Latest News from ORSA
New DfT Guide , which updates the previous 'Travel Plan Resource Pack for Employers' on developing and implementing travel plans for business.
It draws together the tried and tested experience of those already in operation, offering a lively and informative overview of what you need to prepare a travel plan and get it up and running.
Travel Planning Guide (
pdf document 1.74Mb)
Small and medium-sized companies can have their health and safety questions answered at a free advice clinic hosted by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. The Growing Business Clinic will run alongside the Safety and Health Expo at the NEC, Birmingham, on May 23. Find out more...
This website, developed in partnership with the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), gives a detailed and comprehensive resource for any company wanting to create or enhance a DfW policy.
Over 900 Fleet Managers recently took part in an online survey in Fleet News testing levels of awareness about the MID (Motor Insurance Database). The survey revealed that 89% of Fleet Managers think being stopped by the Police if their vehicle data is not on the MID as being a major disruption to their business. Find out more...
The Commercial Vehicle Show 2007 got underway at The NEC Arena, Birmingham from 24th April - 26th April, 2007. Exhibitors ranged from frieght companies to vehicle manufacturers. Find out more...
An innovative driving challenge lies ahead of delivery staff at the UK’s largest supermarket chain, thanks to a unique partnership between RoSPA and Tesco. Van drivers serving Tesco.com will be put through ROADTest, the UK’s first occupational advanced driving test for people who drive for a living or as part of their job. Full Story...
RoSPA has launched a new handbook to help volunteer drivers avoid accidents and injuries to themselves, their passengers and other road users. Find out more... ( PDF 304kb)
Safer Motorcycling Through Work provides advice for employers on how to ensure the safety of staff who ride motorcycles for work, commuting, or leisure. The guide is most suitable for someone who can act as a 'safer motorcycling champion' within an organisation to help them persuade senior management to take action. Find out more... ( PDF 820kb)
A new online simulator to prove to drivers the dangers of being behind the wheel when travelling too fast, after drinking or when using a mobile phone has been launched by RoSPA.
It shows how speed, weather and impairments dramatically affect stopping distances and result in crashes and pedestrian deaths. Full Story....
With the growth of the European Union, over the past ten years, the number of left-hand drive HGV’s on Britain’s roads has been steadily increasing. This situation creates unique safety concerns for transport managers, safety groups and general road users.
The importance of this group to international trade means that a proactive strategy that effectively manages the risks involved and allows free and open trade must be created. RoSPA has responded by producing a paper designed to facilitate discussion between all groups on the issue. This discussion paper highlights the safety risks, the safety measures already taken and suggests ways to minimise risk in the future. RoSPA will augment this discussion paper by working in partnership with the Association of British Insurers to produce a wider study into the effect of all overseas vehicles on UK road safety. Find out more....
Road safety should be considered a key quality of life issue. Although Britain has a low level of death and injury compared to the rest of Europe, there are still many areas for improvement. This report is intended to help local agencies work more effectively to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on our roads. Read the Full Report...
In February 2007 the Government announced changes to the penalties for using a mobile phone whilst driving. Drivers can now be fined £60 and have 3 penalty points endorsed on their licence for using a handheld phone at the wheel. Find out more...
People wanting to avoid picking up three points for using a hand-held mobile phone while driving should not be deceived into thinking hands-free kits are safe to use at the wheel, RoSPA warned today.
Advertisements from some companies have implied that by switching to hands-free devices people can get around the stiffer penalties for using a hand-held phone being introduced on Tuesday (Feb 27). Full Story...
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents has been presented with a British Safety Industry Federation Product Innovation Award for its Driver Profiler. The Awards celebrate new and original safety products and services that contribute to improvements in occupational safety and health or reductions in workplace injuries. Find out more... ( PDF format 95kb)
CDR and GPS: An alphabet soup of technology is helping law officials make our roads safer. Click here to read the full article...
Transport Direct, the travel information and journey planning service for Great Britain, was officially launched today. Now online at www.transportdirect.info, (this link can also be found in the Resources page of ORSA), Transport Direct is a world first in delivering comprehensive travel information for both public and private forms of transport, offering people choice and enabling them to make better informed decisions when planning journeys within Great Britain.
