Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards |
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During the past year, awards were made to 11 organisations and individuals and the Premier Award was made to the Driving Standards Agency for its work in pre-test training. This programme is now self-financing. Building on the success of the national awards, the programme has been further developed in the international arena. We have already launched the awards scheme in India and have advised on the establishment of an awards scheme in Ireland and New Zealand. We have also provided advice and assistance in the management and staging of a number of international conferences. All road users, including pedestrians, drivers, cyclists, bikers and horse riders, are asked to identify those whose initiatives make our roads safer and nominate them for an award. The winners of all the awards will be invited to meet HRH Prince Michael of Kent at a Gala Presentation to be held annually in December. Nominations for the Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards are invited for all categories. Entries should be submitted with full details and any back-up material to: The Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards, Forbes House, Halkin Street, London, SW1X 7DS Tel: +44 (0) 20 7344 1605 Entries will be judged twice a year, in May and October. 2002 Premier Award This year’s Premier Award was presented to the Driving Standard’s Agency for their two programmes – “What If?” and “Arrive Alive”. DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY What If? The lack of hazard perception skills relate directly to the potential for crashes. “What If?”, which puts the viewer in the driving seat, (or in the case of the motorbike version, on the bike), is a video and booklet aimed at all drivers, not only the novice driver and is designed to be used in the home. Currently, two versions are available – car and bike, however more are planned. The videos are also available through telephone sales and high street retailers. DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY “Arrive Alive” The DSA’s “Arrive Alive” schools’ programme has been seen as a great success in trying to relate to young drivers and helping to reduce the number of new drivers involved in accidents. Since the launch of the programme in the late 1990s, the DSA has trained 100 of its driving examiners to be presenters and co-ordinators who, along with video and OHP presentation, deliver important safety messages to schools along with supporting Road Safety Officers to help manage local problems. 2002 International Awards FIAT In 2001, Fiat strengthened its educational programme, reaching more than nine million students in Italy and over 13 million students in Brazil and focused on highway education. These programmes were aimed at making young people aware of the importance of highway education through innovating and stimulating programmes and to create a new network of collaborative relationships to carry out localised programmes. BRITISH COLUMBIA INSURANCE CORPORATION ICBC is a Crown Corporation established in 1973 to provide vehicle insurance for British Columbia’s motorists. Since 1994, ICBC’s Road Safety Services division has taken a leading role in facilitating and financing the implementation of road safety engineering improvements, enhanced traffic enforcement and education and public awareness initiatives. Education and Training Award Sponsored by Wincanton plc POLICE SERVICE NORTHERN IRELAND – “IT COULD BE YOU” “It Could Be You” is a hard-hitting presentation demonstrating the dangers of bad driving. Fronted by a 25-year-old who was paralysed in a car accident, his story is told in turn by those involved in his rescue. These include the paramedic, a young police officer, a firefighter and a surgeon.The “It Could Be You” Roadsafe Road Show has been staged in schools around the province and is now being used in Southern Ireland. The campaign is supported by two videos and a teacher’s resource pack. Engineering and Technology Award Sponsored by BSi SPECS speed enforcement system The digital speed cameras developed by Speed Check Services, SPECS, obtained Home Office type approval in 2000. The cameras are a major technological development over previous speed cameras and have proven successful in improving road safety and reducing casualties. SPECS cameras work in pairs and calculate the average speed of a car over a length that can be between 250m and 10km. Motor Cycle Industries Award Sponsored by The Motor Cycle Industry Association MOTOR VEHICLE AND ROAD USERS COURSES 90-ONE Education delivers Motor Vehicle and Road User Studies’ courses up to GCSE level to students throughout Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire as part of the school curriculum. Safe motorcycle riding and car driving are taught alongside a broad range of road safety topics, designed to prepare the students for the responsibilities they will face as motor vehicle users. Other notable features of the scheme are the academic successes and the innovative funding methods employed to ensure its long-term future. 