Media and You Newsletter

4 MEDIA & YOU Trust in David to look after your interests I have worked on a number of newsletters since 2017, for a wide variety of clients in vastly different lines of work. Press releases and images are more often than not sent through for me to compile as a newsletter or magazine. Many businesses prefer to involve a writer to put together their articles before sending them on to me. After all, collaboration is the name of the game. It has been my pleasure to work alongside one of the county’s most highly regarded media men for more years than I care to recall. Carl Jones is an award-winner in many fields of the media. His work includes writing, radio and TV broadcasting, magazine editor, PR consultant, and event master of ceremonies. I’ve heard he makes a pretty good coffee too. You can get in touch with Carl Jones via LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/carl-jones-2348a745 One project that Carl Jones PR and Media & You has collaborated on for many years is On The Road - The Journal of the Alliance of British Drivers (ABD). The newsletter is produced quarterly and focuses on promoting freedom of choice about how you travel. “Our objective is to provide an active, responsible voice to lobby on behalf of Britain’s drivers,” says ABD chairman Ian Taylor. “We believe that official policies in recent years, both from the national Government and from local authorities have discriminated against drivers by means of misleading information, obstruction, restriction, delay and taxation.” For more information about the ABD visit the website at www.abd.org.uk Motoring matters – on and off the road On The Road’s Ian Taylor, third right, taking part in a debate on Turkey’s TRT World Who are we, and what do we do? To join or donate to the ABD, visit www.abd.org.uk TheABD campaign for: Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues Visitwww.abd.org.uk for further details.To join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 TheABD campaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues P2: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P4: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P6: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P7: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P8: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P9: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P11: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P12: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P13: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx P14: xxxxx xxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx Visitwww.abd.org.uk for further details.To join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 TheABD campaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues Sorrymate, I didn’t see you . . . howmany times have you heard thosewordswhen a driver has pulled out in front of another road user? Inmost cases, the driverwill have looked, but been fooled into thinking the roadwas clear, because of theway our eyes and brains see thingswhenwemove our heads. TheABD is seeking to address the problem, by launching a safety campaign to educate road users on the dangers of ‘Saccadic Masking’ - limitations in a driver’s vision, which can effectively create blindspots. Aswemove our heads from side-to-side at a junction, our eyes send snapshots to our brain at intervals –much like a video camera records different frames. The brain thenmerges the snapshots into whatwe think is a continuous image – but that is actually an illusion, because therewill be blindspots. And if another road user – often a smaller object such as amotorbike or cyclist – falls within one of these blindspots, theywill not be seen.This is known as SaccadicMasking. The faster driversmove their heads at junctions, themore likely they are to create significant blindspots. TheABD is putting forward a series of recommendations to theDepartment for Transport, in an effort to tackle the issue. They include: l Teaching schoolchildren how to cross the road, especially the need to keep their head still for at least half a second at the end of each sweep to left and right l Educating young cyclists how to look in a similarway, especially at junctions l Encouraging driving instructors to teach about the dangers of saccadicmasking and blindspots, and include it in the theory test Putting safety first AGM time is just around the corner P2:ABD in the news –media coverage round-up P4: Funding of speed cameras needs scrutiny P6:Working parties, quangos and acronyms! P7: Socialmedia spreading theABDmessage P8: Beware a case ofmistaken identity P9: Is it greener to travel by bus, or car? P11:Trans-Pennine tunnel plans revealed P12: Pothole problems – repair bills are rising P13:National Infrastructure Conference report P14: Road sign restrictions are ‘a disgrace’ l Running information campaign for adult pedestrians and existing drivers, to explain the dangers – coveringTV, cinema, social media, posters and newspapers. l Including advice on how to look properly in driver improvement courses,when offered instead of fixed penalties for careless driving. TheABD says: “If the following recommendationswere implemented, accident numbers and the percentagewith ‘failed to look properly’ as a contributory factor should fall over time.” Themost common contributory factor to recorded injury accidents has consistently been a driver or rider’s failure to look properly.According tomost recentDfT figures, thiswas a factor in 46% of accidents. A further 9% resulted from a pedestrian’s failure to look properly. Thismeansmore than half of all injury accidents are due to failures of observation - so any action that could address the fundamental causes of this problem could reduce accident numbers significantly. l Watch our video on SaccadicMasking on Youtube, by searching for ‘ABD Road Safety – SaccadicMasking’ Vi it bd.or r urt er etails. o j ABD call ow on 01 1 08 7070 AB p i n o mpo ed oaduse training Real transport c oic l In tment in Britai ’s roads l Honesty o tra s rt issu s W ith the EU referendum result now decided,UK drivers are now fair game for a hike in fuel tax! That’swhat FarFuelUK, the award-winning public affairs campaign thatfights for lower fuel duty andmore transparent pricing at the pumps, says it has been told by ‘reliable Treasury sources’. The excuse? For the sake of the environment.The FairFuelUK view?Aknee- jerk tax rise on dieselwill not lower pollution levels or usage! The organisation has launched an opinion poll of drivers, andwill soon be sending the results to theTreasury, theTransportMinister, MPs and themedia. It says: “We are calling for a grown up sensibleGovernment debate to incentivise not penalise owners of dirty engines to trade up to cleaner units.Do you agreewith this objective? “The heart of our economy is driven by diesel, so inflation and jobswill be at risk if the price of this fuel is increased. “The out of touchTransportMinister’s announcementmeans the dirtiest vehicles, whichmay bemost responsive to an emissions tax,would simply not be taxed enoughwhile modern clean vehicleswould be over-taxed. “Yes that’s right, a clean diesel Euro 6 enginewill pay the same for fuel as an engine notmeeting those standards.” FairFuelUK is askingMPs to stop this ‘naïve Fair deal for diesel drivers is demanded The British people took themomentous decision to leave the EuropeanUnion on Thursday, June 23. Road transport over the last three decades has been influenced (somewould say dictated) by EU policymakingwhich theABD feels has seen road transport as the poor relation in the transport ‘hierarchy’. While theUK is now in uncharted territory, and the process underway to find a new PrimeMinister afterDavid Cameron’s resignation, theABD says itwill be keeping a keen eye on the parliamentary process to see what changeswill ensue. Advice tomembers is towatch out for and beware use of “active travel plans” and object to their introduction in their areas. We shall be taking a strong stance on this issue, leading the fight, and are strongly urging allmembers and supporters to use this opportunity to raise the profile of private vehicle owners, and put pressure on their elected representatives to represent the views of the largest user group and taxpayer of our roads – the drivers. TheAlliance of BritishDrivers is a non- party political pro-driver campaigning organisationwhich remained neutral on the EUmembership issue. But in a poll ofmembers carried out shortly before the EU referendum, therewas an overwhelmingmajority ofmemberswho wanted Britain to vote to leave. (See P4-5 formore details). Beware of & object to e “active travel plan” Inside our summer 2016 issue: P2: Read all about it -ABDmaking headlines P4: Brexit by a landslide - results ofABD’s EU survey P6: Jobsworths, and the politicalm rry-go-round P7:Driverless cars - don’t be taken