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Charity strongly
welcomes reduction in road deaths and injuries
ANNUAL government
statistics reveal the number of people killed and seriously injured
on roads in Great Britain fell by 1% in 2012, following last year's
rise of 2%, the first annual increase since 1994. 1,754 people were
killed in 2012, 8% lower than 2011. 23,039 people suffered
serious injuries in a road crash, 0.4% lower than 2011.
Brake, the road safety charity, which supports families and
individuals bereaved or suffering from life-changing injuries
following a road crash, strongly welcomed the news, but underlined
that every death or life-changing injury on roads is preventable and
causes unimaginable pain and trauma. Brake therefore believes the
government should ultimately aim to reduce deaths and serious
injuries on roads to zero.
Brake is also deeply concerned that cyclist deaths and serious
injuries continue to rise as do pedestrian serious injuries, meaning
more of the most vulnerable road users are bearing the brunt of road
danger.
118 people were killed and 3,222 people were seriously injured when
cycling in 2012, a 10% increase in cyclist deaths and 4% increase in
serious injuries.
420 people were killed and 5,559
people were seriously injured on foot in 2012, a 7% decrease in
pedestrian deaths but a 2% increase in serious injuries.
Brake urges greater action from
government to protect people on foot and bike, to ensure everyone is
able to get out and about safely, and to encourage more people to
walk and cycle, which is good for health, the environment and
people's purses. As part of the GO 20 campaign, Brake is calling for
20mph to be the norm in our cities, towns and villages: making them
safer, healthier, nicer places and urging drivers everywhere to make
a personal commitment to drive at 20mph, to protect vulnerable road
users, around homes, schools and shops.
Julie Townsend, deputy chief executive, Brake, the
road safety charity, said:- "Road crashes are violent, sudden
events that tear apart families and whole communities; they are also
a huge economic burden, and preventable through investment in
education, engineering and enforcement. While progress towards fewer
deaths and injuries is hugely welcome, it is important to
acknowledge every person behind these statistics. For every one of
the 1,754 people killed violently and needlessly in 2012, many more
are left behind to grieve their loss, often suffering very serious
trauma. So we must aim for zero; because no death or serious injury
is acceptable."
Brake is an independent road safety charity. Brake exists to stop
the five deaths and 63 serious injuries that happen on UK roads
every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in
road crashes. Brake runs awareness-raising campaigns, community
education programmes, events such as Road Safety Week; that runs
from 18 November to 24
November 2013; and a Fleet Safety Forum, providing advice to
companies. Brake's support division cares for road crash victims
through a helpline and other services.
Road crashes are not accidents; they are devastating and preventable
events, not chance mishaps. Calling them accidents undermines work
to make roads safer, and can cause insult to families whose lives
have been torn apart by needless casualties.
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THE GOVERNMENT
HAS CONSISTENTLY TALKED ABOUT JOB CREATION IN THE ENERGY SECTOR
THE government has
identified the skilled construction jobs with shortages of labour so
we investment in training to up-skill our own people to meet the
needs of the economy says GMB
GMB, the union for energy and construction workers, commented on the
statement by the Chief Secretary of the Treasury on infrastructure
spending in the UK.
Gary Smith, GMB National Secretary for energy, said:- "There
is no change and no progress on new nuclear in this statement.
We believe a deal could and would have been done but from
interventions by the treasury who blocked a deal. The government has
consistently talked about job creation in the energy sector; it just
isn't happening."
Phil Whitehurst GMB National Officer for engineering construction
said:- "This programme of work, if it actually happens, is
welcome. It will requires a skilled and qualified workforce to
undertake it.
The government has identified the skilled jobs where there are
shortages of labour. There is a massive pool of unemployed workers
of which nearly a million are under the age of 25.
Surely it is not beyond the wit of Westminster politicians to secure
the necessary investment in training to up-skill our own people to
meet the needs of the economy. Which bit of this is too complicated
for the government to understand? It demands that government and
employers follow this simple industrial strategy."
Unions welcome Merseyside MPs
report on zero hours
TRADE unions welcomed a report from 3 Merseyside MPs into
the impact of zero hours contracts on workers. The North West
TUC welcomed the initiative and backed calls for increased
regulation to counter the abuse and exploitation of workers.
Zero hours contracts are becoming increasingly popular with some
employers because it gives them the flexibility to give no guarantee
to workers that they will be required to work a fixed number of
hours.
The report by MPs Luciana Berger, George Howarth and Alison McGovern
found that this leads to instability, a lack of adequate notice, and
discrimination between those workers on zero hours and staff on full
time and other types of contract who enjoy better conditions.
Zero hours contracts make managing childcare, caring, financial and
other commitments extremely difficult for the employee.
North West TUC Regional Secretary Lynn Collins said:- "Workers
are expected to be at the beck and call of an employer at any time.
It's a return to Victorian ways of working and we are seeing more
and more employers resorting to this backward style of management.
Zero hours contracts mean the employer has all the flexibility and
the worker has none." She added:- "The MPs'
report is timely and extremely welcome. It highlights an area of
work that is crying out for increased regulation to end abuse and
exploitation.
The government should put an end to these abuses. Employers should
instead be offering workers guaranteed hours with fair pay; so they
can plan their home lives, budget properly and cover their household
bills."
Dangerous Parking in Formby - A
Video interview with Councillor Nina Killen
IN last weeks issue
we said we will be bringing you a video interview with Formby's
Labour Councillor Nina Killen about the parking problems in Formby.
To see the video interview please select the player type below.
Also if you did not see our other reports about this topic
please use these 3 links:-
1;
2;
3.
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Use our Silverlight Player to
see Part 1 of our video coverage from this event. |
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see Part 1 of our video coverage from this event. |
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