Omega Owners Forum
Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Lazydocker on 19 October 2017, 09:47:14
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A bit cheeky I know, but some colleagues of mine have recently started a campaign to increase the safety of roadside recovery operators. In some countries it is a legal requirement to Slow Down and Move Over when passing broken down vehicles and we are hoping to get some legal position implemented in the UK.
I know we have some roadside/recovery operators here and they may well have heard of this but in just the last few weeks there have been 3 operators killed and several others injured due to accidents with people not paying attention.
Please can we all take a few minutes to read and sign this petition... It may well save many lives, including my own. Thanks in advance.
https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/202302/signatures/new/
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Excellent idea .. but how would it be enforced ?? same way as Telephones ? Middle Lane Hoggers ? Speeding ?? Failing to obey give way lines ? Smoking with kids in cars ? and there are many others ... :(
All "laws" placed on the statute book with the best of intentions, but ignored by a vast majority of drivers who think they are above the law and won/t get caught .. :(
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Fair point. Traffic laws are all well and good, but they are never enforced here, unless for revenue collection purposes. ::)
Still, signed, as it's a good sentiment. :y
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I fully agree in principle, but I feel that it should be a concise suggestion, rather than "create a law". :-\
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Done!
:y :y
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Just become the 10,380th to sign.
It is a worthwhile cause for all who have to be at the side of the road. ;)
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Done :y
A few years ago I broke down on the M4 on the approach to the Eastbound exit for the M25. The AA were in attendance with all the usual precautions in place. Out of the blue there was a multi car shunt on the inside lane right next to the AA van and my broken Omega. Seriously scary stuff and how nothing hit us I really don't know. Just loads of cars, all going too fast rear ending each other as they passed us with the sudden slow down of the M25 turn off and also us on the hard shoulder.
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Very inconsiderate of you, Rog, to distract them from their Faecesbook. ;)
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Signed. Almost 10400 signatures already. :y
Anyone who is so dim as not to slow down and take caution when a roadside recovery is taking place, shouldn't be allowed to drive imo.
In fact TB should cull the lot of them. :D
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Done but I fear its just pissing in the wind :(
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I agree with all the comment about the potential futility of it all but still worth a shot. One of the suggestions in the consultation being prepared is to legalise using flashing Red inside the beacons also as this attracts more attention. Currently the regulations vary nationwide from allowed to prosecution if you are caught with them!
It is a proven fact that Orange isn’t as good at attracting attention as Red/blue/white. Add to this the number of vehicles now using orange (slow moving) and the number of drivers who forget to switch them off and it’s understandable that people don’t really notice them.
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Very inconsiderate of you, Rog, to distract them from their Faecesbook. ;)
Very inconsiderate of belt tensioners to fail, gratefully not the cambelt ::)
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Signed. Almost 10400 signatures already. :y
Anyone who is so dim as not to slow down and take caution when a roadside recovery is taking place, shouldn't be allowed to drive imo.
In fact TB should cull the lot of them. :D
Yep, and they are the same types who think that they have magic eyes that can see clearly through fog, in the full and certain knowledge that nothing can happen to them, and wet roads do not increase their stopping distances - aka BMW drivers?
Ron.
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Signed.
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Done :y :y
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Done :y
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Done :y
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Done :y
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Done 10,433 sign ups now :y
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I move over, as its the professional thing to do, but the amount of other drivers just whistle up the inside is shocking, having done a few roadsides, it can,be quite a scary experience :o , even more,than changing tyres in,the pit lane, which is exciting. :o
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Having been recovered earlier this year from a B road, it was noticeable the number of cars who thought it was their god given right to drive straight past the recovery truck without slowing despite the fact that it was blocking their side of the carriageway completely and visibility beyond it was hampered by a bend.
The recovery driver seemed oblivious to the odd screech of tyres that occurred when someone had the audacity to be coming the other way. When I looked a bit uneasy about the situation he just smiled and said "It's job security". ;D
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signed :y
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....
Anyone who is so dim as not to slow down and take caution when a roadside recovery is taking place, shouldn't be allowed to drive imo.
......
