News and Events
Here you’ll find the latest news on all the work that Merseyside Road Safety and our partners are doing to increase road safety across Merseyside.
For a live updates you can follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
If you’d like more information about an event, you can get in touch via our contact page.
Where does the money go when you get caught speeding?
If you are a driver who has experienced the flash of a speed camera and received a letter from the police, offering you a Speed Awareness Course, it’s only natural that you may be feeling a little disgruntled. You may be thinking….
“But I was only a little bit over the limit” – well, there are national guidelines that determine how speeding drivers are dealt with. For example, only drivers who exceed a 30 mph speed limit by over 5mph are penalised or offered a course. If their speed is over 42mph, they will receive a fixed penalty to face prosecution.
Another thought may be ““why aren’t they out catching real criminals” –well, there are hundreds of people every year in Merseyside who are killed or seriously injured on our roads as a result of a speeding driver. Many of these incidents result in permanent, life-changing injuries. They are REAL incidents that affect REAL lives, caused by REAL speeding drivers who are often driving at 5 or 6 mph over the speed limit.
And finally, “speed cameras, they just make money for the police, don’t they?” Well, let’s address this one.
Where the money goes
Fines for things like speeding and pavement parking don’t actually go to Merseyside Police, they’re paid directly to H.M Central Ticket Services!
If you qualify or opt for a course instead of a fine when you’ve been speeding, your course fee pays for the cost of the venue (often a hotel or conference room), the trainers who deliver the course and course materials.
In Merseyside, our course rates are among the most reasonable in the country. We sometimes accumulate a small surplus per candidate and this money is invested in improving road safety across Merseyside for some of our most vulnerable road users. For example,
• Engage scheme – an initiative operated by the Merseyside Road Safety Partnership (MRSP) and driving instructors to better educate novice drivers and help keep them safe during their early driving months and years. Engage was awarded a Prince Michael of Kent International Road Safety Award in 2012
• Drive Safely for Longer – driving assessments for the over 60s that raise their awareness of issues that affect senior drivers and in some cases, enable to re-assess their driving futures. Over 2,500 drivers have benefitted in recent years
• Bikesafe – coaching for motorcyclists, delivered by police and IAM riders
To learn more about how we do that, take a look at our About Us and News pages.
Why are camera vans hidden?
Well, that depends on what you mean by ‘hidden’?
These large white/fluorescently marked vans are used at locations where they can be parked safely, in full view of traffic. If you did not see the van, that may be more to do with a lack of observation than the van’s position.
Simply having the van there can encourage drivers to drive at the correct speed and improve road safety in that community. For this reason, our vans are in demand by residents who want themselves, families and neighbours to be safe.
You can find the full official list of all the static camera and camera vans in Merseyside here.
- Camera sites are chosen for a number of reasons:
- Community concerns and complaints about road safety
- A record of road casualties
- An emerging trend of incidents, identified by our analyst
If we cannot deploy a camera van, we’ll conduct enforcement using police officers or encourage residents to set up a community speed watch scheme so they can take ownership of the problem. In the longer term, we can work with local authorities to explore engineering solutions.
If you’ve still got questions, please get in touch via our contact page.
Having safer roads in Merseyside is our endeavour all year round, but never more so than at Christmas. At a time when most of us want to focus on happiness and positivity, it can be difficult to draw attention to some of the tragedy that can come as a consequence of the festive season. Drink-driving, drug-driving, preoccupied pedestrians… Christmas, sadly, is a time that puts road users at an increased risk.
To get these important safety messages across in a way that was also light hearted, we reached out to Merseyside, and found a choir that was founded on the same community spirit that has come to characterise the way we work as a partnership.
Southport’s ‘Off-Key Choir’ was founded by Diane and Byron as a way to bring people together who love to sing, but don’t have the confidence, o feel they have the ability, to sing in a professional choir. They believe in the power of group-singing to boost mental and physical health, and to bring light into people’s lives. Off-Key Choir has been a huge success, attracting people of all ages, and we were incredibly to have them agree to work with us.
Our data analyst identified the most at-risk groups across the festive-season, and actions road-users could take to alleviate some of that risk. From that, we re-wrote ‘The 12 Days of Christmas’ to convey the information in an upbeat, tongue-in cheek way so that the choir could have a go at singing it!
