New campaign tackles young driver...

[Kintyre Forum News]

From the Council website

New campaign tackles young driver and passenger casualties in the west of Scotland

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 10:32:06

A major new road safety campaign, which aims to reduce the number of young drivers and passengers who are killed or seriously injured in road crashes across the West of Scotland, has been launched today (7 February 2008).

The initiative - ‘Hero to Zero’ - is being funded by the West of Scotland Road Safety Forum, and aims to raise awareness of how young drivers are putting their own lives and the lives of their young adult passengers at risk by behaving recklessly behind the wheel.
Every day in the West of Scotland around five young adults between the age of 17 and 25 are killed or injured in car crashes.*

Common factors in fatal collisions among 17 to 25 year olds were exceeding speed limits, travelling too fast for the road conditions and loss of control. Another fatal combination is when young adult passengers are travelling with the young driver.

Councillor Duncan MacIntyre, Chairman of the West of Scotland Road Safety Forum and Transportation Spokesperson for Argyll and Bute Council, says: “Some young drivers are keen to test themselves and take unnecessary risks with their own lives, the lives of their passengers and other road users - sometimes with fatal consequences.

“They take their driving to the edge without having the ability or experience to carry it off, often thinking that a crash ‘won’t happen’ to them.
“We need young drivers who take risks on the road to question their own driving and that of their friends and consider the consequences of their own and other’s behaviour. We want them to think - is it really worth it?”

In 2006, Strathclyde Police dealt with 1,593 young driver or passenger casualties among the 17 to 25 age group. Pre campaign research among young adults, the main target for this initiative, showed a major lack of understanding of the consequences of their actions if they took risks when driving.

The effects of young drivers being involved in road collisions not only impacts upon organisations involved in road safety and enforcement – they also impact heavily upon local communities whose safety is compromised every time a young driver behaves recklessly behind the wheel.

The main messages of the initiative are that irresponsible young drivers are putting their own life and the lives of their friends at risk and the personal consequences to them as drivers goes far beyond the collision, but can adversely impact on their status among peers, their ability to drive in the future and in severe cases upon their freedom.

Chief Inspector Andy Orr, Strathclyde Police, says: “Some young drivers often believe themselves to be better drivers than they are. Unfortunately, on occasions, they lack judgement, drive too fast for the road conditions and over estimate their skill. They also forget that passengers make a difference to how a car handles, as well as to their own behaviour behind the wheel.

“We are seeing far too many young drivers and passengers being killed and injured on our roads and we fully support the ‘Hero to Zero’ campaign to reduce these casualties.”

The initiative includes a heavyweight radio campaign on Clyde 1, West FM, Your Radio, Argyll FM and Oban FM, beer mats, and washroom posters in pubs and clubs and, for the first time, in senior schools. A range of different campaign materials were pre-tested among young driving offenders during the development of the initiative to ensure the final images would have impact and help encourage errant drivers to rethink their attitudes.

The ‘Hero to Zero’ campaign will run across all twelve councils in the West of Scotland and is supported by Strathclyde Police and Strathclyde Safety Camera Partnership, who are also members of the West of Scotland Road Safety Forum,

A new campaign website has also been developed - www.dontletthishappentoyou.co.uk - giving more information about the effects of reckless driving and advice for young drivers on driving at night, during bad weather and also the effects of drink and drugs.

EDITORS NOTES

[Sweltered]

In a lot of States here, ANY alcohol detected in a driver under 21, will get them a DUI.

Personally I'd like it extended to all ages.

[Ileach B]

Have to say that there should be a nil tolerance on drink driving full stop! Not sure what the limit is just now. A wine? A pint?

[Jock Strap]

Have to say that there should be a nil tolerance on drink driving full stop! Not sure what the limit is just now. A wine? A pint?

Two pints but that is a very grey area. 2 pints of Stella are stronger that 2 pints of Tennents.

Zero tolerance is probably the best way to go. Can you purchase devices that would tell you if you have alcohol in you? In terms of making sure the next day you are okay?

[Ileach B]

I've seen devices in Halfords, but who know's how realiable they are! Specially if someone is worried they are still over the morning after the night before! Think the police are pretty good at testing you if your worried about driving the neext day. But I tend not to drink anything and drive, then you know you are ok. As you say things like Stella are stronger!

