New PACTS website goes live
Have a look at the new PACTS website which went live today. We hope you find it easier to use – let us know what you think! You can already register online for the forthcoming conference Triple Whammy on the 16th October, and shortly you’ll be able to pay online too. Thank you to Road Safety Analysis who have done a brilliant job designing our new look and keeping our technology up to speed.
Triple Whammy: achieving safety, sustainability and health goals in transport
Book now for PACTS conference on Wednesday October 16th.
In times of austerity, efficiency and cost effectiveness take on a greater importance. What are the synergies between safety, sustainable travel and public health? How can we use these to achieve better and more focused outcomes?
Parliament
In Parliament this month, a Private Members bill was introduced on repeat drink drive offenders, the House of Lords debated a code of conduct for the use of drones, and Ministerial Statements were tabled on Approved Driving Instructors, the motorcycle test review, the bus subsidy system and funding allocations to Local Transport Bodies. In response to Parliamentary Questions tabled by Jim Fitzpatrick MP and Barry Sheerman MP, we learnt that the green paper on young drivers will be published ‘later in the year’.
PACTS welcomed the Transport Select Committee’s decision to conduct an inquiry into safety at level crossings, and the call for evidence has now been issued.
Government
In July PACTS welcomed the DfT consultation on drug driving which begins to tackle this complex and significant problem, and the new Road Safety Framework for Wales, which includes an aspiration of no fatalities on Welsh roads in the future.
The DfT has repeated that 80mph motorway trials are not a priority. Interestingly the French Interior Minister has stated that a reduction in speed limits of 10km/h on motorways, trunk roads and in towns is “inevitable”. He is convinced of the safety benefits.
Britain’s rail regulator has warned against complacency and called for improvements in track worker safety and the management of infrastructure in its Annual Safety Report.
PACTS news
PACTS would like to welcome our summer intern, Research Assistant Lucy Amos, who is being a great help with the research project on achieving safety, sustainability and health goals in transport. This report will be published in September, prior to the Triple Whammy conference on the same topic.
PACTS also welcomes returning members 3M.
‘For more than 70 years 3M™ has developed and used technologies to produce products that make roads safer. 3M has been manufacturing reflective sheeting products for traffic signs since the 1940’s and in 1950’s first offered Engineer Grade sheeting. Over the last 6 decades 3M has introduced a number of reflective sheeting materials – High Intensity Prismatic, Diamond Grade™ DG³ Reflective Sheeting and Engineer Grade Prismatic. Other products 3M offer include Stamark™ Road Marking Tape for permanent and temporary applications, reflective sheeting for vehicle livery, road studs, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and image processing systems and vehicle detection and classification technologies.’
Transport Safety Commission – update
As previously announced, PACTS is establishing a Transport Safety Commission. The first “navigation” meeting took place in the Palace of Westminster on 17 July, chaired by Barry Sheerman MP. The meeting was well attended by key stakeholders. There was a positive and constructive discussion about the purpose of the Commission, its terms of reference, its relationship with PACTS, funding and priorities for inquiries. It was agreed to hold a second meeting in the autumn at which these items would be developed and confirmed. If you would like further information on the Commission, please contact PACTS Executive Director, David Davies.
Thanks,
— The PACTS Team
