One contributing factor to the higher number of accidents between 1900 and 0800 hours is reduced visibility and Roadsafe, the road safety charity, is advising drivers to light-up and make their cars (or vans) more visible. Only a quarter of car journeys occur at night, but 40% of driver deaths and serious injuries happen between these hours.

Xenon and bi-xenon headlamps significantly improve visibility for drivers when it is dark, with the maximum illumination around 100 metres (about twice the range of halogen bulbs).  Many new cars fitted with these advance technologies will also feature adaptive lamp-levelling technology, which will also optimise visibility by adjusting the beam.

In addition, daytime running lights, standard on many new cars today and compulsory for all new models of cars introduced from the 7th February (under EU legislation) will also keep you more visible. However, evidence from various reports from the Department of Transport and European Transport Safety Council, shows that DRLs do not dazzle other road users during the day, but they are too bright for use at night, when drivers should switch to their headlamps.

Adrian Walsh, Roadsafe director, said,”We welcome the safety improvements that xenon and daytime running lights bring. Legislation takes into account evidence from extensive research, which shows xenon and bi-xenon headlamps and DRL improve safety. However, some of the valid concerns for other road users cannot be ignored. Government needs to respond by addressing these. Changes to the MOT are almost certainly necessary to ensure all types of lights are properly assessed”.

Winter driving

RoadSafe, the leading forum for promoting and devising solutions for road safety problems, has reminded UK motorists that winter tyres improve grip in wet, cold, icy and snowy conditions. They also confirmed that winter tyres can be used all-year round but it is in cooler, wetter conditions that they show the real benefit.

Test conducted by the British Tyre Manufacturers Association showed that a car braking at 60mph on a wet road, at five degrees Celsius, stopped five metres shorter when fitted with winter tyres. Winter tyres are different to studded tyres and snow chains and do not damage the road surface. The difference between winter tyres and standard ones is down to their composition as winter tyres contain more natural rubber and advanced silica compounds. When the temperature drops below seven degrees Celsius they harden less than standard tyres and provide more grip.

RoadSafe, the industry body dedicated to reducing road deaths and injuries, has welcomed the stringent standards being set for the Plug-In Car Grant, which will offer motorists up to £5,000 to buy qualifying electric, plug-in or hydrogen fuelled cars.

All qualifying cars must meet the same safety standards as regular internal combustion engine vehicles and many of these already have higher standards than the tests actually require. The items that will also be covered by the safety standards cover some of the following items.

• When crash testing EVs, particular attention is paid to ensuring the EV-specific safety features operate as specified and battery packs are also subjected to impact testing and other abuse tests.
• EVs use an inertia switch or a signal from the airbag system to switch off the electric traction supply, if the vehicle is involved in a crash or collision. This is the same as a petrol car for example, where an inertia switch stops the fuel supply.
• The battery packs are also fitted with internal contractors so if the 12V supply is suddenly cut off, the traction electric supply is automatically turned off.
• Pedestrian safety – an electric motor produces much less noise compared to an internal combustion engine although they still produce tyre noise. At low speeds over 12.4 mph this sound should be enough for pedestrians to hear the vehicle.
• CE certification – At present the charger needs CE certification, however changes to ECE Regulation 100 mean that the vehicle will no longer require CE certification as it is not classified as an electrical appliance.
• Charging in wet weather – the cars have to be safe to charge in wet weather and if installing a charging facility at home, the supplier of the vehicle has to be able to provide further advice about charging safely.

RoadSafe director, Adrian Walsh said,”It is quite right that plug-ins meet the same safety criteria as other cars. We fully support this government initiative, which encourages so much innovation, led by the auto industry, to create safer, greener cars“.

RoadSafe, the organisation dedicated to reducing road deaths and injuries, has urged the transport minister, Mike Penning, to maintain the current annual check-up for the MOT. In the UK if your vehicle is three years old you must have a valid MOT and every year thereafter. In the EU however the law requires vehicles to have their test when four years old and then a subsequent test very two years. The DfT is looking at bringing the UK into line with the rest of Europe and RoadSafe is warning against this.

Every year in the UK, MOT testers identify 8.5 million cars with defects and the DfT found in its own review of the MOT in 2008, that reducing the test frequency would significantly increase the number of unroadworthy cars and casualties. Most cars should be serviced between MOT tests but many drivers fail to do this and the Tyre Industry federation has also found that 12% of tyres are illegal on replacement.

RoadSafe director, Adrian Walsh said,” Many owners just don’t realise that tyres are a vital part of the braking system. They are one of the several essential safety features that drivers seldom check. An annual MOT is vital for picking up these problems. Roadsafe joins the Tyre Industry Federation and other campaigners, with a warning to government, that extending the period between MOT tests will put lives at risk”.

The Government has proposals to introduce vocational driving qualifications for at-work drivers and 86% of the “Driving for Better Business” campaign “business champion” fleets have supported the idea of “NVQ type” driving qualifications.

The Department of Transport consultation document,”Learning to drive” has specifically suggested that driving qualifications should be taken by all commercial van drivers and this was supported by around two thirds of the “business champion” fleets.

The “Driving for Better Business” Campaign is managed by Roadsafe and uses 40 of the business champion fleets to promote the financial, legal and moral reasons for organisations across the public and private sector to invest in at-work driving road safety.

Caroline Scurr, Campaign director said,” We are delighted that our “business champion” fleets support the concept of vocational qualifications for all at-work drivers”.

The Driving for Better Business campaign, the government backed safety campaign delivered by RoadSafe, is fully behind the Van Best Practise programme that has just been launched.

Caroline Scurr, Campaign Director of Driving for Better Business said,”The Van Best Practise initiative will provide an essential environmental and safety resource for fleets. Duty of Care in respect of effectively managing health and safety on the road has been on the government agenda for a number of years, but evidence from the police and the Health and Safety Executive shows that the majority of businesses -particularly small and medium-sized firms are turning a blind eye”.

Further information on the Driving for Better Business campaign, being run RoadSafe, can be found off their website:

@ www.drivingforbetterbusiness.com

RoadSafe the automotive backed industry forum, has won a three year contract from the Department for Transport, to deliver the “at-work” road safety programme. RoadSafe has already launched the “Driving for Better Business” campaign and this new contract award is in recognition of this.

Central to the work has been the recruitment fo 23 high-profile safety-focused business champions and organisations from across the public and private sectors, who are keen to showcase their own good driving management practises. Companies like Arval, Gateshead Council and BT to name just a few.

The new programme will include:

- Recruitment of more “business champions” and the enhancement of the network of other organisations, such as trade associations, to promote the business benefits of at-work driving safety.

- The launch of a high level steering group, chaired by John Lewis, chief executive of the BVRLA

- The launch of a stakeholder forum, chaired by Rob Gifford, executive director of the Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety.

“Driving for Better Business” is a campaign to alert the private and public sectors that managing at-work drivers and road safety saves money and is a legal requirement.