Welcome to Road Safety Wales
17/2/11
The number of deaths on roads in Wales is the lowest since records began 42 years ago, according to latest figures. Fatalities fell by 29% last year, below three figures for the first time, with 89 deaths.
Transport minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said it showed the safe driving message and tougher enforcement was "paying off".
Steve Baker, head of accident prevention charity RoSPA in Wales, said Wales was one of the safest countries in the world in which to travel.
The Police Reported Road Traffic Fatalities, 2010 report, published on Thursday by the Welsh Assembly Government, shows that traffic fatalities in Wales peaked in 1973 with a total of 424 people killed.
It had declined to 161 by 2007 and fell steadily after that to its current level in 2010.
The figures released are preliminary with the final numbers to be provided in June.
Mr Jones said the figures were encouraging but said more could be done.
"This government is committed to making Wales' roads safer for all who use them and these figures make very welcome reading.
"This is the lowest figure that has ever been recorded in Wales and demonstrates that the promotion of safe driving through effective education, safety improvements on our roads and tougher enforcement is paying off.
"Whilst today's release is very encouraging, we cannot and will not be complacent. As the police, A&E staff, road safety experts and the families of those who have tragically died in road collisions will tell you, we all need to do more, the minister said.
"Road safety messages, particularly among young drivers, still need to be heard."
Steve Baker, Head of RoSPA in Wales said: "The fact that road fatalities in Wales have decreased so significantly over recent years is a testament to the many focussed road safety interventions that have been implemented."
He said the Welsh Assembly Government has been particularly proactive and supportive to local councils in helping to build a strong road safety culture.
"Recent statistics suggest that Wales is on course to further improve its position as one of the safest countries in the world in which to travel."
7/2/11
An additional £7million to help local authorities to repair potholes was announced by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Economy and Transport Ieuan Wyn Jones today. A total of £7.085 million has been allocated specifically to support councils, who are under pressure following a second winter of widespread snow. This money has been found from careful and prudent management of in-year resources.
Deputy First Minister and Economy and Transport Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said:
“This additional investment will further improve the safety and condition of our roads and demonstrates our commitment to helping local authorities repair potholes that have developed following another winter of heavy snowfall.
“While the responsibility for maintaining local roads rests with Local Authorities, this Assembly Government has again shown that it is keen to work with them as much as possible when we are hit with unexpected bad weather as happened over the Christmas period. This funding will enable councils to fund further repair works and improve our roads network.”
The allocations will provide £7.085million from the Economy and and Transport Department to support pressures on Local Authorities’ roads maintenance budgets.
12/1/11
Carmarthenshire school crossing lady Miriam Jones has been voted as Welsh Lollipop Person of the Year.
Pupils at Ysgol Penboyr Primary School in Llandysul nominated Mrs Jones, a caretaker, who turned to helping children across the road 10 years ago when her predecessor retired.
She talked to Aled Scourfield, along with pupils and the head teacher. View the interview here
11/1/11
Volunteers, road safety officers and lollipop men and women were thanked for their hard work recently at Caerphilly County Borough’s annual School Crossing Patrol and Road Safety Seminar.
The event brought together more than 110 dedicated Kerbcraft volunteers, road safety officers and school crossing patrol officers from across the county borough.
Cllr Rob Gough, cabinet member for public protection, engineering and transport said: “Our road safety team, together with a network of volunteers and school crossing patrol officers work tirelessly to help ensure our local youngsters know all about the importance of road safety.
“We have a wide variety of initiatives, such as the Kerbcraft scheme and Walking Buses, which really help to educate our children about keeping safe when out and about, and I am delighted that those who work so hard to ensure these vital schemes come to fruition have been thanked at our annual road safety seminar.”
The group were also joined by pupils from Blackwood Comprehensive School, who recently were the deserving winners of a national multimedia competition. Their film about the dangers associated with drink driving beat entrants from across Wales to scoop the regional and All Wales prize.
Deputy Mayor, Cllr Vera Jenkins also offered her personal thanks to the Kerbcraft volunteers, for their commitment in bringing the subject of road safety and the roadside to Year Two pupils across Caerphilly County Borough.
7/1/11
A man described as ‘never losing his patience or smile’ has been named as the winner of the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s School Crossing Patrol of the Year - making him the first man to win the award in three years. Stephen William Crabb, who patrols Barry’s High Street and Sant Baruc schools, was presented with his award at the annual ceremony, which recognises the hard work and dedication of school crossing patrols in the Vale.
He was presented with his award by Rob Thomas, the council’s head of planning and transportation, who highlighted how Stephen had endured countless distractions over the past year due to the demolition and rebuilding of a nearby church hall, all the while continuing his duty in an exemplary matter.
On picking up the award, Stephen said: "It’s nice to have recognition for our work. We work outside in all weather conditions and we greatly appreciate it when drivers are polite and patient."
Area winners were as follows:
Barry East (covering Cadoxton, Holton, Palmerston, Colcot and Jenner areas) - Jean Hatter. Jean has spent a great deal of time over the past year covering Court Road and Holton Road amongst others and always makes a great impression wherever she’s asked to go.
Barry West (covering Romilly, Gladstone, High Street, Trinity Street, Buttrills and Tynewydd areas) - Joy Strangward. Joy was given the award for working at one of the busiest crossings in the Vale, and serving Romilly Primary School for nearly nine years.
Eastern Vale (Sully, Dinas Powys and Penarth area) - Jane Haines. Jane is pro-active both inside and outside Fairfield Primary and has been at her post on Wordsworth Avenue, Penarth, for seven and a half years.
Western Vale (Rhoose, St Athan, Llantwit Major and Cowbridge areas) - Alex Daw. Alex is a previous award-winner and a lady who works tirelessly both inside and outside Llanilltud Fawr Primary School.
Guests were invited to view Barry Comprehensive pupil Ellis Watts’ winning entry for the South Wales area annual Drink-Drive Multimedia Competition, followed by a chance to battle for victory in an interactive road safety quiz.
John Rogers, road safety officer, said: "Well done and thank you to all our winners, and to all the school crossing patrols throughout the Vale. It’s great to see so many people coming together and all working hard in promoting road safety throughout the Vale."