in by the hype P8:The need for speed - is 80mph limit a good idea? P10: Latest report fromABD’sDrivers Committee P11:Warm reception forABD from FreedomAssociation P12:Westmi ster b lletin -what’s new inWhitehall? P13: Report from RoadUser Panel atTransport Focus P14: From cyclists to speed cameras - news in brief 5:Your views -ABDmembers have their say Motorists and truckers in EU states likeGermany and Poland pay 25p and 42p less respectively for diesel at the pumps than drivers in theUK ill-informed tax hike in its infancy’ and calling yet again for a grown-up sensible debate to incentivise owners of dirty engines to trade up to cleaner units. “Awell thought out diesel scrappage schemewhich is supported by hundreds ofMPswillwork,” it says. “FairFuelUK supporterswant cleaner air too, but thiswill NOT be achieved using punitive tax hikes.” FairFuelUK adds: “Sowhy does ourUK Government fleece diesel drivers somuch, especiallywhenmotorists and truckers in EU states likeGermany and Poland pay 25p and 42p less respectively? “Let’smotivate environmental change instead of using a quickTreasury cash grab fleecing hauliers andmillions ofUK motorists.” Date for your diary -TheABD’s AnnualGeneralMeetingwill be held this year on SaturdayOctober 15th at theHeritageMotorMuseum, Gaydon, starting at 10.30am The journal of theAlliance of British Drivers Issue 118 Spring 2016 isitw w.abd rg.uk for fu her details To i t eABD c ll now on 161 408 707 The D campaig for l Im rove road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s ro d l Honesty on transport isues I twas looking like a case of ‘double trouble’ thiswinter,with two an i-driver PrivateM mber’s Billsmaking theirway through parliament. But both of them – onewhichwould have given councils the po er to ban all pavement parking, and the other allowing parish and town councils to set their own speed limits – have beenwithdrawn. While theABD can’t claim thiswas down to us, it did follow a concerted lobbying campaign voicing our opposition,which attracted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD director IanTaylor says: “We cannot be complacent, though. TheGovernment has committed to a policy review on adopting a coherent nationwide approach to regulate pavement parkingwhichwill involve round- table discussions on legislative implications. “The people and organisations behind the Pavement Parking billwill probably be around that table, and if possiblewe too need to try to secure a place.” In Scotland, the news is less promising. The Scottish gover ment is continuing to pursue legislation tomake it an ofence to park on a pavement – citing problems to guide dog owners,wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs. IanTaylor added: “Our friends atDisabled MotoringUK ave an interest in thiswhich we appreciate.We oppose obstruction of pavements and highways alike, but don’t want to see pavement parking outlawed totally, because it sometimes serves a useful purpose ithout obstructing – hence our suggested onemetre clear space rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill sought to allow parish and town councils the power to set their own Double delight - but no time to be complacent MP Sc ttMann had b en promoting the Bill Thanks toMalcolmHeymer,who examined the Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill in detail, theABD raised seven objections: 1. Parish councils can already lobby highways authorities on speed limits, as can individuals. 2. Highways authorities have legal responsibility tomaintain a safe and eicient network and set speed limits that promote safetywithout unnecessarily increasi g journey times. Local referenda to set legally binding speed limitsmight conlict responsibilities. 3. Speed limits afect all drivers visiting or passing through, not just residents.There needs to be reasonable consistency between limits on similar types of road in diferent areas to avoid confusion.There are already toomany diferences in speed policies between existing authorities— this Billwould make the situation farworse. The objections made by ABD Inside our spring 2016 issue: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: 14: P15: P16: Withdrawn - an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill allowing local councils to set speed limits On The Road speed limits in“local areas”, following local referenda,whichwould then be introduced over the head of highways authorities – without giving them any say. TheABD felt thisw uld be a disaster for drivers, and again launched a campaign of lobbyingMPs andmedia coverage. Speed limits set on thewhim of residents’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism c rried too far.Traic speedswould be dictated purely by r sidents,while other users of the roadswould not get a say. IanTaylor says: “It is a job for experts, not the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egged on by those lobby groupswho campaign for speeds to come down to nearly walking pace. “Thiswould becom hell for drivers, at the hands of thosewho think they own their streets and have no concept of the point of a public highway network.” On the day of the second reading, our efortswere rewarded: on the request of the governmentminister RobertGoodwill, the bill waswithdrawn.Again, probably not all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a small, if cautious celebration 4. Changing speed limits does not guarantee a change in actual speeds. 5. Reduced speed does not guarantee a reduction in accidents; slower is not necessarily safer. Limits set too low create driver conlict and increase speed variance,which is more highly correlated with accident risk than average speed. 6. Residents frequently exaggerate the speeds of vehicles on ‘their’ roads. Speed limit changes should never be considered on the basis of residents’ claims alone; there must be objective surveys. 7. Comparing accident numbers on 20mph and 30mph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without taking into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsense. Issue 119 Summer 2016 The journal of theAlliance of BritishDrivers Issue 118 Spring 2016 Visitwww.abd.org.uk for furth r details.To join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 TheABD campaign for l Improved road usertraining l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues I twas looking like a case of ‘double trouble’ thiswinter,with two anti-driver PrivateMember’s Billsmaking theirway through parliament. But both ofthem – onewhichwould have given councils the power to ban all pavement parking, and the other allowing parish and town councils to set their own speed limits – have beenwithdrawn. While theABD can’t claimthiswas down to us, it did follow a concerted lobbying campaign voicing our pposition,which attracted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD director IanTaylor says: “We cannot be complacent, though. TeGovernment has committed to a policy review on adopting a coherent nationwide approach to regulate pavement parkingwhichwill involve round- table discussions on legislative implications. “The people and organisations behind the Pavement Parking billwill probablybe around that table, a if possiblewe too need to try to secure a place.” In Scotland, the news is less promisig. The Scottish government is continuing to purue legislation tomake it an ofence to park on a pavement – citing problems to guide dog owners,wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs. IanTaylor added: “Our friends atDisabled MotoringUK have an interest in thiswhich we appreciate.We oppose obstruction of pavements and highways alike, but don’t want to see pavement parking outlawed totally, because it sometimes serves a useful purposewithout obstructing – hence our suggested onemetre clear spac rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill sought to allow parish and town councils the power to set their own Doubl delight - but no time to b c plac nt MP ScottMann had been promoting the Bill Thanks toMalcolmHeymer,who examined the Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill in detail, theABD raised seven objections: 1. Parish councils can already lobby highways authorities on speed limits, as can individuals. 2. Highways authorities have legal responsibility tomaintain a safe and eicient network and set speed limits that promote safetywithout unnecessarily increasing journey times. Local referenda to set legally binding speed limitsmight conlict responsibilities. 