Newsletter 23 - Dec 2023

2023 has been an encouraging and eventful year for the group with plenty of activities which have been supported by many hard-working volunteers who have helped us achieve more than we thought possible. Our profile has been substantially raised within Gloucestershire, and beyond, and as a result that's helped increase our recruiting and contribution to improved road safety.

Thank you to all who've helped coordinate and run this year's activities. We couldn't have done it without you.

I have some excellent news to share with you all.

Group Tutors (Car)

We now have 13 people volunteering to qualify as car Tutors. Some are already motorcycle Tutors who need to take their car advanced test first. This will eventually allow us to do more recruiting and training of car members than we can at the moment.

Events for members in 2024

We’re planning a number of events that, subject to availability (and cost), may include:

Reg Local (car and bike examiner for RoSPA and IAM) presentation
Tech Talk: Regional examiners’ feedback / discussion

Highways Engineers’ talk on road design
Forest of Dean Round Robin Challenge
Glos Aerial Tour Presentation

Tech Talk: Highways Agency
Ambulance / HEMS talk
Tech Talk: Observation
RoADAR Manager talk
Tech Talk: Overtaking

Morgan Factory visit
4 x 4 Experience

Tech Talk: Tyres

Signpost Rally
Biker Down

Skid pan

First Aid

Anyone willing to help coordinate an event or two? If so, please let me know.

I hope you all have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

Stephen

Avon Police: Introduction to Roads Policing - A report

Last month we were treated to a talk titled: "Introduction to Roads Policing & Road Safety” by PC Rachel Mahy of Avon & Somerset Police Road Safety Team with support from Police Support Volunteer Andrew.

This was a free event and was open to all, including the general public.
We had an audience of 41 people from as far away as Clevedon in the south and Telford in the north.

Rachel described the size of the Avon and Somerset area. It's 1800 square miles and is served by 45 Roads Policing Unit (RPU) officers.

To set the scene Rachel played a video featuring Sgt Harry Tangye who described a fatal accident he attended where a child had been killed and its impact on the family, himself, his colleagues and others involved.

If you would like to watch that video then click Harry's image above left (it's dialogue to camera only).

We then heard about the number of fatalities on Avon and Somerset area's roads (see above). More alarming were the national figures for road fatalities which equal four full 747 aircraft (capacity 416 passengers in a three-class configuration)!

Time for a comfort break. 

Being Chair of the group apparently includes
tea boy duties. Who knew?

Click on the picture for a short video of me completely ignoring somebody's clicking fingers as they attempted to attract my attention.

Once we all had our hot drinks we went outside to see a short film about a rider who never returned home. His motorcycle was on the trailer behind the TV. A sobering reminder.

Back into the warm for a strong warning about putting your feet up on the dashboard and what happens to your pelvis in an acccident if you do. 

The victim, who has not been named (and is NOT the lady in the photo), had her hips crushed because her feet were on the dashboard and not in the footwell.
One of her hips was broken while the other was dislocated.
The press image was shared by Sergeant Ian Price who said: "Here is an X-ray of horrific injuries sustained by the front seat passenger who had their feet on the dashboard at the time of a collision. If you see your passenger doing it, stop driving and show them this." 

If you want to see the graphic x-ray image click here.
Rachel then described various ways the public can assist the police, including what's nationally known as Operation Snap. This allows the public to submit dashcam footage of questionable driving behaviour.
Click the picture above for some examples of the public's videos, it's not the video Rachel showed, that resulted in fines and / or prosecution.

Rachel had a table full of 'beer goggles' and 'drug goggles' for us to try after her presentation.

Before that though she shared some thought-provoking detail about how long drugs stay in your system.

Cocaine and cannabis stay in your system for a long time and will continue to show up on a urine test between two to four days, or more, after last using the drug. 

There are though certain factors that can affect the answer to the question: “How long does cocaine stay in urine?”
One of these factors is repeat or prolonged drug use. If you or someone you know is a heavy cocaine user, the drug can stay in your urine for much longer. It is possible to test positive in a cocaine urine test even up to two weeks after use.

In Avon & Somerset the number of fatal accidents where drug / drink was a factor has increased from 25% to 33%. In other words, one in three drivers coming toward you could be under the influence!

Here are the latest national statistics:

If you'd like to see what effect those beer goggles have then click the image on the right for a short drunk driving simulation.

This was an excellent and thought-provoking presentation, which contained much more than decribed in this article, by an expert who significantly raised awareness about the work of the Avon & Somerset RPU and its value to road safety and the community.

Many thanks to Rachel and Andrew for trekking all the way to Gloucester for the evening.

All of those in the audience wish you and your colleagues all the best for the future and, bearing in mind your force's 'Vision Zero' for fatalities, hope you achieve that goal...
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Volunteer Membership Secretary needed

This is becoming more and more urgent.

If you're interested in volunteering please call me.

Stephen (07976 644485)

New Advanced Tutor: Pierre de Carteret

We now have a new motorcycle Advanced Tutor after he successfully completed the Level 3 course in Birmingham recently.

Congratulations and welcome to the team Pierrre.

He has kindly written a few words about his experience on that course and what to expect if you're tempted yourself.

"Memories from the Level 3 M/C Instructor Course…"

What is it?

The qualification that covers this course is officially entitled (RoSPA Fleet Safety Customised) Level 3 Award in Advanced Motorcycle Instructor Training and is delivered and assessed over a contiguous five-day period usually held in the Birmingham area.