For more information on School Crossing Patrols please call the road safety team on 01446 700111 or visit the council’s website.
Photo caption:
Stephen William Crabb, who was named the Vale of Glamorgan Council's School Crossing Patrol of the Year for 2010, with Rob Thomas, head of planning and transportation.
15/12/10
To promote the anti drinking and driving message, schools and youth organisations were invited to devise, perform and record a live action multimedia presentation to warn people of the dangers and/or consequences of drinking and driving.
In this, the third year of the Multimedia Anti Drink Drive Competition, four regional winners were presented with a prize of £500 for the school/organisation they represented and additional prizes given to individual team members. Five Highly Commended awards were also made at the All Wales Anti Drink Drive Launch at the Parc Y Scarlets on Thursday 2 December.
| Endaf Roberts, Joe Beardwood and Sam Humphreys - Filth Machine and Seratone |
| Ellis Watts, Barry Comprehensive School |
| Amman Valley School, Carmarthenshire |
| Blackwood Comprehensive School, Caerphilly |
| Yale College, Wrexham |
| Bridgend College |
| Llanederyn High, Cardiff |
| Pentrehafod Comprehensive School, Swansea |
| Carwyn Winter, Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Llyn Y Forwyn |
Video clips will be uploaded to this site in due course.
24/11/10
This winter, RoSPA’s head office is relocating to central Birmingham. As of December 6, RoSPA’s new address will be RoSPA House, 28 Calthorpe Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 1RP.
The move is significant for everyone involved with RoSPA, and it is hoped that the recently-refurbished, centrally-located building will provide a highly accessible, modern and spacious working environment.
Until the middle of March 2011, training will continue to take place at RoSPA’s current head office in Edgbaston Park. After this date, all Birmingham-based training will be held at suitable premises near the new headquarters.
Full contact details for the new premises are below. All correspondence should be sent to the address below after December 4.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents
RoSPA House
28 Calthorpe Road
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 1RP
Call: 0121 248 2000
Fax: 0121 248 2001
Email: help@rospa.com
24/11/10
An innovative website has been launched at Ysgol Gynradd Llanrug to raise awareness and give information about road safety in Gwynedd.
The aim of the Regulatory Department of Gwynedd Council is to ensure road safety for all road users and where possible to improve it.
The website www.dyffgwynedd.net is for all road users in the county with special sections for children and adults as well as games, competitions and educational activities.
There’s easy access on the website to various information regarding road safety and Carys Ofalus (Careful Carys), Gwynedd Council’s road safety character and her new friends – Y Criw Craff – will be sure to draw the youngsters to the website.
19/10/10
The Deputy First Minister will today join the Minister for Environment and friends from charity Sustrans in celebrating our Safe Routes to Schools scheme’s 10th anniversary at the Senedd.
Launched in 1999, our Safe Routes to Schools initiative became an instant success in tackling congestion caused by the school run, and taught children from a young age that walking and cycling could be attractive and fun, and encouraged them to take regular exercise and develop healthy travel habits for the future.
Ieuan Wyn Jones, who is the Minister for Economy and Transport said,
“I am very proud to be here today and equally proud that the Welsh Assembly Government has helped develop so many innovative cycling and walking projects all over Wales. These projects of course could not have been delivered without the close cooperation and support of Sustrans and our partners in local authorities across Wales, and for that I thank you all.”
The Environment Minister, Jane Davidson said,
“I am delighted that Wales now has a ten year history of teaching pupils that cycling or walking to school can be a fun, healthy and often surprisingly quick alternative to travelling by car or bus. It is also an option that it is much kinder to our environment.
"Our Climate Change Strategy, which I launched earlier this month, sets out how Wales will achieve its ambition of 3% year on year reduction in green house gas emissions. Rethinking how we travel is key to this, and I hope that those school children who have benefited from Safe Routes to Schools will continue travel sustainably throughout their lives."
Our Safe Routes to School initiative was launched in 1999 and over £27m has been provided for schemes in Wales.
A new Safe Routes in Communities Programme replaced the Safe Routes to School initiative in 2008-09 and to date over £26million has been allocated for schemes across Wales. While the main emphasis remains on schools, we are also seeking to encourage walking and cycling more generally within communities.
2010 also marks the 15th anniversary of the National Cycle Network led by Sustrans, who joined in the celebrations in Cardiff Bay.
The National Cycle Network is made up of 12,600 miles of walking and cycling routes across the UK. This includes a mixture of quiet lanes, on-road routes and traffic-free paths that are often a great way to get to work, school, the shops or just for exercise and fun. The Network is available to everyone and passes within a mile of 57% of the population.
With the clocks due to go back an hour at the end of the month, the Deputy First Minister chose this moment to remind all road users of the need to be safe and seen on our roads this winter.
He said,
“As the nights draw in and the clocks go back, we all need to make the extra effort to be seen while walking or cycling, particularly in areas without street lights.
“Each year the number of deaths and injuries on our roads increases sharply as we put the clocks back at the end of summer and the evenings become darker earlier. So please remember to wear reflective items and please give the road your full attention.”
15/10/10
Ziggy is the new mascot for Pembrokeshire Road Safety. He was unveiled last Friday on the back of a Pembrokeshire County Council school transport bus. Ziggy was designed by nine-year-old Megan Wigmore from Narberth as part of a road safety competition.
Megan's winning design was chosen by junior road safety officers at Narberth Primary School and then chosen as the overall County winner by Pembrokeshire County Council's Road Safety Unit.
Councillor Jamie Adams, Cabinet Member for Highways and Planning, said Ziggy would be used to educate and promote road safety to youngsters within the County.
"We take road safety very seriously," he said.
"It's vital that our young people learn to be road safety aware, wherever they are, and these safety skills are taken with them through life."
15/10/10
One thousand five hundred Pembrokeshire children are being given safety advice at this year's Crucial Crew. The pupils are taking part in the annual event, at the Withybush Showground in Haverfordwest.