3. Speed limits afect alldrivers visiting or passing through, not just residents.There needs to be reasonable consistency between limits on similar typesof road in diferet areas to avoid confusion.There are already toomany diferences in speed policies between existing authorities— this Billwould make the situation farworse. The objections made by ABD Inside our spring 2016 issue: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: P14: P15: P16: Withdrawn - an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill allowing local councils to set speed limits On The Road speed limits in “local areas”, following local referenda,whichwould then be introduced over th head of highways authorities – without giving them any say. TheABD felt thiswould be a disaster for drivers, and again launched a campaign of lobbyingMPs andmedia coverage. Speed limits set on thewhim of residents’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism carried too far.Traic speedswould be dictated purely residents,while other users of the roadswould not get a say. IanTaylor says: “It is a job for experts, not the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egged on by those lobby groupswho campaign fr speeds to come down to nearly walking pace. “Thiswould become hell for drivers, at the handsof thosewho thinkthey own ther strets and hav no conceptof the point of a public highway network.” On the day of the second reading, our efortswere rewarded: on the request of the governmentminister RobertGoodwill, the bill waswithdrawn.Again, probably not all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a small, if cautious celebration 4. Changing speed limits does not guarantee a change in actual speeds. 5. Reduced speed does not guarantee a reduction in accidents; sloweris not necessarily safer. Limits set too low create driver conlict and incrase speed variance,which is more highly correlated with accident risk than average speed. 6. Residents frequently exaggerate the speeds of vehicles on ‘their’ roads. Speed limit cangesshould never be considered the basis of residents’ claims alone; there must be objctive surveys. 7. Comparing accident numbers on 20mph and 30mph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without taking into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsense. e120 Autumn 2016 Visitwww.abd.org.uk for further details.To join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 TheABD c ampaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues W ith the EU referendum result now decid d,UK drivers are now fair game for a hike in fuel tax! Th at’swhat FairFuelUK, the award-winning publi c affairs campaig hatfights for lower fuel duty andmore transpar nt pricing at the p umps, says it has been told by ‘reliable Treas ury sources’. Th e excuse? For the sake of the envir onment.The F irFuelUK view?Aknee- jerk tax rise on dieselwill n t lower pollution level s or usage! Th e organisation has launched anopinion poll of drivers, andwill soon be sending the resul ts to theTreasury, theTransportMinister, MPs and themedia. It s ays: “We are calling for a grown up sensi bleGovernment debate to incentivise not p enalise owners ofdirty engines to trade up to cleaner units.Do you agreewith this obje ctive? “T he heart of our economy is driven by diese l, so inflation and jobswill be at risk if the p rice of this fuel is increased. “T he out of touchTransportMinister’s anno uncementmeans the dirtiest vehicles, whic hmay bemost responsive to an e issions tax, would simply ot b taxed enoughwhile mod ern clean vehiclesw ld be over-taxed. “Y es that’s right, a clean diesel Euro 6 engi newill pay the same for fuel as an engine not meeting those standards.” Fai rFuelUK is askingMPs to stop this ‘naïve Fair deal for diesel drivers is demanded The British people took themomentou decision to leave the Europ anUnio on Thursday, June 23. Road transpor over the last three decades has been influenced (som would s y dictated) by EU policymakingwhich theABD feels has seen road transport as the poor relation in the transport ‘hierarchy’. While th UK is now in uncharted territory, and the process underway to find a new PrimeMinister afterDavid Cameron’s resignation, theABD says itwill be keeping keen eye on the parliamentary process to see what changeswill ensue. Advice tomembers is towatch out for and beware use of “actve travel plans” and object to their introduction in their areas. We shall be taking a strong stance on this issue, leading the fight, and are strongly urging allmembers and supporters to use this opportunity to raise th profile of private vehicle owners, and put pressure on their elected representatives to epesent the views of the largest user group and taxpayer of our roads – the driver. TheAllia ce of BritishDrivers is a non- party political pro-driver campaigning organisationwhich remained neutral on the EUmembership issue. But in a poll ofmembers carried out shortly before the EU referendum, therewas an overwhelmingmajority ofmemberswho wanted Britain to vote to leave. (See P4-5 formore details). Beware of & obj ct to the “active travel plan” Inside our summer 2016 issue: P2: Read all about it -ABDmaking headlines P4: Brexit by a landslide - results ofABD’s EU survey P6: Jobsworths, and the political erry-go-round P7:Driverless cars - don’t be taken in by thehype P8:The need for speed - is 80mph limit a good idea? P10: Latest report fromABD’sDrivers Committee P11:Warm reception forABD from FreedomAssociation P12:Westminster bulletin -what’s new inWhitehall? P13: Report from RoadUser Panel atTransport Focus P14: From cyclists to speed cameras - news in brief P15:Your views -ABDmembers have their say Motorists and truckers in EU states likeGermany and Poland pay 25p and 42p less respectively for diesel at the pumps than drivers in theUK ill-informed tax hike in its infancy’ and calling yet again for a grown-up sensible debate to incentivise ownersof dirty engines to trade up to cleaner units. “A ll thought out diesel scrappage schemewhich is supported by hundreds ofMPswillwork,” itsays. “FairFuelUK supporterswant cleaner air too, but thiswill NOT be chieved using punitive tax hikes.” FairFuelUK adds: “Sowhy does ourUK Government fleec diesel drivers somuch, especiallywhenmotorists and truckers in EU states likeGermany and Poland pay 25p and 42p less respectively? “Let’smotivate environmental change instead of using a quickTreasury cash grab fleecing hauliers ndmillions ofUK motorists.” Date for your diary -TheABD’s AnnualGeneralMeetingwill be held this year on SaturdayOctober 15th at theHeritageMotorMuseum, Gaydon, starting at 10.30am The journal of theAlliance of British Drivers Issue 11 8 Spring 2016 Visit w .ab . rg. r f rt r t il . j i t c l no 1 i f r I r r ser training eal transport choices l Investment in Britain’ oa on sty o tr t i I t was looking like a case of ‘ double trouble’ thiswinter,with t wo anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill smaking theirway through par liament. Bu t both of them – onewhichwould have give n councils the power to ban all pavement park ing, and the other allowing parish and tow n councils to set their own speed limits – have beenwithdrawn. W hile theABD can’t cl im thisw s down to us , it did follow a concerted lobbying cam paign voicing our oppositi n,which attr acted a lot ofmedia attention. AB D director IanTaylor says: “We annot be c omplacent, though. TheGovernment has com mitted to a policy review on adopting a cohe rent nationwide approach to regulate pave ment parkingwhichwill involve round- tabl e discussions n legilativeimplications. “T he people and organisations behind the Pave ment Parking billwillprobably be around that table, and if possiblewe too need to try to se cure a place.” In Scotland, the news is less promising. The Scottish government is continuing to purs ue legislation tomake it an o ence to park on pavement – citing problems to guide dog owners,wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs. Ia nTaylor added: “Our friends atDisabled Moto ringUK ave an interest in thiswhich we a ppreciate.We oppose obstruction of pave ments and highways alike, but don’t wan t to see pavement parking outlawed total ly, because it sometimes serves a useful purp osewithout obstructing – hence our sugg ested onemetre cl ar space rule.” Th e Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Pow ers) Bill sought to allow parish and tow n councils the power to set their own Double delight - but no t ime to be complacent MP ScottMann had been promoting the Bill Thanks toMalcolmHeymer,who examined the Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill in detail, th ABD raised seven objections: 1. Parish councils can already lobby highways authorities on speed limits, as can individuals. 2. Highways authorities have legal responsibility tomaintain a safe and eicient network and set speed limits that promote safetywithout unnecessarily increasi g journey times. Local referenda to set l gally binding speed limitsmight conlict responsibilities. 