The enthusiasm, commitment and heart that the members brought to the project made it a privilege. To have people of all ages dressing up, practicing and putting their all into performing so that their community could be safe was a true piece of Christmas joy. We hope that everyone who watches it will not only use the road safely at Christmas, but also know that they – their safety and well-being – matters to others.
Merry Christmas from all of us at Merseyside Road Safety Partnership!
Pavement Parking Enforcement
Teaming up with Mersey Specials, our MRSP co-ordiantor took to the streets to take action over the huge volume of pavement parking concerns and complaints we’ve had.
Across the last six months, members of the public have been photographing cars obstructing pavements that force pedestrians into the road. Our admin volunteers have taken these photographs and sent the owners of the vehicles a letter warning them that they’re parked illegally, and urging them to consider pedestrians with disabilities, or those with prams.
By keeping track of that data, we were able to take an intelligence-lead approach to our first day of enforcement. We targeted areas that were pavement parking ‘hot spots’ and issued tickets where cars were causing an obstruction.
Pavement parking is a huge problem all across Merseyside, and we had a huge amount of support from the public across social media and in person. In some instances we were able to speak to the drivers directly, explain why their parking was dangerous, and move vehicles along.
Whilst out, we also came across drivers speeding, on their phones, and not wearing seatbelts. It was fantastic to be able to engage face-to-face with people about behaviour on the roads which puts them, and others, at risk.
The day of enforcement was so successful that we plan to do them regularly with the continued help of Mersey Specials and our administration volunteers. People from Merseyside giving up their time to make their community a safer place is something we can all be proud of!
Calling all driving instructors
Book your place now for the Engage Driving Instructor Seminar. We are holding an informative day for driving instructors to meet, learn and exchange ideas – packed with talks from leading industry figures and we would love you to join us.
Date: Thursday, 27th February 2020 Time: Registration 8:30 – 9:00 event runs until 4pm
Venue: Holiday Inn, Ellesmere Port, CH66 2AL
Tickets: £50 (including 2020 Engage Driving scheme registration fees for current members and those that wish to join on the day)
The Engage Driving Instructor Seminar will be a relaxed and informative day where driving instructors from Cheshire, Merseyside and across the UK can meet, exchange ideas and enjoy talks from leading industry and marketing experts, including Mike Jones, of the DVSA Enforcement Team and Lynne Barrie, ADI Trainer & ADINJC Chairman.
The £50 admission price will also include the cost of 2020 registration fees for all instructors currently registered for the Engage Driving scheme. And anybody who registers for the scheme on the day will also get their 2020 fees for free.
Topics our guest speakers will be covering include (more to be confirmed):-
* Your Standards Check – A Normal Lesson, Or A Special Event?
* Marketing Your Driving School
* Common Standards Check Mistakes To Avoid
* What We Wish Drivers Knew
* Banishing Driver Anxiety Guest Speakers will include (more to be confirmed):-
* Mike Jones, DVSA Enforcement Team
* Lynne Barrie, ADI Trainer & ADINJC Chairman
* Gary Reece, Highways England
* Des Payne, British Horse Society
* Ian Edward, New View Consultancy
* Confidentdrivers.co.uk
Book your tickets today via https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-engage-driving-instructor-seminar-tickets-84733679717 we look forward to seeing you there.
Please share this event with anyone you know who may be interested too.
The RoadPeace Day of Remembrance 2019 was held at St. George’s Hall, Liverpool.
It was a privilege for us to attend the RoadPeace Day of Remembrance at St George’s Hall on Sunday November 17th.
We, along with many of our partners, City Dignitaries and the Merseyside Police & Crime Commissioner went to pay tribute to the victims of road traffic collisions and their families.
As the purpose of Merseyside Road Safety Partnership is to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on Merseyside’s roads, standing with those who are struggling through the carnage that an RTC wreaks is a forceful reminder of the reality of our work.
With almost 4,000 people killed and many hundreds of thousands injured on roads throughout the world every day, regional remembrance services such as this are a chance for victims and supporters to come together, remember, grieve, and resolve to make change a reality.
The release of doves was a powerful, and deeply moving, symbol – not only of remembrance, but also of the commitment of everyone present to eliminate road deaths.
Friends and families of victims laid flowers at the RoadPeace memorial within St Johns Gardens to commemorate their lost loved ones.
Police cadets were present and a credit to the force
The emotional words from Merseyside’s Police Crime Commissioner gave a voice to the feeling that we in Merseyside do have a genuine resolve to prevent families having to suffer through these tragedies.