Co-ordinated by Pembrokeshire County Council's Road Safety Unit, Crucial Crew teaches Year 6 pupils from across the County how to deal with various potential dangers and hazards.
Throughout the two-week event professionals from several different agencies will give youngsters advice on how to stay safe on the road, on the beach, on farms and at home.
Now in its 17th year, the event, which is sponsored by Chevron and PowerSafe, has hosted well over 20,000 children in Pembrokeshire over the years.
Councillor Jamie Adams, Cabinet Member for Highways and Planning, who visited the event last week, thanked all who took part for their commitment and regard for the safety of children in the County.
"The feedback we have is that the children enjoy it and learn valuable lessons," he said.
"Crucial Crew gives them the opportunity to practice safety skills in an exciting, stimulating and safe environment."
Organisations taking part in this year's event are: Dyfed Powys Police; Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service; Welsh Ambulance Service; Maritime and Coastguard Agency; Pembrokeshire County Council's Road Safety Unit, Food Safety and School Transport teams; Western Power; Red Cross; Pembrokeshire Domestic Abuse Forum and the National Farmers Union.
Organisers would like to thank sponsors Chevron and PowerSafe for their financial support and also the Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society for providing the event building.
16/9/10
The Road Safety Department at Bridgend County Borough Council have linked with The Llangeinor Pony Club to support their on-going training of Riding and Road Safety for each of its one hundred members.
Bridgend County Borough Councils Road Safety Department agreed to supply Llangeinor Pony Club free of charge with copies of specific equine related road safety books, copies of the Highway Code and High Visibility tabards for each of the members who successfully completed and passed their formal road safety training and examination test.
After seeing exactly how the Road Safety training was going to be delivered, Bridgend Council's Traffic Management and Road Safety Team Leader Trevor Taylor and Road Safety Officer Gail Calford agreed that they would be happy to support The Llangeinor Pony Club. Said BCBC’s Gail Calford, “ This was a new challenge for us, as Road Safety Officers, we are always keen to support innovative road safety programmes, but this was the first time we had been asked to assist with horses …… and on such a large scale.
At the Pony Club Annual Summer 2010 Camp held at Ewenny, BCBC’s Gail Calford and Sarah Ness were there to present the members of Llangeinor Pony Club who had successfully completed the first part of their training programme with their road safety books and high visibility tabards. Mrs Marion Elliott Pony Club District Commissioner stated “We are very, very grateful to the Road Safety Team. Trevor Taylor, Gail Calford and Sarah Ness have been of tremendous assistance to us and we are very grateful for all of their help. We were delighted that Gail and Sarah spent a day with us on our Summer Camp talking with the young people themselves about the training they have received and the benefits of it.
I have been very impressed with the way our young riders have applied themselves to the seriousness of their Road Safety Training; they have been a credit to themselves and a credit to our club. The partnership between The Llangeinor Pony Club and Bridgend County Borough Council had been a most beneficial and successful one.”
12/8/10
 |
| Jon Davies Scarlet’s centre, 9 year old Cara Edwards competition Winner, Tracey Lewis Road Safety Special Events Co-ordinator, 11 year old Kai Silverthorne competition Winner and Tavis Knoyle scarlet’s Scrum Half. Picture Jeff Connell |
Make sure you are seen - wear luminous green, and, protect your head - improve your street cred…
These are among the poetic lines delivered by hundreds of primary school children across the county who entered a Carmarthenshire Council road safety poetry competition.
English poem winner nine-year-old Cara Edwards is a pupil at Llanegennech Junior School and the Welsh winner is Kai Silverstone, of Ysgol Ponthenri.
They received their prizes at Parc-y-Scarlets after delivering their poetic works based on varied aspects of road safety as walking, cycling seat belt and helmet wearing.
As well as having their poems professionally illustrated the winners also were awarded a signed Scarlets jersey.
Carmarthenshire Council chief executive Mark James said: “Our transport teams do tremendous work getting safety messages across to youngsters at an early age.
“This was a innovative idea get impressionable children from seven to 11-year-olds involved in thinking about road safety in a colourful, memorable and inventive way.”
12/8/10
Lollipop men and women from schools across Rhondda Cynon Taf were given the latest training and advice to help them combat the risks of the road. The awareness-raising event was organised by RCT Council’s Road Safety Unit to benefit school crossing patrol staff.
They attended the Mayor’s Chamber in the Municipal Buildings, Pontypridd, for presentations on training, occupational health, risk assessments and the latest update in their field of work.
Mayor Councillor Simon Lloyd was guest of honour and spoke at the event, as well as Councillor Andrew Morgan, Cabinet Member for Transport, Customer Care and Emergency Planning.
The school crossing patrol staff were then given the opportunity to ask questions and also air their views on the service.
Coun Morgan said: “Events such as these happen because they are very important.
“We invited all school crossing patrol staff to the Municipal Buildings so they could find out the latest information and ensure we heard their views on the service.
“I am so pleased so many were able to attend and find out more, we consider them to be very valuable members of staff who work in the community on behalf of young people come rain or shine.”
Pedestrian and Motorist Advice given on the day included:
Stop means stop – motorists must stop when signalled to do so by a school crossing patrol and it is an offence under the Road Traffic Act not to obey the STOP sign.
Patrols are trained never to hold up traffic for longer than is absolutely necessary, but motorists must be patient with them, as they will always wait until the last pedestrian has reached the opposite pavement before they leave their position.
Remember the Patrol needs time to get back safely to their side of the road as well, so please don’t pull away too quickly.
The School Crossing Patrol, when on duty, is there for everyone, young or old, that might wish to cross the road at the patrol point.
30/7/10
Pictured are students from the Lluest Equine Centre, University Aberystwyth who have recently taken their British Horse Society Riding and Road Safety Test.
The students were trained by Ceredigion Road Safety Officer Terry Jones who is a qualified Riding and Road Safety Trainer and examiner.
The Riding and Road Safety test certificate is a pre-requisite for the B.H.S stage 2 examination. Riders must show knowledge of road craft, both theoretically and practically, compiled with road awareness and horse control and must also be able to demonstrate knowledge of the Highway Code and Riding and Roadcraft Manual.