3. Speed limits afect all drivers vsiting or passing through, not just residents.There needs to be reasonablec nsistency b tween limits on similar types of road in diferent areas to avoid confusion.There are already toomany diferences in speed policies between existing authorities— this Billwould make the situation farwors . The objections made by ABD Inside our spring 2016 issue: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: P 4: P15: P16: Wit hdrawn - an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill allowing local councils to set speed limits On The Road speed limits in “local areas”, following local referenda,whichwould the be introduced over the head of highways uthorities – without giving them any say. TheABD felt thiswould be a disaster for drivers, and again launched campaign of lobbyingMPs andmedia coverage. Speed limits set on thewhim of residents’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism carried too far.Traic speedswould be dicated purely by residents,while other users of the roadswould not get a say. IanTaylor says: “It is ajob fo experts, not the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egged on by those lobby groups ho campaig for speeds to come down to nearly walking pace. “Thiswould becomeh ll for drivers, at the hands of thosewho think they own their streets and have no concept of the point of a public highway n twork.” On the day of the secondreading, our efortswere rewarded: onthe request of the governme tminister RobertG odwill, th bill waswithdrawn.Again, probably not all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a small, if cautious celebration 4. Changing speed limits does not guarantee a change in actual speeds. 5. Reduced speed does not guarantee r duction in accidents; slower is n t necessarily safer. Limits set too low create driver conlict and increase speed variance,which is more highly correlated with accident risk than average speed. 6. Residents frequently exaggerate the speeds of vehicleson ‘their’ roads. Speed limit changes should never be considered on the basis of residents’ claims alone; there must be objective surveys. 7. Comparing accident numbers on 20mph and 30mph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without taking into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nons nse. I ue 11 9 Summer 2016 The journal of theAlliance of BritishDrivers Issue 118 Spring 2016 Visitwww.abd.org.uk for further details. o join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 Th ABD campaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues I twas looking like a case of ‘double trouble’ thiswinter,with two anti-driver PrivateMember’s Billsmaking th irway through parliament. But both ofthem – onewhichwould have given councils the power to ban all pavement parking, and the other allowing parish and town councils to set their own speed limits – have beenwithdrawn. While theABD can’ claimthiswas down to us, it did follow a concertd lobbying campaign voicing our opposition,which attracted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD diector IanTaylor says: “We cannot be complacent, though. TheGovernmnt has committed to a policy rview on adptinga coheren nationwide approach toregulate pavement parkingwhichwill involve round- table discussions on legisative implications. “The people andorganisaions behind the Pavement Parking billwill probably be around tht table, a if possiblewe too need to try to secure a place.” In Scotland, the news is less promisig. The Scottish government is continuing to pursue legislatin to ake it an ofnce to park on a pavement – citin problems to guide dog owers,wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs. IanTaylor added: “Our friends atDisabled MtoringUK have an interest in thiswhich we appreciate.We oppose obstruction of pavements and highways alike, but don’t want to see pavement parking outlawed totally, because it sometimes serves a useful purposewithout obstructing – hence our suggested onemtre clear space rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill sought to allow parish and town councils the power to set their own Double delight - but no time to b complacent MP ScottMann had been promoting the Bill Thanks toMalcolmHeymer,who examined the Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill in detail, theABD raised seven objections: 1. Parish councils can already lobby ighways authorities on sped limits, as can individuals. 2. Highways autorities have lgal responsibility t maintain a safe and eicient network and set speed limits that promote safetywithout unnecessarily incresing journey times. Locl referenda to set legally bining sped limtsmight conlct rsponsibilities. 3. Speed limits afect all drivers visiting or passing through, not just residents.There needs to be reasoable conistency betwen limits on similartypesof road n dif nt areas to avoid confusion.There are already toomany diferences in speed policies between existing authorities— this Billwould make the situation farworse. T e obje tions made by ABD Inside our spring 016 issue: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: P14: P15: P16: Withdrawn - an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill allowing local councils to set speed limits On The Road sp d limitsin “local areas”, following local referenda,whichwould then be introduced over the head of highways authorities – witout giving them any say. TheABD feltthiswould be a disaster for drivers, and again launched a campaign of lobbyingMPs andmedi covrage. Speed limits set on thewhim of residets’ votes i, in theABD’s view, localism carried too far.Traic speedswould be dictated purely b residents,while other users of th roadswould not ge a say. IanTaylor says: “It is a job for experts, not the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egged on by those lobby groupswo campaign for speeds to cme do tonearly walking pace. “Thiswould become hell for drivers, at the hnds of thosewho think they own thir streets and hav no conceptof the point of a public highway network.” On the day of the second reading, our efortswere rewarded: on the request of the governmentminister RobertGoodwill, the bill waswithdrawn.Again, probably not all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a small, if cautious celebration 4. Changing speed limits does not guarantee a change in actual speeds. 5. Reduced speed does not guarantee a reduction in accidents; slower is not necssarily safer. Limits set too low create driver conlict and increase speed variance,which is more highly correlated with accident risk than average speed. 6. Residents frequently exaggerate the speeds of vehicles on ‘their’ roads. Speed limit changesshould never be considered o the basis of residents’ claims alone; there must be objctive surveys. 7. Comparig accident numbers on 20mph nd 30mph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without taking into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsense. Inside our autumn 1 is ue: A still image from the video ‘ABDRoad Safety – SaccadicMasking’, available onYoutube PhilCareyis one of the speak rs at this y ar’s annual general meeting, inGaydon What are you doing on Saturday, October 15?We’d love to see you at our annual general meeting, being held at the BritishMotor Museum inGaydon, Warwickshire. In addition to the formal business of re-electing officials, delivering re orts an pres ting the accounts,we have awide variety of expert speakers n th programme. They include: Jason Evans andGr ham Foster ofDiable MotoringUK,whowill be looking at problems for driverswith disabilities, and Phil Cleary fromTransport Focus – th Governme t group s t up to adviseHighways England. ABD Londonmember Roger Lawsonwill be explaini g his speedawareness course campaign, and director IanTaylorwill look at som ofthe campaignswe haveb en involved with over the past 12months. A dwe ar hoping for a good turnout . . . and plenty of challenging questions from the floor! It is all due to start at 10.30am, and the venueis just fiveminut s from jun tion 12 f theM40. OurAGM is a chance tomeet other like-mindedABDmembersfor some lively disc ssion – and alsoincludes free entry to themuseum. Wewill be breaki g at 12.30pm for lunch, a d there’sa café in themuseum complex. Visitw w.abd.org.uk for further details.To join theABD call now on 0161 4 8 7070 TheABD campaign for l Improved road usertraini g l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues Sorry ate, Ididn’t see you . . . howmany timeshave you heard thosewordswhen a driver has pulled out n frontof another road user? Inmost cases, the driverwill have lo k d, but been fooled into thinking the roadwas cl ar, because of theway our eyes and brains see thingswhenwemove our heads. TheABD is seeking to address the problem, by l unching a safetycampaign to educate road users on the dangers of ‘Sac adic Masking’ - limitations in a driver’s vision, which an effectively create blindspots. Aswemove ur heads from side-to-side at a junction, our eyes send snapshots to our brain at intervals –much like a video camea rec rdsdiffer nt frames. The brain thenmerges th snapshots into whatwe think is a continuous image –but that is actually an