They're the same numpties that still drive at 70+ in the p1ssing rain when you can see next to sodd all in front of you. I was on the M6 yesterday afternoon over Shap sat in the near side lane (wouldn't have been able to see a recovery vehicle on the hard shoulder) as they all flew passed in lane 2 & 3 ....including a Yodle HGV using lane 3 cos the car doing 50 in front of him wasn't going fast enough >:( >:(
Inevitably we came across 2 cars crashed in lanes 2 & 3 .... 3 Series, side ways in lane 2, stoved in on its front offside & all curtain airbags deployed & a Eurobox of some kind in lane 3. Hours later it was still on BBC travel news.
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signed :y
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Received the following from HMG...
The Government considers there is robust regulation in place that includes provisions for the safety of workers on the roadside, including roadside recovery drivers.
Ensuring the safety of anyone working on our roads is just as important as ensuring the safety of those travelling on them. In areas identified as especially high risk, such as the hard shoulder on motorways, the Department for Transport placed a specific responsibility on Highways England, under the Infrastructure Act 2015, to have due regard to the need to protect and improve the safety of the strategic road network as a whole for all road users. This includes ensuring that roadside vehicle recovery operations are safe for both recovery drivers and all other road users.
As a first step towards this goal, the Government set a challenging target. Highways England has a target to reduce those killed or seriously injured on their strategic road network, of a decrease of at least 40% by the end of 2020 against the 2005-09 average baselines. Further details on Highways England’s Health & Safety 5 year plan is available on the Highways England website: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/highways-england-health-and-safety.
Rules 219 and 281 of the Highway Code provide for emergency and incident support vehicles and their corresponding warning signs or flashing lights. These rules advise drivers to be aware of emergency or incident support vehicles on the road: it provides advice on which warning lights or signals these vehicles use, and advises drivers to exercise extra care and attention including slowing down, being prepared to stop, and to follow any directions given by police officers, or traffic officers, as to whether drivers can safely pass an incident or blockage.
Whether on the strategic road network or on local roads, the police already have powers to deal with road users who do not slow down or move over for vehicles that have broken down or been involved in accidents on the roadside. Road users, are required to comply with road traffic law in the interests of their own safety and that of other road users. If road users do not adopt a responsible attitude, or if their use of the highway creates an unsafe environment or causes a nuisance, they may be committing a number of offences. For example, under sections 2 and 3 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) a person may be charged with the offences of dangerous driving, or careless and inconsiderate driving. In each case it is for the police to enforce the law.
The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 also requires employers to ensure the safety of their employees during the course of their work. HSE would expect that employers have arrangements in place to ensure that safe working procedures are used, vehicles and equipment of an appropriate standard are provided and maintained, where necessary, appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided and used, and all persons have been adequately trained by a competent person on how to work safely at the roadside and the precautions they should be recommending to the occupants of incident support vehicles. For further details please visit the Health and Safety Executive website: http://www.hse.gov.uk/foi/internalops/sims/manuf/3_04_61.htm.
Advice on safe systems of work for ensuring the health and safety of both roadside technicians and members of the public who may be affected by their activities, has been published in the British Standard Code of Practice, BS 7121-12:1999 “Safe use of cranes - Part 12: Recovery vehicles and equipment - Code of Practice”; and the British Standards Institute (BSI) publication PAS43 “Safe working of vehicle breakdown and recovery operators: Management system specification”. This guidance on the safe management of vehicle breakdown and recovery operations was produced by SURVIVE. SURVIVE is a partnership between the Government, police, motoring industry and service organisations. Its aim is to improve the safety of roadside recovery operators and customers and is currently consulting with interested bodies on procedures for 'breakdowns in coned-off areas'. For further details, the SURVIVE website is: http://www.survivegroup.org/pages/home.
Department for Transport
Make of it what you will :-\
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Make of it what you will :-\
I'm going to go with "let's cut and paste a load of old sh1te that'll be TL;DR and maybe it'll cover up the fact that we can't be arsed to do anything about your petition". ::)
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That's exactly what I thought when I read mine, Kevin. Complacency writ large! >:(
Ron.