The test is recognised by the Qualifications Curriculum Authority as part of the National Qualifications Framework and Equestrian Qualifications and Learning.
28/6/10
Road Safety Wales, the partnership of all key road safety personnel across Wales has announced the appointment of Susan Storch as its new Chairperson and Sarah Morris as Vice Chair.
Susan Storch, civilian Road Safety Officer for Dyfed Powys Police, succeeds Joy Smith, Road Safety Manager for Neath Port Talbot, who expanded the role of Chairperson during her four year tenure.
Susan has previously worked as an Approved Driving Instructor and a Road Safety Officer with Carmarthenshire County Council.
She welcomed her appointment saying, “I am delighted to accept the role and very much look forward to continuing to develop and stimulate national road safety initiatives which will keep Wales on track as one of the safest countries in the world in which to travel. Together with Vice Chair, Sarah Morris, Principal Road Safety Officer for Powys, I hope to consolidate the good work in road casualty reduction carried out throughout Wales. Making our roads safer is a challenge for all of us and the Road Safety Wales partnership will ensure that future road safety education, training and publicity schemes undertaken in Wales are as relevant as possible.”
24/6/10
The Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones today welcomed new statistics that show the number of people either killed or injured on Welsh roads is the lowest since records began in 1968. The figures - ‘Road Casualties in Wales, 2009’ – show the number of road accidents, injuries and deaths have all seen falls compared to the previous year.
Key figures include:
- During 2009 there were 7,126 road accidents involving personal injury recorded by the police in Wales, 658 (8 per cent) fewer than in 2008.
- These accidents resulted in 10,354 casualties, 832 (7 per cent) fewer than in 2008.
- 125 people were killed on Welsh roads, 17 (12 per cent) fewer than in 2008.
- 1,096 people were seriously injured in 2009, 158 (13 per cent) fewer than in 2008.
- 9,133 people were slightly injured, a decrease of 657 (7 per cent) compared with the previous year.
The Minister said:
“These figures show that casualties on our roads are now the lowest since records began. In every category, from deaths to the number of accidents, we have seen falls and this must be welcomed.
“I believe it is only right to pay tribute to all the organisations involved in road safety who have contributed to this success. The Welsh Assembly Government will continue to work in partnership with local authorities, the police, the Fire and Rescue Service and road safety organisations to highlight the importance of road safety and to remind all road users of their responsibilities to themselves and others.
“The allocation of over £30 million since 2007 has enabled local authorities to implement a range of road safety projects that have contributed to this downward trend of casualties that we see today.”
Document Download
Road Casualties, 2009
14/4/10
The Travel Code was introduced in January 2010 to help improve the safety of children and young people as they travel between home and school or college. Poor behaviour has contributed to some tragic consequences in the past and the Travel Code aims to tackle this.
All children and young people between the ages of 5-19 are covered by the Travel Code, whether they walk, take the bus or train, bike or even travel by car.
It's a parent or guardian's responsibility to ensure their child (or children) abide by the Travel Code. There are implications if a child doesn't follow the Travel Code, such as a Local Authority may withdraw access to free transport.
Ensuring every child understands and sticks to the Travel Code will not only help to save lives, but will make the pavements, buses and streets happier places to be for everyone.
The Travel Code has been launched with a fantastic competition to win a trip and tickets to see Wales play international rugby at the Millennium Stadium in November 2010.
You can download the Travel Code here and visit the website at www.travelcode.org
Make every journey a good one. Stick to the Travel Code.
8/4/10
Conwy and Denbighshire Councils’ Highways & Infrastructure Services are asking farmers and those in the agricultural industry to help them keep rural roads safer for everyone.
The Authorities have published a guide to Farming and Public Roads, which explains the role of the Highways Authorities and the responsibilities for anyone working on public roads, whether cutting hedges, using agricultural vehicles or moving animals.
Stuart Davies, Joint Head of Highways and Infrastructure for Conwy and Denbighshire Councils explained, "The booklet brings together useful information and advice for anyone running a rural business that has an impact on public roads".
He added, "In the spirit of partnership, both the National Farmers' Union and the Farmers' Union of Wales have agreed to distribute this leaflet amongst their members."
Copies of the Farming and Public Roads leaflet are available from Council offices and libraries or click on the link below.
Keeping Our Rural Roads Safe
PDF File 1.26Mb
30/3/10
The Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones, has launched the final version of the National Transport Plan which sets out how he will deliver the One Wales vision of a modern and sustainable transport system for Wales. Delivering the first ever National Transport Plan, the Minister for Economy and Transport explained how the Welsh Assembly Government will deliver the Wales Transport Strategy over the next five years.
The aim of the plan is to ensure a system of transport fit for the 21st century based on three key principles:
• to meet the demand for enhanced mobility which will enable economic growth and improve the quality of life we seek for the people of Wales
• to put transport onto a more sustainable and less carbon-intensive path
• to use transport funding more effectively in light of increased pressures on public finances
Deputy First Minister Ieuan Wyn Jones said,
“I am committed to developing a decarbonised transport system, where people are able to choose healthier and more sustainable modes of travel. I am therefore extremely pleased to be publishing our National Transport Plan today.
We are working to improve bus and rail services. We are also aiming to increase the number of people walking or cycling, and through our programme of Sustainable Travel Centres we will invest in new, and link existing, walking and cycling routes. Across the wider network we have plans to increase the provision of bicycle facilities on trains, at stations and in towns and cities.”
The Deputy First Minister also said that in developing the transport system the Welsh Assembly Government will continue to support economic prosperity, especially when faced with the global challenges of an economic downturn.
“This means a transport system that allows people to access services and removes barriers for people seeking jobs, particularly in less prosperous areas”, said Mr Jones. “We must ensure that our poorer communities, including those hit hardest by recent economic downturn, can benefit from a resurgent nation.”
The National Transport Plan, which was announced by the Deputy First Minister in July last year, is set out in a way that reflects the four main movement corridors in Wales – east-west in the north, mid and south, and north-south. As well as proposals that are relevant across all of Wales.
The proposals for the main corridors share two aims - to improve the reliability, quality and speed of rail and to improve journey times and safety on the main trunk roads.