illusion, because therewill be blindspots. And i anotherroad user – often a smaller object uch as amotorbike or cyclist –falls within one of th se blindspots, theywill not be seen.This is known as Sacca icMasking. The faster driversmove th ir heads at ju cions, th mor likely they are tocreate significant blindspots. TheABD is putting forward a series of recommendations to theD partm nt for Transport, in an effort to tackle the issue. They include: l Taching schoolchildren how to cross the road, esp cially the need to keep their head still for atleas half a second t the end of each sweep toleftand right l Edu ating young cyclists how to look in a similarway, especially at junctions l Encouraging driving instructors to teach about the dangers of s cc dicmasking and blindspots, and include it in he theory test utting safety first AGM time is just r d the corner P2:ABD in the news –media coverage round-up P4: Funding of speed cameras needs scrutiny P6:Working parties, quangos and acronyms! P7: Socialmedia spreading theABDmessage P8: Beware a case ofmistaken identity P9: Is it greener to travel by bus, or car? P11:Trans-Pennine tunnel plans revealed P12: Potholeproblems – repair bills are rising P13:National Infrastructure Conf rence report P14: Road sign restrictions are ‘a disgrace’ l Run ing infor ation ca i s f r adult pedestrians and existing drivers, to explainth dangers – coveringTV, cinema, socialmedia, posters and newspapers. l Including advice on how t look properlyin driver impr vement courses,when offered insteadof fixed penalties for careless driving. TheABD says: “If thefollo ing recommendationswere implemented, accident numbers and he percentagewith ‘failed to look properly’ as a contribut ry factor should fall over time” Themost common contributory facto to recorded injury accidents has consistently been a driver or rider’sfailure t look properly.According tomost recentDfT figures, thiswas a factorin 46% faccidents. A further 9% resulte from a pedestrian’s failure to look properly. Thisme smore than half of all injury accidents are due to failures of observation -so ny acti n that could address the fundamental causes of this problem could reduce accident umbers significantly. l Watch our video on SaccadicMasking on Youtube, by searchi gfor ‘ABDRoad Safety – SaccadicM sking’ Visitwww.abd.org.uk for further details.To join theABD call now n 0161 4 8 7070 TheABD campaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues W ith the EU referendum result nowdecided,UK drivers are now fair game f r a hike in fuel tax! That’swhat FairFuelUK, the award-win ing public affairs campaignthat fights for lower fuel duty andmoretransparent pricing at the pumps, says ithas be toldby ‘reliable Treasurysources’. The excuse? For the sake of the environment.The FairFuelUK view?Aknee- jerk tax rise on deselwillnot lower poll tion levels or usage! The orga isation has launched an opinion poll of drivers, andw soon be sendingthe results to theTreasury, theTransportMinise, MPs and themedia It says: “We are calling for a grown up sensibleGovernment debate to incentivise not penalise owners ofdiry engines totrade up to cleaner units.Do you agreewith this objective? “The heartof our c nomy is driven by diesel, so inflation and jobswill be at risk if the price of thisfuel is increased. “The out of touchTransportMinister’s announcementmeans the dirtiest vehicles, whichmay bemost responsive to an emissions tax,would simply not be taxed enoughwhile modern clean v hicleswould be over-taxed. “Yes that’s ri ht, a clean diesel Euro 6 enginewill p y the same for fuel as an e gine notmeeting those standards.” FairFuelUK is askingMPs to stop this ‘naïve F i ea for l drivers is demanded The Briis em t decision to l ve t o e no Th rsday, June np v s r e dec h sb en influ d(s e o l sa dictated) y EUp licy whcht eABD feels ha see r dt otas hep or re etr o i r rc ’. WhiletheUK no unc t dt an r ss nd a nd a e PrimeMn a er i r ’ r signati n, heABD i b ke pi a keen eye on th a y cess t see what c ange Advice tome be c o and b war useo “acive travel plans” and object totheir nt on in their We s ll b taki on this issue,leading the fight, and are strongly urging allmember p er o us is pportu ity to rai r fil f rivat vehicle o n rs, e ur th ir el cted representati s t r resent t views of the largest user group d taxp y r of our r s– the drivers. TheAlliance of BritishDrivers is a non- party political pro-driver campaigning organisation hich remainedneutral on the EUmembership issue. But in a poll ofmembers carried out shortly before the EU referendu , therewas an overwhelmingmajority ofmemberswho wanted Britain to vote to leave. (See P4-5 for ore det ils). Beware of “ travel n” Inside our summer 2016 issue: P2: Read all about it -ABDmaking headlines P4: Brext by a landslide - results ofABD’s EU survey P6: Jobsworths, and th politicalm rry-go-round P7:Driverless cars - don’t be taken in by the hype P8:The need for speed- is 80mph limit a good idea? P10: Latestreportfro ABD’sDrivers Committee P11 Warm reception forABD from FreedomAssociation P12:Westminster bulletin -what’s new inWhitehall? P13: Rep rt from RoadUser Panel atTransport Focus P14:Fromcyclist to speed cameras - news in brief P15:Yo r views -ABDmembershave t eir say Motorists and truckers in EU states likeGermany and Poland pay 2 a l ss respectively for diesel at the pu ps than drivers in theU ill-informed tax hike in its inf ncy’ and calling yet again for a grown-up s nsible debate to incentivise owners of dirty engines to tr d up to cleaner units. “Awell thought ou diesel scrappage schemewhich is supported by hundreds ofMPswillwork,” it says. “FairFuelUK supporterswant cleaner air too, but thiswill NOTbe achieved using punitive tax hikes.” FairFuelUK add: “Sowhy does ourUK Government fleece diesel drivers somuch, especiallywhenmotorists and truckers in EU states likeG rmany and Poland pay 25p a d 42p less respectively? “Let’smotivate environme tal change instead of using aquickTreasury cash grab fleecing hauliers andmillions ofUK m torists.” Date for your diary -TheABD’s AnnualGeneralMeetingwill be held this year on SaturdayOctober 15th at theHeritageMotorMuseum, Gaydon, starting at 10.30am The journal of theAlliance of British rivers Issue 118 Spring 2016 i i . b .org.uk for furt er details.To oi t eABD l o on 16 4 8 7 The D ca ai f r l Im ro d ro user traini g l Real transport ch ices l Investm nt in Britai ’s roads l Honesty o transport issues I twas lo king like a case of ‘double troubl ’ thiswinter,with two anti-driver Priv teM mber’s Billsmaking theirway through parliament. But both of them –onewhichwould have given councils the power to ban all pavement parking, and the other allowing parish and town councils to set their own spe d limits – have beenwithdrawn. While theABD can’t claim thiswas down to us, it did follow a co certed lob ying campaign voicing our opposition,which attracted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD director IanTaylor says: “We cannot be complacent, though. TheGovernment has committed to a policy review on adopting a coherent nationwide approach to regulate pavement parkingwhichwill involve round- table discussions on legislative implications. “The people and organisati ns behind the Pavement Parking billwill probably be around tha table, and if possiblewe too need t try to securea place.” In Scotland, the news is less promising. The Sc ttish government is continuing to pursue legislation tomake it an ofence to park on pavement – citing problem to guide dog wners,wheelchair us rs and parents with pushchairs. IanTayoradded: “Our friends atDisabl d MotoringUK ave an interest in thiswhich we appreciate.We oppose obstruction of pavements and highways alike, but don’t w t to se pavement parking oulaw d totally, because t sometimes s rves a useful purposewithout obstructing – hence our suggested onemetre clear space rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill sought to allow parish and town councils the power to set their own Double deli h bu o tim to be P c ttM n a n romotin the Bill Thanks toMalcolmHeym r,who xamined the Spe Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) illin detail,theABDraisedseven objections: 1. Prishco cils lr d lobby highways authorities on speed limits, s i di id ls. . i s oriti ve l l r s ibili i i afe d i t et a d se li i h pr fet without unnec r sing jouney times. Local refere at set l ally bi ing ee lim ight conlict responsi ilitie. 