[Jock Strap]

I've seen devices in Halfords, but who know's how realiable they are! Specially if someone is worried they are still over the morning after the night before! Think the police are pretty good at testing you if your worried about driving the neext day. But I tend not to drink anything and drive, then you know you are ok. As you say things like Stella are stronger!

So if you have a drink say on the Friday you don't drive at all on the Saturday - even say late afternoon? I know a friend who was out on the Friday night (home back of 12), got breathalised on the Saturday just before 5pm and failed! He said he felt fine, had a good sleep, plenty to eat and was shocked he failed. Thankfully he wasn't done by the police as (as you say) he got them to check before he left!

[Ileach B]

I've seen devices in Halfords, but who know's how realiable they are! Specially if someone is worried they are still over the morning after the night before! Think the police are pretty good at testing you if your worried about driving the neext day. But I tend not to drink anything and drive, then you know you are ok. As you say things like Stella are stronger!

So if you have a drink say on the Friday you don't drive at all on the Saturday - even say late afternoon? I know a friend who was out on the Friday night (home back of 12), got breathlised on the Saturday just before 5pm and failed! He said he felt fine, had a good sleep, plenty to eat and was shocked he failed. Thankfully he wasn't done by the police as (as you say) he got them to check before he left!

THat is pretty frightening as you would maybe leave it til lunch time to drive! Suppose it depends how much you drink in a night! How many shots you have?? But then younger one's that have maybe just passed their test would they think about thing like that?

[bill]

Zero tolerance on drink driving is the only way to go.

[abbey craig]

your right bill its got to be zero tolerance

[gizmo]

I very rarely drink at all mainly because I am scared of being breathalysed the next morning, but zero tolerance would mean having a couple of drinks on Friday night means no driving on Saturday.. I personally think the level used is about right but maybe a random stop and test policy would be a much better deterrent.
[/list]

[Sweltered]

I very rarely drink at all mainly because I am scared of being breathalysed the next morning, but zero tolerance would mean having a couple of drinks on Friday night means no driving on Saturday.. I personally think the level used is about right but maybe a random stop and test policy would be a much better deterrent.
[/list]

A couple (ie 2) drinks (regular measures) on a friday night, spaced over the course of the evening. would not registe on Saturday morning.

Since everyone metabolises alcohol differently and taking into account the unique way everyone "handles" their drink, setting a level other than Zero is impractical. I operate a zero tolerance on myself where drinking and driving. If a person needs to be driving they should not drink. If they can't or won't then contact the AA, and I don't mean the Automobile Association.

[gizmo]

I will accept you are probably correct in that a couple of drinks in an evening would not register the following morning however I still wouldnt like to trust my livelihood to that assumption.. That is why I still maintain a limit like we have now or perhaps slightly lower would allow for the different metabolic rates.. As I already said I very rarely drink but never when driving so I probably wont bother with the AA.

[spangles]

Quite right Gizmo. You know the old saying.

"Asume makes an Ass of You and Me"

S

[Sweltered]

I will accept you are probably correct in that a couple of drinks in an evening would not register the following morning however I still wouldnt like to trust my livelihood to that assumption.. That is why I still maintain a limit like we have now or perhaps slightly lower would allow for the different metabolic rates.. As I already said I very rarely drink but never when driving so I probably wont bother with the AA.

That only works if everyone is as responsible as we are. Sadly (especially over here) that is seldom the case

[Ags]

Off the drink drive topic and back to young drivers - we had a horrendous experience on the way to Oban yesterday. We were driving along - saw a car flying round a corner ahead only to realise it was totally spinning out of control and taking both sides of the road but heading right towards the car in front and us! "Luckily" it skidded to the left and not the right as it got level with us and ended up in the bushes! Two very lucky young lads walked away from a probably written off car very shaken like the rest of us but okay! The driver had passed his driving test HALF AN HOUR before he could have seriously injured himself his buddy and 2 other families.
Should there be stricter laws for young drivers just passing a driving test?
My other rant which probably should be another topic - I called 999 and got through to the ambulance service first - the girl on the phone could not get an ambulance out to us until I could tell her the road number that we were travelling on. I had explained it was the main Lochgilphead to Oban road and told her exactly where we were but in a complete state of shock my mind was totally blank as to the road number. After what seemed like ages she accepted a farm name which was just down the road from where the car had gone off the road but it was added grief in an already distressing situation.