Deer Aware
The Highways Agency are asking drivers to be aware of deer whilst driving. Partnered by The Deer Initiative they have come up with a new campaign DeerAware. Since september 2007 there have been over a 1000 incidents involving car and deer collisions on mototorway and A roads alone.
The Deer Initiative estimates that there are up to 74,000 deer-vehicle collisions every year in the UK – 80% in England. Most deer are killed, but thousands are left to die of injuries. Periods of highest risk are Autumn and Spring, and around dawn and dusk. A key to reducing these figures is to make drivers aware of the dangers.
Richmond Park hosts an event today to launch DeerAware. New publicity material for drivers will be available with hotspots shown.
Professor David Macdonald, Chair of the deer-vehicle awareness working group, said:
“It’s not just that the number of deer is increasing. We really need drivers to slow down and watch out, particularly when deer are more active - in autumn and spring, and at dawn and dusk. This autumn there is likely to be another rise in deer-vehicle collisions.”
“Today’s event brings together the media and other partners who we hope will use the DeerAware material to tackle the worst hotspots. As is so often the case in wildlife conservation, the campaign will be beneficial not only for deer but for people too – the quest for such win-win outcomes is at the heart of modern conservation.”
Tony Sangwine, senior environmental principal for the Highways Agency, said:
“The key is to be deer aware. Deer are highly unpredictable and can suddenly appear on the road – particularly at dusk and dawn, and in spring and autumn. We are encouraging local road safety partnerships and others to use the DeerAware material to target drivers in the highest risk areas.”
Our advice to drivers is:
- When you see deer warning signs, check your speed and stay alert.
- If your headlights are on, use full-beams when you can; but dip them if you see deer, as they may ‘freeze’.
- More deer may follow the first one you see.
- Be prepared to stop. Try not to suddenly swerve to avoid a deer. Hitting oncoming traffic or another obstacle could be even worse.
- If you have to stop, use your hazard warning lights.
- Do not approach an injured deer – it could be dangerous.
If you collide with a deer (or witness a collision) and someone may be injured, or the presence of vehicles/deer in the road are a risk to road safety, then you should treat this as an emergency and ring 999 for Police or Ambulance service immediately, or use an Emergency Roadside Telephone if there is one available.
To report any injured deer to the RSPCA please ring the 24-hour cruelty and advice line on 0300 1234 999.
Jane Rabagliati, Chairman of the Deer Initiative Partnership, said:
“This is the culmination of over 6 years of work under our Deer-Vehicle Collisions Project, led by Dr Jochen Langbein. The Deer Initiative Partners have given tremendous support – the Highways Agency continue to fund the project, and the RSPCA, the National Trust and the Forestry Commission among others have been crucial to the research and efforts to deal with the problem. Collisions with deer are on the increase, and we have identified some of the worst locations. DeerAware is about changing driver behaviour – if you slow down and watch out, you have a good chance of preventing a potentially fatal collision. ”
DeerAware is the culmination of several years of work investigating deer-vehicle collisions led by the Deer Initiative Partnership, and involving national and internationally recognised environmental, road safety, and animal welfare organisations, including the National Trust, RSPCA, Highways Agency, WildCRU at the University of Oxford, the RAC and the AA.
Driving Instructors will also be asked to inform students taking Driving Lessons to be aware of the dangers.
DSA Joins Youtube
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has launched its own video sharing channel on YouTube.
The move comes as more and more people choose to search for driving lessons and driving schools on line. The majority of people who wish to start driving are ‘internet savvy’ and will first look online via a search engine to find a local driving school.
The DSA also started a new twitter page recently to connect with drivers.
DSA will use youtube to publish official road safety videos. Youtube is the ultimate platform for video content with around a million videos viewed a day.
Nick Carter, DSA’s Director of Strategy & Performance, said: “Using YouTube will let DSA reach a wider audience than ever before – we want to talk to our audiences on the platforms we know they use.
“By putting our videos on YouTube, we’re catering for the growing number of people whose first choice to find information is to go online.”
Visitors to the DSA channel can embed video content directly into their own websites or blogs, put it into forums, share it by email, and even link to it through social networking sites such as Facebook.
The channel – youtube.com/dsagov – is being used to post road safety videos which offer advice to test candidates and other road users.
Content so far includes videos of the modular motorcycle test and the ‘Are you ready?’ films for car and motorcycle candidates. During testing, it was viewed more than 42,000 times by users.
There is also an example of the new case study questions being introduced into the theory test from 28 September.
‘Are you ready?’ is currently sent in DVD form to all candidates booking a theory test. The intention is that production of the DVD will be scaled down as more customers view it online. It will remain available on DVD on request.
With people ever more reliant on finding services on line we welcome this new idea and hope people who are learning to drive will benefit hugely
Examples Of New Case Studies In Theory Test
CPC Training Improvement
Driver Certificate of Professional Competence (Driver CPC) training is continuing professional development which carries on throughout a professional bus, coach or lorry driver’s career. Implementation of EU Directive 2003/59 requires all professional bus, coach and lorry drivers to hold a Driver CPC, in addition to their vocational driving licence.