2002 Special Awards NATIONWIDE Last year, Nationwide distributed six million reflectors to around 23,500 primary schools, including independent and special needs schools and self-teaching groups. By wearing a reflector, a child pedestrian can be visible at 150m with low beam headlights compared to only 30m without one, giving a driver five times the distance to react. The campaign has also supplied schools with teaching packs to support the importance of road safety. The programme will continue until 2006. CORPORAL MICKEY MCLEAN Royal Military Police Officer, Corporal Mickey McLean, received his award for sourcing and organising the distribution of cats’ eyes reflectors to children in Kosovo. While stationed in Pristina, he became acutely aware of the high numbers of children involved in road accidents, linked to the curfews. Road conditions there were particularly hostile to pedestrians, with no street lighting. Mickey was put in contact with Nationwide, which agreed to provide 20,000 reflectors. Corporal McLean became the first military personnel member to receive an Award in PMIRSA’s 15-year history.Nationwide continues to provide reflectors through Cpl Mickey McLean’s contacts. COLIN PETTENER Mr Pettener has done a tremendous amount of work towards road safety, particularly the conception and adoption of ANDISP-National Driver Improvement Schemes. 80,000 drivers have been through the scheme, recognised by ACPO, which is the authoritative body for ensuring consistency in service delivery nationwide and insurance of standards by monitoring and evaluating every driver training scheme. This ensures that there is a service that affords motorists who have committed an offence the opportunity to undertake training at a centre of their choice, usually near their home, irrespective of where their offence took place. It is now common practice for offenders who have their collision in one force area to be offered the choice of undertaking the course nearer to their home. JUNIOR TRAFFIC WARDENS SCHEME Children “help” official traffic wardens patrol the school boundaries and assist in explaining to offending motorists the dangers of parking near the school. This idea was first implemented by Stephanie Richards, Senior Traffic Warden in 2001 and is now a joint venture between South Wales Police Traffic Wardens, South Wales Police, Community Services Department, Cardiff County Council’s Road Safety Unit (who are promoting the initiative, monitoring, financing and liaising with the various schools)and school parents and children The following organisations received commendation certificates: TEDDY TAKES A TUMBLE North West LARSOA It is estimated that one in 10 children are unrestrained in the back of cars and that eight out of 10 car seats are incorrectly fitted. It was, therefore, felt that a simple yet effective campaign should be run to educate and train parents. A strategy group consisting of representatives from Local Authorities’ Road Safety Units, Police Forces of the North West as well as Government News Network, Skelmersdale and Ormskirk College and Healthcare Sector as formed by LARSOA North West Group. Ninety two thousand copies of Teddy Takes a Tumble have now been produced, printed and distributed. A new A5 format book has also been produced. LONDON ACCIDENT PREVENTION COUNCILRoad safety for Makaton users (Makaton is “deaf and dumb” sign language) Realising the need not only in this country for such a provision, London Accident Prevention Council (LAPC) and Northamptonshire Road Safety Unit have produced a book for Makaton users who are pedestrians. This hard-backed, ring-binded, 56-page book is used to provide basic road safety guidance for road users, their instructors, teachers, parents and carers who have a need to use or communicate through Makaton. It covers a wide range of procedures and crossing methods to enable road users to be safe while crossing the road. ANN FINCH, SENIOR ROAD SAFETY ADVISER, LANCASHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL Noting a lack of A3 format teaching books about road safety, Ann Finch instigated the production of this book. As a popular teaching resource, this format enables teachers to use the resource as a teaching aid while reading to a number of children, promoting reading and discussion. Since its publication in 2001, almost 1,000 copies of A3-size book have been sold, with copies going around England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Spain and New Zealand. “ALL ABOUT” ESSEX COUNTY COUNCIL Essex County Council’s Road Safety Team has produced a series of information packs for pupils, parents and schools to assist in the development of important road safety skills. Each pack in the series is targeted at a specific key stage of development, addressing issues relevant to that particular age group. There are six packs designed from pre-school to pre-driving. The first pack was introduced in 1992 and the full series completed in 2002, culminating with the development of a pack targeted at 14-year-olds. |
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