HUMANNET / SHUTTERSTOCK
STEVE CUKROV / SHUTTERSTOCK
NEWS
NATIONAL
THE TOP SIX CAR PARK FEARS
TOWING THE LINE
Maintaining white lines and road safety markings, along with use of high-
friction surfaces, are key to improving road safety – as highlighted in this year’s Road Safety Foundation Tracking Survey of Britain’s Roads from the Road Safety Markings Association and the Road Safety Surfacing Association. The survey shows that, for nine out of 10 of the UK’s most improved roads, increased safety measures reaped huge safety rewards. Simple attention to safety engineering detail has resulted in an extraordinary reduction in road deaths and serious injuries, according to the latest survey by the Road Safety Foundation. Fatal and serious injury crashes on just 10 stretches of treated road fell by two thirds from 541 to 209 between 2001 and 2010 – a massive advance in human terms.
George Lee, director of the Road Safety Markings Association and the Road Safety Surfacing Association, said: ‘Time and time again, research shows that simple, low-cost measures such as road safety markings and wisely positioned high- friction surfaces are the most effective ways of improving safety.
‘It is interesting that, typically, the “most dangerous” and “most persistently high-risk” roads – narrow, twisting and hilly – are in rural areas in the north.
‘Safety on these roads could be greatly enhanced with improved central white lines and edge lines to guide drivers. ‘Simple measures save lives, and at a time when budgets have never been more stretched, it is crucial that highways engineers and those maintaining our roads remember that,’ says Lee.
CEO NUMBERS EDGE UP
Figures released by LV car insurance shows that the number of civil enforcement officers (CEOs) hired by councils has risen by nearly six per cent since 2008.
Data from 200 UK councils suggested a 5.8 per cent jump in the number of CEOs, with numbers increasing from 3,630 to 3,841 between 2008 and 2012. Around one in 10 councils have increased the number of on-duty CEOs by at least 20 per cent, it suggested. Average council areas now have around 16 CEOs enforcing traffic, parking and other laws, while London boroughs have 51.
8 NOVEMBER 2012
However, some local authorities employ considerably more. Westminster City Council has 242 CEOs on the streets, while Brighton and Hove City Council, which is currently controlled by the Green Party, has 74, compared with 71 a year ago. ‘Regulating parking is essential to keep traffic flowing, pedestrians and motorists safe, roads clear for emergency services and business deliveries, deterring drivers from blocking roads and pavements, and ensuring people can park near their homes or local shops,’ said Tony Ball, vice-chairman of the LGA’s economy and transport board.
Valet parking company, I Love Meet and Greet, has revealed some interesting data about the customers who parked with them over the summer. Sarah Anglim, managing director of I Love Meet and Greet, explains: ‘With a track record stretching back almost three decades, I appreciate many of the reasons why travellers choose meet and greet parking over other types of airport parking. We were very keen, however, to understand exactly what people worry about in airport car parks, so we asked them.’ Here’s the top six car park fears:
1. Forgetting the row where your car is parked
2. Missing the courtesy bus/bus being too full with people or luggage
3. Treading in or wheeling luggage through puddles
4. Hitting pot-holes with your car, luggage or heels
5. No street lights by your car 6. Courtesy bus not stopping anywhere close to your car
Sarah continues: ‘Even experienced travellers worry about airport car parks, and although some airports have highly sophisticated monitoring systems to help people find their cars, these fears still remain. Travel can be a stressful experience and it is our mission at I Love Meet and Greet to provide an antidote to that stress. We handle the parking while our customers are free to enjoy the delights of the terminal almost as soon as they arrive.’ For more details, visit
www.ilovemeetandgreet.co.uk
www.britishparking.co.uk
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