RoadPeace offer emotional support to those impacted by RTCs, as well as help navigating the justice system in the wake of collisions. For anyone who has been affected by an RTC, we would recommend visiting their website and getting in touch.
Nominations are now open for the ‘2020 Best Taxi Driver Awards Scheme’. Launched by Wirral Council, the scheme aims to recognise drivers who make the extra effort to help passengers, provide a good service and maintain their vehicle to a high level.
Licensed drivers are being given stickers to display in their vehicles showing contact details of Wirral Council so that passengers can nominate their driver for an award or provide feedback on the service they’ve received.
The award is sponsored by the Road Safety Trust and winners will receive a trophy and a certificate as well as having their ‘Private Hire Driver’ License paid for 3 years. There will also be an opportunity to have some free sessions at the Council’s leisure facilities.
Nominations are welcome from members of the public, Private Hire Operators and Council Officers until 31st January, with the winners being announced in February 2020.
If you would like to nominate a driver, please visit our website.
licensed to chill
ARE YOU AND YOUR VEHICLES READY FOR WINTER?
Thursday 28th November 2019, 8.45am to 12.30pm Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Slatey Road, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH43 4UE
Did you know driving for work is the most common work-related health and safety risk? If your business requires staff to drive as part of their work duties, then the latest session from Wirral’s Road Safety Team is for you and your drivers.
The seminar, funded by the Road Safety Trust, will be led by key speakers from the health and safety industry, road safety specialists, police and collision investigation experts.
The FREE session will provide vital information to help you: · Stay as safe as possible when driving during the winter season · Understand common risks around driving including drink driving and fatigue
To book a free place for the session please:
Email roadsafety@wirral.gov.uk
safer people in safer vehicles making safer journeys
GUEST SPEAKERS
Steve Lyons
Steve is a Vehicle Enforcement Manager for the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency who are an executive agency of the UK Department for Transport. Amongst many other things, Steve manages the staff that carry out roadside checks on drivers and vehicles covering the Merseyside & Cheshire areas.
Paul Mountford
Paul has many years’ experience Roads Policing Sergeant with Merseyside Police and currently works for Merseyside Road Safety Partnership. Paul is the lead for drink and drug education across Merseyside and trains officers throughout the UK on the process of roadside breath testing.
Andrew Drewary
Andrew has overseen the investigation/analysis process for over 37,000 road traffic collisions. He provides safety & driver health education to local organisations.
Ian Thomas
Ian has been a fatigue risk management specialist for over 17 years working with governments and corporations across 5 continents in industries such as mining, haulage, rail, utilities, bus and coach. He is an accredited change management practitioner and is six-sigma trained. Ian is the CEO of Fatigue Management International.
AGENDA
08:45 – 09:10
Delegate arrival with tea and coffee provided
09:10 – 09:20
Welcome and Housekeeping
Paul Leatherbarrow – Road Safety Officer
09:20 – 10:10
Vehicle Safety & Compliance
Steve Lyons – DVSA
10:00 – 10:40
Drink & Drugs in the Workplace
Paul Mountford – Merseyside RS Partnership
10:40 – 10:50
Comfort Break
10:50 – 11:30
Fatigue Management
Ian Thomas
11:30 – 12:10
It only takes a second
Andrew Drewary
12:10 – 12:30
Summary with Q & A Session
12:30 – CLOSE
Lunch & Networking
More than 100 teenagers from Merseyside heard messages about road safety at an under-15s grassroots football tournament on Friday. The RoadPeace Cup tournament was held at Anfield Sports and Community Centre at an event organised with the Liverpool Football Club (LFC) Foundation.
Ourselves, RoadPeace, representatives from the Fire and Rescue Service worked together to create an interactive awareness experience using V.R. headsets and reflex testing to deliver road safety messages between matches.
Teams taking part in the tournament included, L4 JFC, Marshalls FC, Haydock Hurricanes FC, Glenavon JFC, Llandudno FC and Larkview FC. The winning team Glenavon FC, from the Wirral, was presented with a trophy and medals from former LFC goalkeeper Chris Kirkland and RoadPeace trustee Pauline Fielding.
It was amazing to be able to spend time with the teenagers talking about something so critical, and to see them excelling at what they love most – football!
Driving for Work Seminar – Police Investigation and Law
Did you know that driving for work is the most common work related health and safety risk? If your business requires staff to drive as part of their work duties then the latest session from Wirral’s Road Safety Team is definitely for you. The Driving for Work seminar, funded by the Road Safety Trust, will be led by key speakers from the health and safety industry, road safety specialists, police and collision investigation experts.