View the plan here
29/3/10
Môn a Menai has been selected to become a sustainable travel area, with free cycle hire, improved public transport and new walking and cycling routes. It will receive up to £8 million of funding from the Welsh Assembly Government over the next three years to help transform and change the way people travel in the area.
The scheme will include:
- New public transport infrastructure projects in Bangor and the Menai area.
- Improvements to bus services.
- New walking and cycling schemes, including completion of the Lôn Adda multi-user path.
- Smarter travel projects that will include travel plans for the major employers in the area.
- It will also include looking at the feasibility of reopening the former rail line between Llangefni and Bangor
The Deputy First Minister said:
“I am delighted to announce Môn a Menai is to become a sustainable travel area and the next stage in our vision to develop a truly sustainable transport system for Wales. We will aim to deliver this scheme in two stages – first, infrastructure improvements will be made to allow people to move efficiently and effectively. Then there will be moves to help make travel more joined up and green. This will include developing travel plans for the main employers in the area, more support for bus services and a vigorous promotion of cycling and walking.
“For this to be a success we will need everyone working closely together. This latest announcement fits into the work of the National Transport Plan which I have also published today, which sets out my five year plan to develop a modern, integrated transport system that supports renewal of our economy, creates a more inclusive society and helps us tackle climate change.”
Gwynedd Council’s Senior Environment Portfolio Leader, Councillor Gareth Roberts said:
“This is a substantial investment in the area which will help to deliver an effective, efficient and sustainable transport system which best meets the needs of all those who live, work and visit the Môn a Menai Area.
“Gwynedd Council welcomes this announcement, and we look forward to working in partnership with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Isle of Anglesey County Council to deliver Wales’s first Sustainable Travel Area Project.”
25/3/10
The chief executive of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents is calling for all those who support the charity’s long-running lighter evenings campaign to register their backing online.
Tom Mullarkey says it is time for the campaign to step up a gear and is urging people to visit the safety charity’s new website where they can demonstrate their support for a move to Single Double Summer Time (SDST). See www.rospa.com/About/CurrentCampaigns/lighter-evenings/ for campaign information.
RoSPA has been campaigning for around 60 years for a change to how the UK uses its daylight hours, which would save lives and reduce injuries on the road. The environmental and economic benefits of an extra hour of evening daylight have also been stated clearly.
SDST would put the clocks one hour ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in winter and two hours ahead of GMT in summer. The most recent research has found that a move to SDST could reduce road deaths by around 80 per year and serious injuries by around 212 per year.
Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA chief executive, said: “As we look ahead to the clocks going forward this Sunday, I urge all those who support our call for lighter evenings all year round to join the campaign.
“The road safety arguments have already been accepted at a national level. The environmental benefits – carbon emissions cut by 450,000 tonnes each year – and business benefits – 60-80,000 new jobs and a £2-3bn injection suggested for the tourist industry alone – are now coming to the fore.
“RoSPA’s archives prove that this is a subject which has, over the years, gained the support of a diverse range of organisations. It’s now time to regain the momentum and press forward so our generation will be the one to achieve this life saving change. Remember, this is the only thing that will make you healthier, safer, greener and wealthier at no cost every day for the rest of your life.”
RoSPA’s archives are full of information spanning the duration of the campaign, including journal articles from the late 1960s, when a trial put the UK on British Standard Time for three years. There are also hundreds of supportive letters from local authorities, MPs, charities and organisations which were sent to RoSPA in response to a campaign call in 1988 (far more letters were received in support of a change than against).
Complementing RoSPA’s campaign, a move to lighter evenings has been the subject of a number of bills laid before Parliament.
24/3/10
Pendoylan Church in Wales Primary School are the winners of the 2010 Vale of Glamorgan Council Road Safety Quiz for the second time in 4 years. They followed up their success in 2007 with a convincing win over 2000 Champions Romilly Primary School in this year’s keenly-contested Final held at The YMCA Hub in Barry.
Hosted by the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Road Safety Team, the team of 4 x Year 6 pupils from Pendoylan held off a concerted effort from Romilly’s finest in a keenly fought, nerve-wracking and very competitive final anxiously and excitedly watched by fellow pupils, parents, teachers (and Road Safety Officers!) alike.
Qualifying rounds were undertaken in each participating school using the latest electronic technology of ‘Qwizdom’, in which pupils had four rounds of multiple-choice questions to answer on their remote control keypads, all recorded by computer, followed by a written question decider. Romilly actually achieved the highest score of 49 marks out of a possible 50 in the earlier rounds while Pendoylan’s title-winning team scored 48 points, but the latter’s experience of being in 3 out of the past 4 Finals finally told in the end. Other notable scores were recorded by Llansannor (2008/9 Champions) and St Athan Primary School both with a superb 47 followed by Barry Island and Llanfair (2009 Runners-Up) with 46 and Murch Juniors and Eagleswell Primary both earning 44 points.
Well done to these teams, and indeed to all the schools who participated in the Quiz, regardless of their scores. A special mention must also go to Oakfield Primary School in Barry for their fantastic group work in answering the questions and for sheer team effort alone deserve much credit for their performance.
The Final itself, was played in true ‘Top of the Form’ style - complete with buzzers for each team member. Individual, team & ‘fingers on buzzers’ questions made up the 10 rounds that each team faced – all based on their knowledge of the Young Person’s Highway Code.
This ever-popular annual schools’ event for 10 and 11 year olds attracted entries from 37 Vale of Glamorgan Primary Schools this year. Both finalist teams received gift vouchers plus a commemorative plaque each. The winners, Pendoylan, also received £200 for their school and a magnificent glass trophy, with £100 going to the runners-up Romilly.
John Rogers, Vale of Glamorgan Council Road Safety Officer, said ‘A big thank you must go to all the schools who took part in this worthwhile exercise. Win or lose, we hope that all the children enjoyed the experience and managed to take away at least a little more knowledge about Road Safety, which will hopefully stand them in good stead for the rest of their lives’
This annual event is organised by the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Road Safety Team and aims to make pupils more safety conscious and aware of their responsibilities as pedestrians, cyclists and vehicle passengers in an effort to reduce overall child casualties both in the area and in Wales in general.
