|
UK HIGHWAYS GET
EVEN DARKER AS CLOCKS GO BACK
MANY more UK roads will be
plunged into darkness over the coming weeks as Councils switch off
street lights to save money on energy bills and cut carbon
emissions.
Ahead of the clocks changing this weekend an investigation by
Halfords has identified that, following a big switch off in 2012, at
least eight county Councils have further plans to switch off or dim
roadside lighting despite concerns from motorists.
Halfords found that 68% of drivers opposed the switch-off and 47%
expressed safety concerns about being able to see clearly. A further
41% worried about being seen by other drivers or had already
experienced difficulty reading road signs and 25% said they tired
more quickly as a result.
Auto Category Director, Dave Poulter said:- "As the nights
draw in, drivers will begin to notice hundreds more miles of unlit
road between the hours of midnight and 5am. In order to see and be
seen, it is vitally important that every motorist ensures the lights
on their vehicle are working properly and we are here to help them."
Councils claim their actions haven't led to an increase in accidents
or crime and lights have been switched-off only after consultations
with safety authorities and local communities.
However, insurance industry figures show that while only a quarter
of drivers are on the road between 7pm and 8am, 40% of crashes occur
between these hours; with the highest number of accidents occurring
in the weeks following the clocks changing.
Dave Poulter added:- "It's estimated that there over 800,000
vehicles on UK roads with lights that are not up to a safe MOT
standard, which means there are many motorists who could be doing
far more to reduce their chances of becoming an accident statistic."
A study by Halfords 12 months ago found that 73% of Councils in
England and Wales had switched off and dimmed lights, or were
planning to. 3 years ago the figure was 43%.
However, some local authorities have seen the light; with
Nottinghamshire and the Wirral on Merseyside switching lights back
on following concerns raised by the Police.
All Halfords stores offer a Wefit service which saves drivers time
and money by using trained professionals to fit car bulbs, wiper
blades, batteries or engine oil bought in-store. |
 |
Commissioner
makes his pledge to tackle hate crime
LANCASHIRE'S Police and
Crime Commissioner has taken Mencap's 'PCC Pledge' and
committed to ending learning disability hate crime.
The charity is aiming to end disability hate crime in a generation
through its 'Stand by Me' campaign, and now Clive Grunshaw
has answered Mencap's calls for all Police and Crime Commissioners
to back the initiative.
The Commissioner said:- "Here in Lancashire we are committed
to bringing an end to disability hate crime and ensuring everyone is
free to live without fear in our communities.
Lancashire Constabulary is already working hard to tackle the issue,
and I am committed to ensuring this continues. Already, Lancashire
Police are involving disabled people in hate crime training,
supported by community engagement, to ensure we have a thorough
understanding of how best to tackle the issue.
I am delighted I am able to support Mencap's Stand by Me campaign,
and send a strong message to Lancashire's residents that disability
hate crime will not be tolerated."
The 'Stand by me' campaign was launched in 2011, and the call
for Commissioner's to take the pledge follows Mencap's work to
encourage Police services to sign up to a Police promise that will
help make sure people with a learning disability can live their
lives free from the fear of hate crime.
Dan Scorer, Mencap's senior campaigns manager, said:- "As many
as nine out of 10 people with a learning disability have experienced
hate crime. This is disgraceful and must stop.
Many Police services are doing good work, and their response is
getting better, but there is still a long way to go. That is why Mencap is calling on new PCCs to commit to standing by people with a
learning disability to end hate crime.
We are delighted that Clive Grunshaw has taken the PCC pledge and
will be working with us to help end disability hate crime in a
generation."
For more information on the 'Stand by me' campaign, and to
show your support, visit:-
mencap.org.uk/standbyme.
Friends of St George's Hall - Tea
Dance THE
historic Great Hall, in St George's Hall will be hosting a Tea
Dance, with the Elderberries, playing live on Wednesday, 13
November 2013. The event starts at 1:30pm and finishes at 4pm.
Cost to take part is £5. You can pay on the door. For
more information about the event, you can visit the Friends of St
George's Hall, Liverpool's
website or call:- 0151 225
6909. |