3. Speedli is a c es is i or passing thr u e be reasonable consistency between limitson si ilar types o din di een r as t a od oomany if re ces pee o between ex inga t ii s— this Bill ou ma e the sit to os . T j n made by ABD Inside our sp in s P P3: P4 5 6: P8 P11 P14 P15 6 Withdrawn -an anti-driver PivateMember’s Bill llowing local councils to set speed limits On The Roa spe d limis in “local areas”, fol in local referenda,whichwould then b introduc over th head of high ays authorities – without giving them any say. TheABD felt thisw uld be a disaster for drivers, and again launched a campaig of lob yingMPs andmedia coverage. Speed limits s t on thewhim of resid ts’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism c rried too far.Traic speedswould be dicated purely by residen ,while other users of the roads ould not get asay. IanTaylor says: “It is a job for experts, n t the votes of amateurs,whow uld doubtl ss be eg ed on by hose lobby groupswho campaign for speeds to come downto nearly walking pace. “Thisw uld becomehell f r drivers, at the hands of thosewh think they owntheir streets and have no conceptof the point of a public highway network.” On the day of th second reading, our efortswere rew rded: on the request of the governmentminist RobertGoodwill, the bill w swithdrawn.Again, probably not all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a small, if cautious c lebration 4. Chan ng speed limits doe o guarantee g actual speeds. 5. Reduced speed not uar t a reduction in a ciden ; lowe i ot ece aril a Limits set too low cr at dr er n ic and increae speed variance,whichis mor highly correlat d with accident ris th v r ge s ed. 6. Reside tsf tly xaggerate the speeds ofvehicles on ‘their’ roads. Speed limi changes should nev be considered on the basis of resid nts’ claims alone; there must be objecti surveys. 7. Comparing ccident nu bers on 20 ph and 30mph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without taking into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsense. Issue 119 Summer The journal of th Alliance f ritis riv rs Issue 118 Spring 2016 Visitwww.abd.og.uk for further details.To join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 TheABD campaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues I twas looking lik a case of ‘double trouble’ thiswint r,with two anti-driver PrivateMember’s Billsmaking theirway through parliament. But both of them – onewhichwould have given councils the power toban all pavement parking, and the othe allowing parish and towncouncils to set their own speed li its – have beenwithdrawn. While theABD can’tclaimthiswas down to us, it did follow a concertd lobbying campaign voicing our opposition,which attracted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD director IanTaylor says: “We cannot be complacent, though. TheGovernment has committed to a policy review on adopting a coheren nationwide approach to regulate pavement parkigwhichwill involve round- table discussions onlegisative implications. “The peple and organisations behind the Pave ent Parking billwill probablybe around that table, and if ossiblewe too need to try to secure a place.” In Scotland, thenws is less promisig. The Scottish government is continuing to purue legislatio tomake it anofence to park on a pavement – citing problems to guide dog owners,wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs. IanTaylor added: “Our friends tDisabled MotoringUK have an interest in thiswhich we appreciate.We oppose obstruction of pavements and highways alike, but don’t want to see pavement parking outlawed toally, because it sometimes serves a useful purpsewithout obstructing – hence our suggestd onemetre clear spac rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Pwers) Bill sought to allow parish and town cuncils the power to set their ow Double deligh - but o time to b complac nt MP ScottMann had been promoting the Bill Thanks toMalcolmHeyme,who e mi the Speed i i d ( volvd P rs) Bill in detail, th ABD raised sven objections: 1 i uncs c lready l igwa u e i i , individual . or r pnsibi t n a sae and e i etwor nd e s imi at romot essarly incra n our r t eay bnd li i m co rs nsblt 3. Sed m t ld vers visi g o s g j res ns.T need on et limit i ar ofrad i i r aeast vo h toomay diferencs in speed policies between existing authorities— this Billwul mke t s The ob ons made by ABD Inside our sp ing 2016 issue: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: P14: P15: P16: Withdrawn -an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bil alo ing local co cils t st d li its speed limits in “local areas, fol ing locl referenda,which ould t b intrduced over the head of high ays athrities – without giving the any say. TheABD felt this ould be a isstr fr drivers, and again launched a camaign of lobbyingMPs andmedia coverage. Speed limits set on thewhim of residnts’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism carried too far.Traic speedswould be dictated purely y residents,while other users of the roadswould not get asay. IanTaylor says: “It is a job for experts, ot the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egged on by those lobby groupswho campaignfor speeds to come down to nearly walking pac. “Thiswould become hell for drivers, at the hands of thosewho think they own their streets and have no concept of the point of a pblic highway network.” On the day of th secod reading, our efortswere rewarded: on the request of the governmentminister RbertGoodwill, the bill waswithdrawn.Agai, probabynot all down to theABD, but a good rsult all the same. Time for a small, if cautious celebration n limis dos not guarantee a change i actul spe . 5. Re ed sp s t rntee a re tion in accidents; sl r is ot cessarily sfer. Limits set to low create driver conlict and incrase sped variance, hich is ore highly correlate with accident risk than average speed. 6. Residents frequently exaggerate the speeds of vehicles on ‘their’ roads. Speed limit changsshould nevrbe considered the basis of residents’ claims alone; there must be objctive surveys. 7. Comparig accident numbers on 20mph and 30mph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without tkinginto account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsese. e 20 Autu n 2016 Visit www.abd.org.uk for further details.To join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 TheABD ca mpaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Investment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues W ith the EU referendum result now decided,UK drivers are now fair game for a hike in fuel tax! That ’swhatFairFuelUK, the awad-winning public affairs campaign thatfight for lower fuel d uty andmoretransparent pricing at the pu mps, says it has b en toldby ‘reliable Treasu ry sources’. The excuse? For the sake of the enviro nment.The FairFuelUK view?Aknee- jerk ta x riseon deselwill n t lower pollution levels or usage! The organisation has launched an op ion poll of drivers, andwill soon be sending the results to theTreasury, theTransp rtMiniste, MPs an d themedia. It sa ys: “We are c lling for a grown up sensibl eGovernment debate to ncentivise not pe nalise owners ofdirty engines to trade up to c leaner units.Do you agreewith this object ive? “Th e heart of our economy is drive by diesel, so inflation and jobswill be at risk if the pri ce of this fuel is increaed. “Th e out of touchTransportMinister’s annou ncementmeans the dirtiest vehicles, which may bemost responsive to an emissions tax,w ould simply n t be taxed enoughwhile moder n clean vehicleswould be over-taxed. “Yes that’s right, a clean diesel Euro 6 engine will pay the same for fuel as an engine notm eeting those standards.” Fair FuelUK is askingMPs to stop this ‘naïve F air deal fo diesel d riv rs is demanded Th Briti people took themom tou d cision to leavet u an i hus y June 23. Ro r s ot r e r dec es has been influenced (s m o s di tate ) y EUp cymakn h h BD feel se road tra ta p l io in the tr ns Whil heUK s n wi un e territory, n t r c d ay n w Prim nister afterDa d a ’s resi io , theABD says itwill be keeping a keen eye on thepa ame o es se what hangesw lensue Ad i tom mbersi o f and be are use “acivet l and object to their intro tion i . We sh ll be aking r tan t i issu , leading th fi ht, l urging allmembes and support rs to use this opport ity to raise t ro l f iv t vehcle owners, and put pr sue on th ir lected represent tives t r s t t views of the larg st us r group and taxpayer of our roads – the driver. TheAllia ce of Britis riv rs is on- party poliical pro-driver campaigning organisationwhich re ainedneutral on the EUmembership issue. But in a poll of e b rs carried out sh rtly before the EU referendum, there as an overwhelmingmajority ofmemberswh wanted Britain to vote to leave. (See P4-5 formore details). w e o j ct to the a t avel plan” I side our ummer 2016 : P2: Read all about it -ABDmaking headlines P4: Brexit by a landslide - results ofABD’s EU survey P6: Jobsworths, and the politicalmerry-go-round P7:Drverless cars - don’t be taken in by thehype P8:The need for speed - is 80mph limit a good idea? P10: Latest report fromABD’sDrivers Committee P11:Warm reception forABD from FreedomAssociation P12:Westminster bulletin -what’s new inWhitehall? P13: Report from RoadUser Panel atTransport Focus P14: From cyclists to speed cameras - news in