Transport Direct's journey plans take the form of step-by-step instructions supported by detailed maps that can be viewed at a range of scales. Transport Direct also contains 'live travel' information, including real-time information on the running of services to and from Britain's 2500 railway stations. Travellers can check as to the likelihood of delays on road and rail routes and see whether choosing a different route, departure time or transport mode might suit them better.
Commenting on today's launch, Secretary of State for Transport Alistair Darling said:
"For the first time, travellers will be able to see the different travel choices available in one place. Transport Direct will offer people greater choice, putting all the travel information they need at their fingertips.
"Today's launch represents a real achievement and is an excellent example of the transport industry working together to deliver something of real value to people.
"Of course there will be teething problems but increasingly Transport Direct will bring huge benefits to the travelling public."
ORGANISATIONS in the Lothians have received awards for promoting safe driving at work.
Nineteen organisations received Fleet Sure awards from Lothian and Borders Police yesterday. The Fleet Sure initiative was launched by the force last year in a bid to make the roads safer for employees who drive as part of their jobs. According to a survey carried out by police last year, one in three fatal or serious crashes involves a vehicle being driven for business purposes. Find out more...
This bulletin provides the first results of the Department of Transport's Survey of Company Owned Vans which began in April 2003.
Find out more... ( PDF format 733kb)
The Sleep Alliance, an umbrella group of stakeholders and organisations with an interest in sleep and the consequences of excessive sleepiness, published the "Sleep SOS Report" on 1 July 2004. Hundreds of thousands of people in the UK are failing to receive an accurate diagnosis and treatment for excessive sleepiness, with potentially fatal consequences. Excessive sleepiness affects approximately 6% of adults, over 3.5 million people in the UK, and is a common, debilitating symptom of many chronic medical conditions. Untreated excessive sleepiness is a major contributing factor to fatal road accidents, lost productivity and the breakdown of marriages and relationships. Yet in many parts of the UK funding of sleep services is being withdrawn.
The Report calls on the government and the NHS for a greater commitment to sleep medicine and improved funding of sleep services.
Find out more... ( PDF format 193kb)
West Berkshire Council are organising four local Work Related Road Safety Seminars between July and September 2004 in partnership with West Berks Chamber of Commerce. The Seminars will provide an introduction to businesses to the main issues of occupational road risk and will also include speakers from a local solicitors and a local insurance firm. There will also be a short demonstration of the LARSOA CD ROM, 'Driving Your Business Risk Down'. Booking details are available on request.
A New South Wales (NSW) Government Inquiry 'Serious injury and death in the workplace' has recommended Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) legislation be amended to facilitate a greater role for WorkCover in preventing workplace accidents in the trucking industry. 36 recommendations were made. Find out more... ( PDF format 19kb)
RoSPA has issued a press release (March 31 2004) about ORSA's new website. RoSPA Press Release ( PDF format 29kb)
TUC is demanding action on one of Britain's most hazardous jobs - driving for a living. It says every year over 1,000 workers are killed in work-related road accidents and 7,500 suffer serious injury. A new 'safer driving pack,' launched on the 28 April Workers' Memorial Day, aims to encourage employers to take their responsibility for employees on the road more seriously. Official statistics put the annual cost of workers killed or injured on the roads at a massive £3.5 billion. TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: 'Tired, stressed drivers with too many drops to make in too little time are not going to be particularly safe drivers. Bosses have a real responsibility for the safety of their roving staff and reducing unrealistic and unmanageable workloads for their drivers must become a top priority. Because many work-related road accidents are treated like any other road accident, many employers are never called to account.' He added that an apparent upturn in workplace deaths 'comes at a time when we are seeing less enforcement of safety laws and a reduction in the level of fines handed out to bosses committing health and safety crimes. This can only have a detrimental effect on all workplace accidents.'
TUC news release
TUC leaflet: Work-related road safety (PDF format)
On 1 December 2003 a new law came into force to prohibit drivers from using a hand-held mobile phone, or similar device, while driving. It also makes it an offence to "cause or permit" a driver to use a hand-held mobile phone while driving, or to use a hand-held mobile phone while supervising a driver who only has a provisional licence.
The penalties will initially be a fixed penalty of £30 or a fine of up to £1,000 if the offender goes to court (£2,500 for drivers of goods vehicles or passenger carrying vehicles with 9 or more passenger seats). It will be made an endorseable offence, resulting in three penalty points on the driver’s licence, as soon as "a suitable legislative opportunity arises". For further information read the full RoSPA factsheet ( PDF format 120kb)
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