16/3/10
The Isle of Anglesey County Council has secured important funding for projects which will promote road and pedestrian safety. New grant funding, totaling more than £352,000, has been awarded by the Welsh Assembly Government.
It will ensure that the County Council can implement Safer Routes in Communities projects in Llangefni(Corn Hir area), Dwyran, Newborough, and Llangristiolus.
The schemes will deliver improvements to cycling and walking facilities within the four areas, together with road safety improvements which will benefit the local schools and general community. The work will begin later this year.
Work will involve:
• Llangefni (Corn Hir area) - new sections of footway and associated improvements; Puffin crossing on B5109; new shared use paths from Plas Arthur Leisure Centre to residential area and traffic calming humps.
• Dwyran - new footway on road linking A4080 with centre of village; improved street lighting and traffic calming humps.
• Newborough - re-kerb and surface footways in centre of village; traffic calming humps; new footway on Church Street and island crossing point near school entrance.
• Llangristiolus - new footway on B4422; new bus shelter; traffic calming humps and various footway improvements.
Highways and Transportation portfolio holder, Councillor Eurfryn Davies, said, "We are grateful to the Assembly for this vital funding. The fact that Anglesey has been awarded the total amount of funding applied for reflects the quality of our initial bid and the hard work put in by the staff who prepared it."
He added, "The work will begin later in the year and will provide extra safety measures for pedestrians and cyclists in all four communities."
15/3/10
Ever wondered where you can find the answer to such questions as “should I have a trampoline at home” or “how can I carry my pet safely in my car”? Well wonder no more, because RoSPA’s mission to save lives and reduce injuries has been brought bang up to date with the unveiling of a new interactive website that includes a huge frequently asked questions database.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents’ main site - www.rospa.com - has been totally refashioned to help fulfill the charity’s aim of leading the way on accident prevention in the 21st century.
About two years in the making, the new site went live when Lord Jordan of Bournville, RoSPA’s president, pressed an online launch button at the society’s Birmingham headquarters on Friday.
Easier to use, the site, which was designed and built by RoSPA’s in-house web team, looks brighter and sharper than its predecessor. However it still provides plenty of life-saving information about preventing accidents at home, on the road, at work and at leisure. There are also sections dedicated to child safety and safety and risk education.
Among other things, visitors can now view a series of videos and use an interactive heritage timeline which charts many of RoSPA’s campaigns and successes during its 93-year history, as well as check up-to-the-minute news about all of RoSPA’s campaigns, products, services and training.
Visitors will also have the opportunity to customise their homepage and to set up RSS feeds.
In addition, the website provides links to hundreds of other sources of safety information including the ever-popular Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System, which has a new online home – www.hassandlass.org.uk This website gives access to a wealth of accident statistics including how many people are hurt by a range of everyday objects from air beds to zips.
Tom Mullarkey, RoSPA chief executive, said: “This is a very exciting development that shows we’re still at the cutting edge of saving lives and reducing injuries.
“It’s vital that in the age of information technology we have a big, interactive presence on the web. Our previous website received 2.92million visits in the last year and we look forward to many more visitors in the future.
“Our aim has always been to advise and educate as many people as possible about the risks they face in everyday life. This website should help carry our messages into the homes and workplaces of millions of people who we hope will use it time and again as a valuable resource.
“Our small and dedicated team have not only built this themselves but they have maintained and developed our 18 satellite sites too – an extraordinary achievement for an in-house team. I am very proud that people with such skill and dedication work for RoSPA.”
A dedicated web zone for RoSPA members, which holds exclusive content including access to the Infocentre catalogue (which stores details of more than 28,500 documents), has also been integrated into the site.
Because RoSPA is a charity, the new website has also made making donations easier to enable people to join RoSPA in its mission.
9/3/10
These Road Shows intended to get Monmouthshire Mums off to a Flying Start, and Flying Start was indeed one of the many organisations on hand to chat and provide advice and support.
Midwives were also a very welcome partner, bearing mind some of the babies were days away from making a debut appearance.
It certainly wasn’t an occasion to employ any shock tactics about Road Safety but there was plenty of information and personal advice given about safety in the car for parents to be and new babies.
8/3/10
Budding young road safety experts are taking part in this year’s exciting Rhondda Cynon Taf council challenge! Schoolchildren throughout the county borough have signed up to the exciting annual event that will test their knowledge on how to avoid potential dangers on the road.
Winners of the 2009 competition visited the Rhondda Cynon Taf Mayor’s Chambers in Pontypridd recently to receive their prizes along with the winner of the recent Christmas Card Competition.
Together the children from Darren Park Primary, Penrhiwceiber Primary, Ysgol Gynradd Pont Sion Norton, Porth Junior, Ffynnon Taf Primary and Blaengwawr Primary schools were welcomed by Mayor Cllr Robert Smith.
And it was decided that this year’s special competition would be held in the impressive surroundings of the Victorian council chamber!
Cllr Smith explained, “It was delightful to meet the winners of the 2009 competition and to welcome them to the Chambers in Pontypridd which certainly impressed them greatly.
“Therefore we felt it was proper to arrange for the Grand Finals of this year’s competition to take place in the Chamber itself. Once again we look forward with great anticipation to the excellent competitive skills of our children when it comes to their expert knowledge of road safety.”
The Council’s Road Safety Team have invited all schools in the county borough to participate in the 2010 competition with a deadline for entries on April 21st.
Children from Year 5 or 6 will be taking part and each participating school has been supplied with a pack which contains a Highway Code for Young Road Users and test papers with 28 standard questions for the pupils to complete.
Teachers then send the results to the Road Safety Unit and the six schools with the highest percentages are entered into the Grand Final at the Municipal Buildings in Pontypridd on Wednesday May 12th 2010. The winning team will represent the county borough in the South Wales Police Final at Bridgend in June.
