Newsletter 29 - Feb 2025

View from the Saddle

2025 is now 1/12th completed and not much is going on around the world, so, like the USA, Gloucestershire RoADAR has a new chairperson. Unlike the USA I have not started to issue ‘Executive Orders’ and impose tariffs on neighbouring Counties. That aside, it is my honour to have been asked to take on the role. I would like to thank Adam Slaughter for his work as Chair and the other committee members.

Road Safety has been a significant part of my life since becoming associated with the Tufty Club in the 1970s (Tufty Fluffytail was a character created by RoSPA in 1953 to teach children about road safety. NO, I was not one of the first).

In my working life I assisted, while on teaching practice, developing teenagers’ road skills in advance of them becoming drivers/riders of motorised vehicles. Once I had jumped ship from teaching to policing the hard truth of the results when things go wrong on the roads was an early experience. Throughout my career, even when not in a fully operational role, Road Safety was a key priority for me. In my last policing role, I was responsible for Traffic Management & Road Safety including the Traffic Management & Road Safety Officers (TM&RSO)Driver Training Unit and the Camera Safety Team as well as the Collision Investigators and Family Liaison Officers. My job was overseeing the Constabulary response to death and destruction on the roads. 

After a brief respite following retirement (including coordinating some visiting speakers from the Road Safety Partnership) I returned to the Constabulary as a TM&RSO. This included reviewing, both proposals and post-construction, of various highways developments & alterations & a variety of large-scale events. My last five years before ‘proper’ retirement was managing the TM&RSO, Camera Enforcement Teams and the Op Snap review officers. This often meant dealing with those who wanted to argue that their speeding/other offending had some form of mitigation and/or that there were factors that meant that the offence hadn’t actually occurred or the recording was erroneous. Always an interesting viewpoint and, on the whole, easily countered.

With Glos RoADAR I have been an examiner (primarily for motorcycles) for over ten years and was the Training Officer for several terms. Alongside Simon ‘Rossy’ Ross MBE I deliver BikerDown sessions and am an observer for Glos Police BikeSafe.

My desire is to ensure the successful continuation of the group alongside the committee and, more importantly, the members. Time is a key factor for everybody but using it effectively is one way to maintain, improve and share our skills as drivers and riders in order to make our roads safer. Like many, I have seen enough of the results of poor road use and my desire is to do what I can to help reduce its frequency and severity.

I hope that you will, as members, continue to support the work of the tutoring teams, help to grow the group and be engaged with the social side of the organisation.

Regards

David Collicott

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Simon Ross MBE

This is from Gloucestershire Constabulary's Facebook page:

We would like to congratulate Simon Ross for being awarded the honour of a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to road safety for motorcyclists in Gloucestershire.

Simon, known to many in the motorcycling community as Rossy, has been recognised in The King’s New Year Honours list this year for his services.

He joined Gloucestershire Constabulary in October 1994 and while on-duty in a patrol car, he was involved in a collision with a 4x4 pick-up truck.

Unfortunately, due to his injuries he was forced to medically retire from a job he loved and was passionate about.

However, his commitment and passion towards keeping the roads of Gloucestershire as safe as possible, especially for motorcyclists, has never wavered and he has volunteered countless hours of his time.

He first became involved in road safety in 1981 after he passed the motorcycle instructor course which was run by Gloucestershire County Council’s Road Safety Team.

Rossy is a keen motorcyclist, enjoying the thrill that he gets by being out on his bike. Such was his passion, he took up the opportunity to become a bike instructor and assessor for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Institute of Advanced Motorists.

His passion has ensured that riders, and all road users, are as safe as possible.

In addition, he assists in the running of other biking events such as ‘Biker Down’, which he has been running since March 2013 at SkillZONE in Gloucester.

This is a response from fire and rescue services to a safety concern that motorcyclists are often the first people on the scene of other motorcycle collisions.

The programme helps to train bikers with practical skills to use in case they either are involved in a collision, or encounter one.