The FREE session will provide vital information and tips to help you:
- Keep your employees as safe as possible when driving · Help you to avoid fines and prosecution · Understand the common risks around driving to or forwork
- Understand the latest legislation around driving and health and safety for your organisation
- Get an understanding of incident investigation and the prosecution process
GUEST SPEAKERS
Inspector Paul Bennet (Retired)
Collision Investigation Unit, Central Motorway Group
Paul has 25 years of Road Policing experience. His team deals with fatal accidents and 189 serious incidents each year. He has helped professionalise road death investigation including pioneering family support. Many of the cases he has worked on have included public figures and his work has meant dealing the press and media.
Surekha Gollapudi | Senior Associate | EHS | Eversheds Sutherland
Surekha is a Senior Associate in the Environment, Health and Safety team of Eversheds Sutherland’s Litigation and Dispute Management Group.
Specialising in corporate criminal defence, regulatory compliance and enforcement and non-contentious compliance advice.
Surekha has experience in defending prosecutions following work related fatalities and serious injuries, conducting reviews of safety management systems and representing interested persons at inquests. Surekha deals with a variety of regulators including the HSE, local authorities, the Environment Agency, the Office of Rail Regulation.
Andrew Drewary FCILT MAIRSO AMRSGB
Andrew is a multi-award winning road safety specialist.
He has managed the investigation/analysis process for over 37,000 road traffic collisions. He provides pro-active, innovative and inter-active solutions to educate employers and employees about road safety and driver health. Thereby empowering people to make informed decisions before and when they drive.
Tuesday 24th September 2019, 9.30am to 1.00pm Williamson Art Gallery & Museum, Slatey Road, Birkenhead, Wirral, CH43 4UE
To book a free place for the session please:
Email roadsafety@wirral.gov.uk
A state-of-the-art pedestrian crossing has been installed at a busy crossroads in Wirral to improve road safety.
The junction at Moreton Road/Old Greasby Road/Ford Road/Arrowe Park Road has been undergoing significant refurbishment. The improvement also includes the traffic lights which are over 30 years-old. After careful consideration and research, Wirral Council decided that an advanced diagonal pedestrian crossing would be beneficial to the safety of all road users.
The refurbishment will greatly improve safety at the junction for residents, pedestrians and particularly local school children.
Councillor Liz Grey, Wirral Council’s cabinet member for Environment and Climate Change commented, “A diagonal crossing at the junction in Upton will play a vital role in keeping children, attending the surrounding schools, including Upton Hall and St. Joseph’s as well as Overchurch Infants and Juniors, safe on their journey to and from school.
She added “As children reach secondary school, they can be more vulnerable. This is often when they learn to travel to school by themselves. This crossing along with other measures will help support them as they develop their independence.”
The benefits of this type of crossing mean that pedestrians can now safely cross two arms of the junction at once, providing a more efficient crossing system. The junction will provide safer crossing for young people from the surrounding schools, who need to reach their bus services and will also benefit other road users.
The diagonal crossing is the second introduced on Wirral, with only three across Merseyside. The first is located at Balls Road/Oxton Road/Woodchurch Road junction.
The new crossing in Upton will, however, be the first in the borough to feature a ‘countdown to red man’ timer. This pedestrian clearance feature warns pedestrians of the length of time they have left to cross safely.
Councillor Grey commented: “The funding, awarded from Liverpool City Region for the Combined Authority Integrated Transported Block for 2018-19, has enabled us to implement an advanced crossing that will feature a countdown timer to benefit the community with even safer crossing.”
Funding for this new crossing was awarded in support of the Liverpool City Region’s Transport Plan for Growth.
We advise residents, road users and parents of children at the surrounding schools to watch and share our short video on how to safely use the new crossing.
Things to remember when using a diagonal crossing:
- Press the button and wait for the green man to be displayed.
- When the green man is displayed for pedestrians, the traffic lights at the junction will be red for all traffic in all directions
- Pedestrians should not start to cross the road once the green man signal goes off
- Countdown timers tell pedestrians how long is left to complete crossing the junction before traffic starts to move again
- Remember to move away from the crossing once you have used it so that others can also cross the road safely
The first diagonal crossing was funded by the new developer of the Lidl store adjacent to the crossing at Balls Road/Oxton Road/ Woodchurch Road junction.
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