8/3/10
A creative stance has been taken to solve anti social behaviour and bullying problems on secondary school buses in North Wales. Denbighshire County Council, which is leading on the Zoom project on behalf of North Wales local authorities, has installed four entertainment systems equipped with age appropriate DVD’s and music, to keep the students engaged and sat in their seats.
Selected bus routes in Denbighshire, Flintshire, Anglesey and Gwynedd are entertaining students on their way home as an experiment to see if positive early intervention can reduce bullying and driver distraction; with promising results so far.
In Denbighshire, Zoom has teamed up with Ysgol Dinas Bran, Llangollen and GHA buses, and has equipped the school run with music concerts, block busters movies and nature documentaries. The objective is to make the trip a pleasant experience and lessen bullying which can lead to school truancy.
Berwyn Davies, GHA Coaches Operations Manager, said: “It works!, A driver turns his back on 70 kids and drives. If we can keep them occupied and entertained on the trip home they are more likely to be well behaved and less likely to cause vandalism or distract the driver”.
The number of reported anti social behaviour incidents have increased over the last few years. The trial is a radical approach to reducing driver distraction, bullying, and antisocial behaviour on the home run. The Zoom project, supported by the Welsh Assembly Government, is underway in all six North Wales counties.
Stuart Davies, Joint Head of Highways & Infrastructure for Conwy and Denbighshire said: ‘At the end of each school day students board the bus for home animated and energetic, and noise levels can be quite distracting for bus drivers. This may seem a radical approach to school transport but if it reduces poorer behaviour and stops bullying it is well worth it. In the USA, entertainment systems are already used to reduce antisocial behaviour, they also report positive results.’
This trial is to be monitored for one year, and assessed as to whether it is an effective form of behaviour management. The expected outcomes are a reduction in noise levels, bullying, truancy and driver distraction.
5/3/10
A Llanelli woman who failed to stop when a Lollipop Lady was helping a school pupil to cross the road has received penalties totaling £335. She was also given five penalty points on her driving licence.
Karen Williams, of Swiss Valley, Llanelli, pleaded guilty to Ammanford Magistrates on March 4th 2010 for driving without due care and attention when passing a School Crossing in Llandeilo Road, Llanybie.
The 32-year-old was travelling along the road near Llandybie CP School when she committed the offence. Lollipop Lady Nan Samsudeen had clearly displayed her stop sign and was helping pupils to cross the road. But Williams failed to acknowledge the sign and continued to drive along the road putting the Crossing Patrol Officer and children at risk.
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Road Safety Team supported Dyfed Powys Police in prosecuting Williams for contravening Crossing Patrol regulations.
Magistrates fined Williams £235 with additional costs of £85 and a victim surcharge of £15, also imposing five penalty points on her driving licence.
Carmarthenshire County Council executive board member for Transport and Environment Cllr Haydn Jones said: “Child safety is of paramount importance and as a county we will not tolerate motorists ignoring Crossing Patrol Officers when they are carrying out this vital role within the community.
“Failing to stop at a crossing not only endangers the patrol but puts children and other adults at risk. This case demonstrates that we will not hesitate to take action against any individual who fails to stop when a School Crossing Patrol officer asks them to do so.”
County Road Safety Manager Keith Griffiths said: “When you see a School Crossing Patrol officer step into the road ahead of you displaying the Stop sign, you must stop to allow people to cross the road (Rule 87 of the Highway Code).
The law is quite specific. It is an offence under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 if you do not stop when signaled to do so by a School Crossing officer.
If you do not stop, the possible penalties include:
• A fine of up to £1,000
• A minimum of three points on your driving licence, or even
• disqualification
Drivers should always stop a safe distance away from the Crossing Patrol.
After people have crossed the road, drivers must not move off until the Patrol Officer has returned to the pavement and signaled them to do so.
Drivers should take special care when near schools, even if there is no Crossing Patrol in operation.
Rule 184 of the Highway Code says:
“Near Schools. Drive slowly and be particularly aware of young cyclists and pedestrians. In some places, there may be a flashing amber signal below the 'School' warning sign, which tells you that there may be children crossing the road ahead.”
1/3/10
The Scarlets are giving high profile backing to help teach children in Carmarthenshire about the importance of road safety.
The rugby region has joined forces with Carmarthenshire County Council’s Road Safety Unit and its mascot Gari Gosafe to help boost awareness and educate pupils about road and car safety – including crossing roads, being seen when out and about, cycling safely, walking to school and staying safe in the car.
And the popular and colourful seven foot Gari Gosafe mascot recently meet up with his Scarlets counterpart ‘Cochyn’, some Scarlets players and their children to launch the Scarlets support initiative.
The Scarlets will be producing a range of road safety materials and education packs in association with the Council that will be distributed throughout the schools of Carmarthenshire on Scarlets visits and during the region’s packed summer touring schedule. The Scarlets will be raising road safety messages through a range of initiatives including player profile cards, wall charts, team posters, car fresheners, sticker books and stickers and signage.
Scarlets and Wales international Dafydd Jones joined up with Gari and his young children to kick start the new campaign.
Dafydd Jones said: “Becoming a Dad, you are much more aware of keeping your children safe in the car and when you’re out and about. It’s really important to keep the message out there and with Gari Gosafe, it’s a brilliant and fun way to highlight that amongst younger children.
“We’ll be doing all we can to help promote road safety in the coming months.”
Gari Gosafe is the brainchild of road safety officers at Carmarthenshire County council.
Road safety officer Keith Griffiths said: “The Gari Gosafe campaign is aimed at children who have gone to school for the first time.
“It is an exciting time in their lives but with this new freedom comes dangers like roads and traffic.
“It is vital to educate children and we are constantly looking at new ways of doing this. We are delighted that the Scarlets are being so proactive in helping us spread the message and to have high profile players backing our work is great to see!”
Julie David, Hospitality and Marketing Manager at the Scarlets said: “We will be taking out the messages about Road Safety in as many of our community sessions with school children as possible.
“We have a busy community activity programme at the Scarlets and it’s an important part of maintaining our close links with our big Scarlets family and supporters young and older. As part of our networking, we are delighted to support important initiatives when we are out and about – such as promoting road safety to children.