The qualification is one of the ways in which riders may demonstrate competence to enter the DVSA ERS program. There are technically no pre-requisites to attend beyond holding a RoSPA Gold advanced test pass, although you may elect to have your riding formally assessed during the course itself (maybe a little high-risk given the cost of the course!).

However, if you’ve never conducted any instructional or assessment-based activity prior to the course the week will be very intense.

How does the course run?

Delegates arrive on the Monday morning (prompt!) and undertake a morning in the classroom followed by the afternoon undertaking practical activities on the bikes. Tuesday is similarly scheduled.

Wednesday and Thursday are wholly practical days where you either have your riding observed, observe a rider, or observe the observer (you will be in the ‘saddle’ for over 6 hours and cover about 200 miles each day). At the end of each session a coaching session is delivered with a tri-partite feedback debate thereafter.

The instructor trainer, a RoSPA Examiner, provides their feedback if they feel anything was missed. You then change places in the order and repeat the activity.

How is the course assessed?

Three elements are formally assessed:

You will provide a ten minute micro-teach session in the classroom on a specific element you choose from a predefined list.
You must complete an observed ride and provide a coaching session to the Examiner.
You must complete a portfolio of evidence which includes reflection assignments and action plans.

It is also worth mentioning that there is continuous assessment of your riding skills during the course. Falling below the gold standard could result in termination of your place.

Worth the Money?

A highly subjective question I know, but I would suggest the all-up-cost paying for, preparing for, attending and covering the costs whilst you’re there is going to approach c.£3k. Therefore, trying to demonstrate a robust ROI is going to challenge the most diligent of accountants! Price and syllabus are at this link.

Final Thoughts

Whilst this course is entitled ‘Instructor’ there is almost no instruction involved as coaching and client-centred activity is now the universal approach from DVSA.

RoSPA have adopted the STEER model, on the right, of coaching and this methodology must be used during the course if you wish to pass.

Pierre de Carteret

4 December 2023

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2023 Christmas Markets

Spending Christmas in the UK but still want to visit those tempting Christmas Markets?

Some of UK’s best markets are listed here:

Christmas Markets for a day trip

(clickable links):

London (Best 11)

Full list of Christmas Markets going ahead is here

Hope you’re able to visit one or two of the close-ish markets.

If you're travelling further afield then try these sites:

England markets

Scotland markets

Wales markets

Northern Ireland markets

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Poster Competition: SkillShare

Have you been wondering what to do during this Winter's long dark evenings?

Want to win 3-year’s free membership of Glos RoADAR?

Why not have a go at designing a new poster for our motorcycle SkillShare initiative?

We’ve had a few different designs in recent years:

2016

2018

2022

2023

Feeling creative? Why not have a go?

Competition guidelines:

be a car or motorcycle member of or partner / spouse of a member of either Glos RoADAR or another RoADAR group (and you wish to join or transfer to Glos ROADAR);
design a poster to promote the 2024 SkillShare events;
intended online audience is about 40,000 motorcyclist members of local Facebook groups;
intended offline audience is any attendee at a Glos RoADAR face-to-face event such as Tech Talks, Prescott Bike Festival, Police Open Days etc;
you may submit as many entries as you wish;
any format but rendered as a high-resolution A5 page;
free of copyright and royalty restrictions;
submit your entry by midnight on 20 February 2024 to skillshare@glos-roadar.org.uk or by file transfer (www.filemail.com or www.wetransfer.com)

NB We run SkillShare events at two locations, Staverton Airport and Starbucks Eastington. Full location details are on the 2023 poster above.

The winning poster will be used to advertise our 7-event 2024 programme which begins in April (dates not yet decided but usually the fourth Saturday monthly).

The prize winner will be chosen by the Committee and SkillShare Coordinators and will be announced on 1 March 2024.

PS We can put together a number of images that may be useful in your design work. If you want them please let Stephen know at editor@glos-roadar.org.uk

Evesham Punishment

[Click on words in red for more information]

If you drive through the centre of Evesham you’ll probably notice the stocks near Abbey Mews.

I decided to visit Evesham to find out more but first checked the internet which revealed that the stocks were removed from the town hall jail house in the 1920s and are now considered a listed building in their new location close to the Almonry.

This information board has whetted my appetite for a longer visit

Even the seat bar looks like a torture device!

Stocks are feet restraining devices that were a form of punishment via public humiliation from Medieval times to the 19th Century, across Europe and even in the USA.

England's Statute of Labourers 1351 prescribed the use of the stocks for "unruly artisans" and required that every town and village erect a set of stocks. In the 14th to 16th centuries there were several English Acts that decreed the requirement of stocks in towns, stretching as far as demoting towns without stocks to Hamlet status in a 1405 Act.

Stocks were especially popular among the early American Puritans, who frequently used them to punish the "lower class" for crimes such as swearing or drunkenness. Criminals would sit or stand at a wooden frame and the local people would throw rotten food or even stones at them.

Sources indicate that the stocks were used in England for over 500 years, particularly during the 16th and 17th centuries, and have never been formally abolished. Their use declined in the 18th and 19th centuries with the last recorded use in the United Kingdom on 11 June 1872 at Newbury, Berkshire, England. Examples can still be found throughout the UK, although they are often rotted away because they were usually made of wood.

I recently wrote about the stocks at Huntley and have discovered that apparently there's a set of iron spectacle stocks in Painswick.

I wonder how many other such items are dotted around our county? If you know of any similarly interesting curios then please let me know at editor@glos-roadar.org.uk

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