Aims of Driver CPC
Driver CPC is aimed at improving road safety by providing better qualified drivers to help reduce road casualties.
It should also bring an improved professional and positive image to the industries, attracting more people to drive buses, coaches and lorries for a living.
How to comply with Driver CPC
As a professional driver you will need to complete 35 hours of ‘periodic training’ every 5 years to retain your Driver CPC. Only approved courses taken with approved training centres will count towards periodic training.
If you hold both a Passenger Carrying Vehicles (PCV) licence and a Large Goods Vehicles (LGV) licence, then you will only be required to complete one set of periodic training.
For New drivers
You will have to pass an initial Driver CPC qualification before being able to drive professionally. It can be taken at the same time as the vocational driving test.
Driver CPC comes into force across all European Union member states on:
10 September 2008 for bus and coach drivers
10 September 2009 for lorry drivers
For Existing drivers
As an existing professional bus, coach and lorry driver you are deemed to hold Driver CPC by ‘acquired rights’. However, you must complete your periodic training within 5 years of the introduction of Driver CPC as follows:
9 September 2013 for PCV licence holders
9 September 2014 for LGV licence holders
Note: ‘Acquired rights’ (or ‘grandfather rights’) apply to people who already hold a full vocational licence to drive buses, coaches and lorries on the Driver CPC start date. A licence acquired before January 1997 which has a “D1 not for hire or reward” or “101” code does not qualify as ‘acquired rights’, and to drive professionally drivers will need to take all four modules of the new Driver CPC test.
If you give up driving professionally, and let your Driver CPC expire, then you must complete 35 hours of periodic training in order to regain your Driver CPC before you can resume driving in the freight, bus and coach industries professionally.
The existing ‘Transport Manager’s CPC’ also known as the ‘Operator’s CPC’ is a separate qualification and anyone holding one, who still drives professionally as part of their job, will also need to hold a Driver CPC.
Bogus Driving Instructor Sentenced
A Bogus driving instructor has been given a six-month suspended sentence and community service.
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) has delivered a stark warning to bogus driving instructors who flout the law by illegally teaching learner drivers.
Offender Deekan Vig, of Southgate, was today sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court to six months’ imprisonment suspended for 12 months on condition that he does 100 hours of unpaid community work. He was found guilty of three charges of fraud by misrepresentation at an earlier trial.
The fraudster earnt up to £4 000 illegally by claiming to be a qualified driving instructor.
DSA examiners raised suspicion about Mr Vig at driving test centres across north London - including Barnet, Chingford and Winchmore - where it was reported that the illegal instructor was presenting candidates for test, and a successful investigation was launched.
DSA’s registrar of driving instructors, Charles Morton, said: “Our message is clear: if you are not an ADI or a Trainee Licence holder and teach for money or monies worth, you can expect to face ever-increasing penalties.
“Illegal instructors are a danger to the public. They have not been assessed by us to ensure they are able to provide driving instruction to required standards.”
Mr Morton continued: “It is very simple to check that a driving instructor is qualified. Ensure they display an in-date pink or green badge in their windscreen during lessons and that the photo on the badge matches the person providing the instruction.
“The pink badge indicates that they have trainee status and are entitled to give paid instruction whilst acquiring practical experience. The green badge indicates their name is on The Register of Approved Driving Instructors, they are fully qualified to give paid instruction and are subject to regular checks by DSA to ensure their continued competence and suitability to give instruction.”
The head of the DSA Fraud and Integrity Team, Andy Rice, added: “We investigate all reported cases of suspected illegal instruction and work closely with the police and criminal justice agencies to identify offenders and prosecute.”
If you have any doubts about whether your driving instructor is teaching you legally, call DSA on: 02920 581155
Theory Test Improved
The DSA has announced that they have improved the theory test. The main difference will be case studies.
Improvements to theory test
• DSA introduces case studies into the theory test
• Candidates to be tested on understanding as well as knowledge
• Case studies are widely used in education to put learning into context
The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will start to introduce case studies into the driving theory test from the end of this month, it has announced today. From 28 September 2009, one case study will be included in the exam for car drivers, moped and motorcycle riders.
As part of the multiple choice section of the test, the case study will assess candidates’ understanding of driving theory, whilst the multiple choice questions will continue to assess their knowledge of the subject.
The introductory theory test case study will take the form of a scenario, or short story, on which five questions will be based. Candidates will answer the questions in the same way as they do now, using either the touch screen or mouse.
DSA’s Director of Driver Education and Learning, Jill Lewis, said: “Case studies are widely used in education to put learning into context and test comprehension of a subject, so many candidates will have encountered this type of question before.
“Initially we are introducing one case study based on existing questions in the theory test question bank, to get candidates used to the concept. It will also allow us to monitor any impact on the theory test. Over time, we plan to introduce more case studies into the theory test to assess candidates’ understanding of what they have learned.”
Changes to the theory test are part of Learning to Drive, a long-term programme of major reforms that will progressively strengthen the way that people learn to drive and are tested. This approach received general support from the almost 7,000 people who responded to the consultation.