“Our campaign with the Council will highlight a number of key areas to prevent any accidents including keeping safe by being seen, crossing roads safely, staying alert walking out and about, cycling safely, how to stay safe in the car and walking to school.”
26/1/10
Road safety cash totalling over £50k is being ploughed into safety schemes in Swansea in a bid to improve road safety for pedestrians. Swansea Council has successfully bid for the cash as part of the overall funding made available by the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership.
If approved by Swansea Council's Cabinet, the money will be used to install speed indicator display signs (SIDs) at key sites throughout the city. The SID signs will display information to oncoming motorists in a bid to educate drivers of the speed limits on routes that regularly suffer from vehicles travelling in excess of the local limit.
Permanent signs will be erected at Swansea Road in Llewitha and Gorseinon Road. These will supplement signs that have already been placed on other routes in Swansea over recent years. Additional mobile signs will also be purchased which can be utilised to support speed enforcement programmes throughout Swansea.
Some of the money has already been used to reduce the speed limit on Cwmbach Road which runs between Cockett and Waunarlwydd.
Further funds have been used to install a hi-tech digital speed camera at the junction of Sketty Lane and Mumbles Road. The camera is one of only two in Wales that can monitor motorists who jump red lights as well as monitor the speed of motorists through the junction.
John Hague, Cabinet Member for the Environment in Swansea Council, said: "The funding is vital to Swansea and will help us address some concerns that communities have with inappropriate speeds.
"I would urge all drivers to drive responsibly and stick to appropriate speed limits - especially near local schools where young children might be crossing roads."
Jim Moore, Manager of the Wales Road Casualty Reduction Partnership, said: "Our priority as a partnership is to always look to reduce casualties, to educate motorists and to influence drivers behaviour and the SIDs do just that. Feedback from motorists is positive with many commenting that they didn't actually realise they were going over the speed limit until the sign flashed. We will continue to look at and fund engineering initiatives in a bid to drive down speeds on our roads."
21/1/1
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The Government has proposed that Great Britain adopts a new long-term vision for road safety: 'Making Britain’s roads the safest in the world'. From 2010, Britain will be leaving the current road safety strategy and target period which began in 2000 and entering a new one, with fresh updated priority areas and new ambitious casualty reduction targets.
RoSPA’s Road Safety Congress in 2000 focused on the lessons the UK could learn from how other countries, and international organisations (such as the UN WHO and the EC) tackle death and injury on the road. Our Road Safety Congress 2010 will again explore what we can learn from how other countries address road safety. The programme will include examples of the following from other countries and international organisations:
- National, regional and global road safety strategies
- Case studies from individual countries of innovative road safety practice
- Examples of how some countries have made major road safety improvements in recent years at both national and local level
- Different approaches to those used in the UK
- The work and views of organisations, such as WHO, the UN etc.
18/1/10
Residents of Aberaman will have the opportunity to view exciting new road safety plans for their community. An exhibition is being held on Wednesday January 20th from 11am to 7pm at the Apostolic Church in Club Street Aberaman to inform residents of the proposed Aberaman Safe Routes in the Community project.
These works are due to be carried out during the 2010 summer period and will consist of 20 mph zones, speed humps, raised junctions and raised tables at existing pedestrian crossings. They will also include footway works in Gwawr Street and additional waiting restrictions in Club Street, Gwawr Street and at the junctions of Cardiff Road with Curre Street and Abergwawr Street.
These works are a Welsh Assembly Government initiative, organized by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, to promote a safer community and encourage the use of more sustainable modes of transport.
Councillor Andrew Morgan, Cabinet Member for Transport and Customer Care, said: “The proposed works will bring important road safety improvements in this part of Aberaman and residents have the opportunity to see for themselves what is involved at the public exhibition we have arranged.”
11/1/10
A group of schoolchildren has hit the ice at Swansea's Waterfront Winterland in the name of road safety. The year one schoolchildren from Llangyfelach Primary School were the lucky winners of a road safety colouring competition organised by Swansea Council's Road Safety Team.
The competition was organised as part of the Assembly-funded Kerbcraft initiative which provides practical road safety education to children between five and seven years old.
The prize for the competition winners was VIP treatment at Rocky's Ice Rink alongside Rocky the Road Safety Rooster.
Mike Flynn, Head Teacher at Llangyfelach Primary School, said: "The children had a wonderful day and really enjoyed themselves with Rocky.
"We've had a Kerbcraft coordinator at our school for five years who has helped to pass on vital road safety messages to the children.
"It's a very valuable scheme which will help provide the children with all the skills they need to enable them to keep safe on roads."
The Council is hoping more people will volunteer their services to help deliver Kerbcraft in schools throughout Swansea.
Carys Price, Swansea Council's Child Pedestrian Training Coordinator, said: "Kerbcraft is a really important initiative and we would like to offer it to every school in the city.
"The scheme depends on the help of volunteers and, without their assistance, we would not be able to deliver Kerbcraft training to all our young children."
If you think you can help contact Carys Price or Lindsey Hill on (01792) 636142.
11/1/10
A new, hard-hitting road safety theatre production has been shown in a number of Flintshire schools.
Walking Forward Theatre Company’s play, Wasted, is aimed at Year 11 pupils and is funded through Flintshire County Council’s Road Safety Unit and the Welsh Assembly Government.
The powerful and ground breaking drama explores the issues of drug driving. It addresses some of the moral issues linked to driving under the influence of drugs.
Frankie, Jay and Andy are three friends in the prime of their youth. Clubbing, football and hanging out with the girls are just a few of their favourite hobbies, so when Frankie’s girlfriend Stacey and her best friend Lucy agree to join the boys for one of their ‘big nights out’, arrangements are made to guarantee a good night is had by all.
Everything is set for a Friday night to remember but their evening soon takes a tragic turn when Andy crashes his car. In the aftermath friendships are tested and questions asked as the group struggle to deal with the consequences of an accident that should never have happened.
Flintshire County Council’s executive member for Environment, Councillor Tony Sharps, said: “We hope that the powerful message of this play will really hit home to the young people of Flintshire.”
For further information visit www.walkingforward.co.uk