For well over a decade, Rossy has been running the Constabulary’s ‘BikeSafe’ scheme and he has coordinated a great deal of the programme - from logistics, venues, websites, organising the police riders and observers, to coordinating the civilian professional observers and riders.

As a volunteer, Rossy gives up numerous weekends, often taking up entire Sundays delivering the BikeSafe workshop to members of the public and educating them on road safety.

Due to his incredible knowledge and infectious passion for road safety, he has contributed enormously to making the roads of Gloucestershire safer for everyone who gets on a motorbike, and he has contributed to the increased awareness of motorcyclists.

Such is his skill, Rossy regularly receives fantastic feedback from those who attend his workshops.

He said: “I was very surprised to be nominated and receive this honour. I have been extremely fortunate to work alongside many people within a number of teams over the past four decades - all having the ultimate goal to educate all types of road users and reduce casualties within the county. I am humbled and delighted to accept this honour for services to road safety in Gloucestershire on their behalf, for all the hard work and dedication they’ve shown to reduce casualties within the county."

Congratulations Rossy, and thank you for everything you have done to make the roads in Gloucestershire a safer place for bikers.

New Car Tutor: Paul Kelly-Fursdon

It is with the greatest pleasure that I can announce we have a new Car Section Group Tutor: Paul Kelly-Fursdon.

Paul’s journey in Q&A format: 

What’s your background? 

I was born in Clevedon in 1971 and have stayed in the area all my life moving home just three times. I fell into taxi driving by accident while unemployed and saw an advert. Now been taxiing for 33 years and consider myself a professional driver as I’m paid to drive.  

What got you into advanced driving? 

I started in 1992 with the IAM after attending a ‘Drive To Arrive’ Talk at Clevedon Comprehensive School. My first Observer was Bob Mills and I passed the advanced test. I then took a gap in driver training although I still had an occasional mentor from RoSPA.

In 1994 I came back to training with RoSPA and passed at Gold. I took another gap to concentrate on life, the universe and everything else until 2017 when I re-joined the Bristol IAM group, trained and passed all advanced driving qualifications up to and including the IAM Masters (Distinction) in 2019. I’ve recently passed the Masters re-test also at Distinction. 

I heard about the Glos RoADAR group from my examiner, Andy Poulton, and joined in 2022. I trained and again passed the RoSPA Advanced Test at Gold making me eligible to train as a Tutor.

What made you want to be a Tutor? 

I realised I have a skill that I enjoy enormously and want to share with other people to improve road safety.  

I am dyslexic which affects many areas of my life and I spoke to the Glos RoADAR Chair, Stephen Wilkinson-Carr, for advice about how to proceed. After some research and a couple of capability assessments, Stephen said there was every reason to expect that I would do well during Tutor training although it may take longer than usual. I accepted that, volunteered to train as a RoSPA Group Tutor, and began being coached and trained by Advanced Tutor & Diploma holder Adam Slaughter.

I worked very hard over the next 2½ years putting into practice everything I’d been taught and was able to do so due to Adam’s help, patience, guidance and belief in my ability. In December 2024, after testing and assessment, I was certified by Adam Slaughter as a fully approved Group Tutor (Car). 

How was the Tutor training? 

Fun. I enjoyed it. How Adam put things across to me made it so much easier. I really enjoyed the journey. 

What are your top tips for other advanced drivers and Tutors? 

 - Number one priority is safety.
 - Expect the unexpected and leave nothing to chance.
 - Use the SLAP test: Safe? Legal? Achieve anything? Professional? 

Note from Paul's coach: Adam Slaughter

It was a pleasure to coach Paul. He paid attention, asked questions when unsure and went away and practised. 

As an Advanced Tutor I couldn't ask for a better associate to coach to become a Tutor. 

I wish Paul all the best with his future tutoring and look forward to seeing his first associate taking and hopefully passing their RoSPA advanced test.

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Newsletter Contributions

Your Editor needs help or the Newsletter will flounder.
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CRASH Card

Motorcyclists: Have you got a CRASH Card?
CRASH Card? 