brief P15:Your vews -ABDmembers have their say M ot rist and truckers in EU states likeGermany and Poland pay 25p and l s respectively for diesel at he pumps than drivers in theUK ill-informed tax hike in its infancy’ and calling yet againfor a grown-up sensible debate to incentivise owners of dirty engines to trade up t cleaner units. “A ll thought out diesel s rappage schemewhich is supported by hundreds ofMPswillwork,” itsays. “FairFuelUK supporterswant cleaner air oo,but this ill NOT be chieved using punitive tax hikes.” FairFuelUK adds: “Sowhy does ourUK Government fleece diesel drivers somuch, especiallywhenmotorists and truckers in EU states ikeGermany and Poland pay 25p and 42p less respectively? “Let’smotivate environmental change instead of usingaquickTreasury cash gr bfle cing hauliers andmillions ofUK m t rists.” Date for your diary -TheABD’s AnnualGeneralMeetingwill be held his year on SaturdayOctober 15th at theHeritageMotorMuseum, G ydon, starting at 10.30am The journal of theAlliance of British rivers Issue 118 Spring i i w w.ab o g.uk for fu th r d ails To join t l on 0 6 408 70 0 i f r l I r r r training l Real tran p rt c ic l In tm t in Brit in’s r a s H ty o tr rt is u I tw as lo king like a case of ‘d ouble trouble’ thiswinter,with tw o anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bills making theirway through parli ament. But both of them – onewhic would have given councils the power to ban allpavement parkin g, and the other allowing parish and town councils to set their own speed limits – have beenwithdrawn. Whi le theABD can’t claim thiswas down to us, it did follow a concerted lob ying camp aign voicing our oppositi n,which attrac ted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD director IanTaylor says:“We cannot be co mplacent, though. TheGovernment has comm itted to a policy review on dopting a coher ent nationwide approach to regulate pave ment parkingwhichwill involveround- table discussions n legilative implications. “Th e people and organisations behind the Pavem ent Parking billwill probably be around that t able, and if possiblewe to nee to try to sec ure a place.” In S cotland, the news is less promising. The S cottish gover ment is conti uing to pursu e legislation tomake it o ence o park o n a pavemen – citng problemsto guide dog o wners,wheelchair us rs and parents with p ushchairs. Ian Taylor added: “Our fri nds atDisabled Motori ngUK ave an interest in thiswhich we ap preciate.We pposeobstruction of pave ments and highways alike,but on’t ant t o see pavement parking outlawed totall y, because it sometimes s rves a useful purpo sewithout obstru ting – hence our sugges ted onemetre clear space rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Power s) Bill sought toallow parish and town councils the power to set their own le delight ut i to be com lacent MP Sc ttM n a r ting the Bill Thanks toMalcol Hey r, xa i e Speed Limits R s (D v lv ow rs) Bill in detail, theABDraised seven objections: 1. arish councils can already lobby highways authorities on spee li its, as i ivi als. . i ways h iti have legal responsibility tomaintain a af and eicient network and set spe li i safetywithout u ne ssar cr j urn y times. L cal r r et legally in ing spe dli sm conlict responsibilities. 3. e d limits fe t ll vs ing or passing through, no just residents.Th needs b reasona leconsi e en li it similar typ so road re t r s avod conuio . h le dy y ife e p ut o t lwould a he sit ati n f wo Th o mad by ABD Inside our spring 0 P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: P14: P15: P16: With drawn -an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill allowing local councils to set spe limits The speed limits in “local areas”, following l cal referenda,whichwould then be i troduced over the head of ighways uthoritie – wit out giving themanysay. TheABD felt thiswould be a disast r for drivers, and again launched a campaign of obbyingMPs andmedia coverage. Speed limis set on thewhim of residents’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism c rried to far.Traic speedswould be dicated purely by residens,while other users of the roads ould not get a say. IanTayl r says: “It s a job fo experts, n t the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egg d on by hose lobby groupswho campaignfor speed to com downto nealy wal ing pace. “Thiswould becom h ll for drivers, at the hands of thosewho think they own their streets and have no concept of the point of a public highway n twork.” On theday of the sec d read g, our efortswere rewarded: on the request of the governmentminister RobertGoodwill, th bill was ihdrawn.Again, probably not all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a s all, if cautous celebration gi g speed limits doe no guarantee a chang in actual spee s. . R d spe d do s not guarantee r io i accidents; slow is n t c ssarily afer. Limits s t too low cre te driverc nlict and incr ase spe d ariance,which is more highly corr lated withaccident risk than veragespeed. 6. Residents fequently exaggerate the speeds of vehicleson ‘their’ roads. Speed limit changes should never be considered on the basis f esidents’ clai s alone; there mus be objectivesurveys. 7. Comparing accident numbes on 20mph and 30 ph roads (as ScottMannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without takng into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsense. I s e 19 Sum er The journal of the lliance f ritis ri rs Issue 1 8 ri Visitwww.abd.org.uk for further details. o join theABD call now on 0161 408 7070 Th ABD campaign for l Improved road user training l Real transport choices l Inv stment in Britain’s roads l Honesty on transport issues I twas lo king likea case of ‘double trouble’ thiswinter,with two anti-driverPrivateMember’ Billsm king theirway through p rliament. But both ofthem – onewhichwould ave given councils the power to ban all pavement parking, and the othe allowing parish and twn councils to set teir own sped limits – have beenwithdrawn. While theABD can’ claimthswas down tous, it did follow a concrted lobbying campaign voicing our oppsition,which attracted a lot ofmedia attention. ABD director IanTaylor says: “We cannot be compacent, though. TeGovernmnt has cmmitted to a policy rview on adptinga coherent nationwide approach to regulate pavement parkingwhichwill involve round- table discussins on legisltive implications. “The people andorganisaions behind the Pavement Parking billwill probably be around tht table, a if possiblewe too need to try tosecure a place.” In Scotland, the news is less promising. The Scottish government is continuing to pursue legislation to ake it an ofence to park on a pavemet – citing problems to guide dog owes,wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs. IanTaylor add : “Our friends tDiabled MotoringUK have an interest in thiswhich we appreciate.We oppose obstruction of pvements and highwys alike, but don’ want to see pavement parking outlawed totally, because it sometimes serves a useful purposewithout obstructing – hence our suggested onemetre clear spac rule.” The Speed Limits on Roads (Devolved Powers) Bill sought to allow parish and town councils the power to se their own Dou l e i t - ime to be complacent P ScottMann had been promoting the Bill Thanks toMalcolmH ined the Spee Li it o s vled Powes) Bill in detail, theABD raised seven objections: . i councils can y lob hihwas autho t , indiviuals. 2. i a ve resp blity t ma a ce n wokan setspe i it ta pro oe safetywithout necessar n esig journey ti es.Loc ee t l aly bi ngspe lm gh r p ib t 3. i g or passing through e needs to be reaoaleco cybet en limit on si lar s f aeas to voi cof o re r al dy toomany i e ces ic between exist g t his Billwould mk the situa b made BD Inside our spri g 2016 issue: P2: P3: P4: P5: P6: P8: P11: P14: P15: P16: Withdrawn -an anti-driver PrivateMember’s Bill alowing local councils to st s d li i T oad sped limitsin “local areas”, folo ig l l referenda,whichwould then be introuc over the head of highways authorities – without gving them any say. TheABD flt thiswould be a disaster for drivers, and again launc d acampaign of lobyingMPs andmedi coverage. Speed limits set onthewhim of residents’ votes is, in theABD’s view, localism carried too far.Traic speedswould be dictated purely b residents,while other usersof th roadswould no get asay. IanTaylor says: “It is a jb for exper ,not the votes of amateurs,whowould doubtless be egged on by those lobby grupswo campaign for speeds to come dow tonearly walking pace. “Thiswould become hell for drivers, at the ndsof thosewho think they own their streets n hav no conceptof the point of a pblic highway network.” On the day of the second reading, our efortswere rewarded: on the reques of the govrnmentministr RobertGoodwill, the bill waswithdrawn.Again, proba ynot all down to theABD, but a good result all the same. Time for a small, if cautious celebration 4. Changing speed limits does ot guarantee a change n actal spees. 