they hate.”

   IAM response to Think!'s drink-drive campaign‏

   IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: "Drivers must understand that drink driving wrecks lives in all sorts of unexpected ways. For some it’s having to live with the guilt of causing a totally avoidable death or injury but for most it’s the economic impact that comes with a criminal record and a driving ban."

   "A prosecution can cut off access to certain jobs and limit your chances of promotion. The total cost of losing a job, car and increased insurance can be as much as £50,000.”

2. Fantastic, misty fogs‏

   Posted on 8:05am Friday 29th Nov 2013

   Road safety charity the IAM is offering weekly motoring tips from Britain’s top advanced driver, Peter Rodger. This week he is advising motorists on how to drive safely through fog.

   IAM chief examiner Peter Rodger said: “Fog is one of the most difficult conditions to drive in - crashes in fog make the news headlines often enough to remember them. Ensure you are prepared so that you can carry out your journey safely.  Allow lots of extra time for the trip.”

   Rodger offers tips for driving in the fog:
   • Before setting off, clean your windows and windscreen and ensure all your lights are working. Clean the inside of the screen as well – it helps prevent it misting up, the last thing you need when it’s already foggy outside!
   • Switch the heater or air conditioning on and leave it running to keep the inside of the glass clear. Aircon helps dry the air – on a foggy day it can really help.
   • Use your windscreen wipers on an intermittent setting to keep the screen clear.
   • When you’re ready to leave, switch on the dipped headlights. Use fog lights if visibility is less than 100 metres, but don’t forget to switch them off when visibility improves.
   • Do not rely on the car’s daylight running lights – they may not put the back lights on.
   • Slow down and keep enough distance between yourself and the vehicle in front - make sure you can stop safely within the distance you can see clearly.
   • Fog is not the same density all the time – when it gets thicker, slow down.
   • Brake gently but earlier than usual so your brake lights warn drivers behind.
   • Be aware that other vehicles may be travelling without their lights on, and pedestrians and cyclists will be hard to see anyway, so extra care and attention is needed.
   • At junctions, wind the window down and listen for traffic.  If you have electric windows, open the passenger one to listen that way as well.
   • Straining to see through thick fog will quickly make you tired – take regular breaks.
   • Don’t overtake a queue on the dual carriageway, and expect it to be as clear in front of it.  The queue will have cleared the fog where it is, and you will hit a wall of thicker fog at the front.

   Rodger said: “Don’t underestimate the effect fog has on what you can see, and how easily seen you are.  Adjusting to the weather conditions is vital, and will help you to become a safer and more confident driver through the winter months.”

3. Motorists support for speed cameras goes down in 2013‏

   Posted on 11:27am Tuesday 19th Nov 2013

   The use of speed cameras are supported by the majority of the motoring public, according to the latest research published today by road safety charity, the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

   Eighty per cent of motorists accept the use of speed cameras, but this is down one per cent on last year’s survey.  Seventy nine per cent think that speed cameras are useful to reducing injuries, a fall of six per cent from the 2012 findings.

   There is still scepticism amongst the motoring public.  Over half of drivers (52%) do not believe that cameras are only sited at locations where accidents happen.  Almost half of drivers think that raising money is the main purpose of safety cameras.

   Scottish motorists are the least likely to have someone in their household with speeding points but they are also the most against speed cameras and speed awareness courses.

   Support for speed awareness courses has increased.  Three quarters of motorists support the use of speed awareness courses up from 70 per cent in 2011.

   IAM chief executive Simon Best said: Speed cameras are a successful road safety solution at key crash sites and it’s important that the government and safety camera partnerships work to maintain a positive view so that the rising suspicion amongst motorists does not become a trend.”

   “During times of austerity, drivers are increasingly seeing speed cameras as revenue raising apparatus and are sceptical of their importance for road safety.”

4. North East worst for road safety

   Posted on 8:13am Tuesday 12th Nov 2013

   The North East of England has seen the biggest increase in accident rates for killed and seriously injured people in 2012, according to IAM’s analysis of recent data produced by the Department for Transport[1].

   Figures for 2012 show that the rate[2] of reported killed or seriously injured (KSI) casualties in the North East has increased by eight per cent since 2011, an extra 65 KSI incidents.

   The South East, which was one of the worst regions for road safety last year, has made the biggest improvement with an eight per cent decrease in 2011/2012. This follows a ten per cent increase 2010/2011.  However, London did see an increase of 217 in the number of killed and serious injured accidents in 2012.

   The South West saw a six per cent increase in accident rates for the most serious crashes with 127 additional killed or serious injured accidents.

   There are reductions in the North West, South East, and West Midlands, cancelling out small increases in Yorkshire and Humber, East of England and London, giving an overall reduction of two per cent in accident rates for England.

   A two per cent increase has pushed Yorkshire and Humberside to the top of the accident rate table.  Per head of population you are more likely to be killed or injured in Yorkshire and Humberside than anywhere else in England.  

5. IAM comment on quarter two provisional road casualty statistics

   Posted on 10:14am Friday 8th Nov 2013

   The latest Department for Transport road casualty statistics released today show a welcome decrease in the overall number of deaths and serious injuries in the first half of 2013 compared to last year.

   However, the IAM are concerned that two-wheeled road users are still a growing risk and must be given even greater priority for investment and education.

   • For reported road accidents in the year ending June 2013: 1,730 people were killed, a 3 per cent drop from 1,785 in the year ending June 2012. The number of people killed or seriously injured fell to 23,530, a 5 per cent decrease compared with the year to June 2012.
   • Overall for year ending June 2013, there were 185,540 reported road casualties, 7 per cent fewer than the 199,091 for the year ending June 2012.
   • There were decreases in the number of casualties for car users and pedestrians of 12 and 3 per cent respectively, with similar falls in the numbers of KSI casualties – 9 per cent for car users and 7 per cent for pedestrians.

   However, there were increases in the number of casualties for motorcyclists (4 per cent) and pedal cyclists (12 per cent), with an 8 per cent increase in the number of motorcyclist KSI casualties and a 4 per cent increase in pedal cyclist KSI casualties.

   IAM director of policy and research Neil Greig said: “Once again the latest casualty figures show the increasing risks for vulnerable cyclists and motorcyclists.  Spring and summer will always be the most dangerous months for those on two wheels but that must not be allowed to obscure the need to focus on their safety.  Investment in segregated cycling facilities must keep pace with the rising demand for cycling.  Road designs that help car drivers can often be fatal for motorcyclists so engineers must learn to 'think bike' when they build barriers, signposts and new surfaces.”

   www.iam.org.uk