A small green sticker on the right-hand side of a motorcyclist’s helmet is to let emergency services know there’s an ICE Card inside the helmet.
Details on the card could provide vital information, save time and help treatment, especially if you’re unconscious or can’t communicate.

CRASH Card was created by the Ambulance Motorcycle Club committee; experienced Paramedics and ambulance staff. Over 2 million free “CRASH Cards” are in circulation in UK, America, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Northern Ireland, Eire, Portugal, Romania and a small number in France.
The CRASH Card sits inside a motorcyclist's helmet and shows their name, postcode, date of birth, medication and medical history so First Responders and Medics can provide better, quicker treatment.
This scheme, which has been in use since March 2009 in some parts of England is available nationally through local road safety partnerships, air ambulances, fire and rescue services, selected commercial outlets and some Police BikeSafe. Ambulance Services across the UK endorse the scheme. 
The complete CRASH Card that's sent on request. 
It shows the rider's basic details and has a short first aid guide about what to do to help the casualty.

CRASH Card and Rider Alert have been funded by commercial and public organisations and have received many awards: The FIM Road Safety Award, The Prince Michael International Road Safety Award, the Journal of EMS 'EMS10' award and the Virginia State Governors Transportation Safety Award.

Get a CRASH Card (UK) here

Information about the USA’s ‘Rider Alert Safety Card’ here
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BlueSky Social Media

Glos RoADAR now has a BlueSky page

BlueSky, with more than 31 million members, is one of the most recent social media sites but one which guarantees privacy, has zero advertisements and no algorithm driving engagement.

There's also a link here to our Starter Pack that lists 78, so far, organisations and individuals with an interest in road safety. One click will allow you to follow them all if you're a member (it's free).

Our page:

1960s: No Speed Limit

Between 1934 and 1967 you could still drive at any speed on open roads in the UK as long as you did it safely.

What?

The 1930 Road Traffic Act did away entirely with speed limits for cars which were not invalid carriages and could carry no more than seven passengers along with the driver. In theory you were allowed to go as fast as you liked wherever you liked (though there were now penalties for reckless, careless or dangerous driving) but in 1934 a new limit of 30mph was set for built-up areas.

Inevitably, there were many fatalities.

Source

The highest number of deaths in any one year was 9,169 people in 1941 during World War II. The highest figure during peacetime was 7,985 in 1966. It wasn’t until July 1967 that a new 70mph national limit was imposed after a year and a half of trials and consultations.

There are regular petitions for the government to raise the national speed limit, particularly on motorways, although none have yet led to a change in the law.

Wonder what the future holds?

Reported Road Casualties GB

“Of the four major road user types the one with the biggest estimated percentage change for 2023 compared to 2022 for fatalities was motorcyclists, which showed a decline of 10%. Car fatalities reduced by 8%"

Any fatality is one too many. I wonder though if this reduction is due to the positive impact of advanced training e.g. RoSPA, IAM, BikeSafe, ERS, BMF Blue Riband etc?

There’s more work to do though as:

"While car occupants accounted for the majority of road casualties in 2023, the highest casualty rates per billion miles travelled were for motorcyclists, indicating that a person is more likely to be injured on the road when travelling by motorcycle."

Source detail

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France: Motorcycle Filtering

Motorcycle filtering in France is now LEGAL! Excellent news.

Filtering through a traffic jam on a motorcycle has finally become legal in France. After 26 years of fierce fighting this already well-established practice is recognized.

French motorcyclists’ organisation FFMC, a member of FEMA, calls it: "A major step forward that marks a decisive step in road sharing and user safety".

Full story here

Did You Know?

In a bid to combat speeding and ensure safety, the picturesque French village of Baune, near the city of Angers has resorted to the unconventional method of what can best be described as a squiggle road.

Frustrated by the inability of traditional traffic signs to slow down drivers in their 30km/h (19mph) zone, local officials decided to paint peculiar squiggly lines on the road surface. Full story here:

Who knew?