5. Reued sped dos not gurntee a reduction in accidets; slo er is not ne ssarily safer. Limits set too l create driver conlict and incrase speed variance,which is mor highly correlated with accident risk than average speed. 6. Residents frequently xaggeratethe speeds of vehicles o ‘their’ roads. Speed limit changesshould never be considred o the basis of residents’ claims alone; there must be objective survys. 7. Comparig accident numbers on 20mph and30mph roads(asScot MannMP, the Bill’s promoter did)without taking into account the vastly greater number of 30mph roads is nonsense. Inside our autum i ue A still image from the video ‘ABDRoad Safety – SaccadicMasking’, availabl tub a y o f sp e a t is ann alg n ral yd n t r doing on Saturday, October 15?W l t see y a our annual general meeting, being held at the BritishM useum i G y o W wc s . In additionto th foma business f re-electingofficials deliv rn r orts an pr i awi vai f expert speakers n the programme They include: Ja v F e M toringUK,whowill be l ok g a pr bl for driverswith s bi i Cl ry fr mTr s ot F cus g s t up o vieHig s Engl d. ABD L donm mbe e will be explaini g his speed awareness cours c mpai n, and dir c r I l rwillloo t som of the campaign we haveb in l with over thep st t s. Andwe ar hoping f r od turnout. . . and plenty of hall gng stions fro the fl or! It is all du tostart at 10.30am, and the venue is just fiveminutes from junction 12 of theM40. OurAGM is a chance tomeet other like-mindedABDmembers for some lively disc ssion – and alo includes fr eentry to themuseum. Wewill be breaki g at 12.30pm for lunch, a d there’sa café in themuseum complex. I f you are unfortunate enough to be involved in a road traffic accident, and your vehicle suffers significant damage, your insurerwill probably offer a ‘courtesy vehicle’while yours is under repair. That sounds allwell and good, but theABD iswarning drives toc ck thesmall print carefully. Because these days the vehicle ismore typically supplied to you onwhat is described in law as a ‘credit hire’basis – andwith a hefty price tag potentially attache . "Sowhat?" you say.Well,insig ing for possession of that vehicle, you are authorising the provider to charge that vehicle against any outstanding claim for the accident in which youwere i volved. And this could be at a daily ratewhich is typically over £300.The total cedit hire costs wll be ssigned on a blame-apporionment basis once iability has been agree between th i surer of os involved in th accident. ABD ch irman BrianGregory says: “I am pretty peeved about thiswhole accident m nagement services sce ario. “For £300 per ay, it is possible to hire a piece ofexotic such asa B ntley Contine tal GTCoupé ra ertha s me hum rum cabriol , coupé, h tchback, saloon, SUV, or indeed van originatingfrom ne of the mainsteam vehiclemanufacturers. “Ahigh str et povider could r nt you vehicle comparable to your accident-damaged one at one-tenth of the credi-hir rate; so wh is the rest of the credit hirecost going? “Well, ino the p ckets of the insurance company r third party credit hire vehicle provider, presumaby . . . “If n - vailability of parts dela s the commencement of repairs on your vehicle; a threeweek credit hire spell could easily result - leading t aconsequ nt £5,000-plus cedithire cost overhead beingadded to the total r pair bill.” MrGregoryhas ontacted Steve Bake MP,who established and chairs the all-party parliamentary group on Economics,Money and Banking, urging him oinvestigate. An therABDmembe has also referred this whole sect toBBC’sWatchdog programme aswothy of investigation. “It is high time that the road traffic ccidentmanagement ect rwas subject to in-depth official investgation, and subsequent reg laion to curbthe abuse currently occurringwithin it,”MrGregory said. Based on 2014 statistics for reported Call for official investigation into r ad traffic accident management sector accid ts alone - ar und 150,000 in that yea - if provisi n of replacement vehicles on a credit hire basis dds even £1,000 to the cost of an average insurance claim, that would be £150million added annually to total insurance claim costs; or r ghly £5 per car insur nce policy. BrianGregory adds: “Apparently the accidentmanagement services sector is c rrently totally unregulated;with both th Financial C nductAuthority andthe government's ClaimsManagement Regulator indicating that it is outside either of their remits. “When car insurer on the one hand prattle on abou the rising cost of acci ent remediation;whileon e other th y are compli it in the provision of vehicles at 10 times the daly ate that high-street pr vider ould furnish th m, they ar partof the problem, not part of the solution. “The blatant profit ering, by boh respected ins es nd third-party ccident manag ment companies alikewhich appears to be going on in this sector, could easily be constr i ed by appl ingamandaory limit to TheABD is calling on thepost-Brexi governm nt to stop its ‘nonsensical’war on t e ar. . .and start tackling th real transport problems in theUK. SpokesmanNigelHumphreys said: “Time and againwehear campaigners blaming cars for l theworld's ills, y t caremissions have never been lower. “We sho ld scr pHS2 and spend th £60 bi ion rmore on the roadswe need.” Readmor ofNigel’s comme ts, in luding doubts overm y of the latest clai s express d bytheNaionalI stitute forHealth and Care Excellence, on Page 9. Issue 121 Winter 2017 Inside our winter 2017 : Check the small printwhen claiming n our car insurance Stop car wars the credit-hire charg s they are permitted to levy. “Afixedmultiple cap could be applied to credit hire charges; at, say, twice the av rag of a basket of the daily hire rates of heTop 5high-treet hie-car pr vider for a comparablemodel to the replacementvehicle beingoffere .” Pe ved -ABD'sBra Gregory Making Sense with new app T heABD has unveiled a new and simpler way of helping members and pporters to stay n touch – as well as reaching out to new audiences. AnewABD app, ca led Driving S nse, as been developed, in conjunction with L mDigiai UK, in the hop of a a ting wider Issue 135 Summer 2020 support in o r fight for driv r ’ inter sts. The ocket guide to all you need to know bout theABD i downloadable, free of charge, from both Google Play andApple Stores. Search for ‘Driving Se se’. Features include: l Forum / Hot Topics area for m mbers to circulate Appeal to retain options in the vehicle market Thing of the past? Petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles are in thefiring line Don’t be technologically ‘cle ns d’ fr m your vehicles, and don’t let them get away with restricting our travel choices… We ne dYOU to help us fight back against plans to end new petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicle The newABDapp sales. On February 4, the prime minister an ou ced that government is consul ing on bri ging forward the end to the sale of new petrol a d diese cars an vans from 2040 to 2035, or earlier if a faster transition appears feasible, as well as including hybrids for the first time. It says: “This reflects the Independent Committee on Climate Change’s advice on what is needed in order for the UK to end its contribution to climate change by 2050.” We’re appealing to our members and supporters to register their feelings on this. Hurry, the consultation closes at the end of July – so please get writing. Log onto the website at www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/consulting-on- ending-the-sale-of-new-petrol- diesel-and-hybrid-cars-and-vans opical i sues l R search access to our policy nd r search documents, which are now sold online to provide income for the group l Website and membership access at the touch of a button…… and much more Available on mobile phone or tablet, it’s a new way for members and supporters to keep in touch. It is also an important tool to increase our supporter bas throughout the country, and put even more pressure on decision makers. ABD founder Brian Gr gory said: “This is a big change for our group; going increasingly dgi al recognises th sea change in the w y the wo ld communicates. “But mor importantly, it gives us a campaigning tool allowing everybody o regularly follow - and ncour ge others t sup ort - the driv r’s cause. “W encourag ll members an supporters to sign and use the app . . . being supportive has never been easier!” In ano her n w move, theABD has formed a pr -motoring alliance, in conjunc ion with Fai Fue UK a d M SG, a n tional motorcycling group. It’ tentatively titl d Voters for Motors, and is dedicated to figh ing climate alarmism aimed at reducing or outlawing private vehicle ownership. An initial meeting has taken place and an agenda is being formed. It’s still very early days, though, and we will keep you informed of progress. 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