Celebrate the Last Days of Summer - A new, free Waterfront Family Festival is coming

AS summer 2024 comes to a close, a new free family festival on Liverpool's famous waterfront will bring the City together to celebrate. The Last Days of Summer will be held on:- Saturday, 31 August 2024, and is organised by Liverpool BID Company, Culture Liverpool, Royal Albert Dock Liverpool and Peel.

The festival will see 4 key areas, spread across the waterfront, stretching from the Pier Head to ACC Liverpool, designed to provide something for everyone. There will be 4 distinct areas:- Royal Albert Dock Liverpool will feature a food, drink and music hub; Mann Island will home free family workshops and activities with Parentfolk looking after family activities; The Pier Head will see performance and activity; Peel at Princes Dock will host a wellbeing hub, with free yoga, mindfulness, sound baths and open water swimming.

Along the route of the festival, people can also enjoy shows and performances through the day including:- street performers:- 'Gulls,' interactive games, canvas painting, DJs, a LUSH activation Festival Spa Bar, Craft + Code workshops and more.

A full programme of events will be revealed later.

Bill Addy is CEO of Liverpool BID Company:- "As part of our trio of festivals celebrating the character of Liverpool City Centre, we wanted the Waterfront iteration to be a vibrant celebration of, not just the length of our fabulous waterfront, but also something family friendly and accessible. We want this event to truly welcome everybody, and for people to enjoy the whole of the waterfront, from the ACC Liverpool right up to Peel and the Pier Head. Free activity really does make people feel a sense of ownership and community in the City, as the summer comes to a close, we want to celebrate that with everyone."

Sean Morrison, estate manager at Royal Albert Dock says:- "We're delighted to partner with Liverpool BID Company and be part of such a large-scale event that celebrates the very best of the City's iconic waterfront. The day promises to offer something for the whole City while being free and accessible for visitors, something which we prioritise at the dock. Here's to a jam-packed day of activities that the whole family can enjoy."

Liza Marco, Senior Asset Manager, Liverpool Waters adds:- "Across our Peel Waters portfolio we are always looking for exciting ways to activate our waterside destinations. We are very proud to be partnering with Liverpool BID Company and several other fantastic organisations from across Liverpool to put on this vibrant waterfront event. Liverpool Waters is a very accessible location and with so many fun activities planned across the bank holiday weekend, we look forward to welcoming event goers of all ages to our special neighbourhood within Liverpool."

30% of drivers want self driving vehicles

JUST 2 years ahead of self driving vehicles taking to UK roads in 2026 under the new Automated Vehicles Act, drivers are yet to be convinced. 48% of drivers in a recent Venson Automotive Solutions survey said they do not support autonomous vehicles, and 22% remain unsure. Just 30% to 37% of males and 24% of females support self driving cars.

The key aim of the Automated Vehicle Act is improving road safety. 88% of collisions are caused by human error, which could be drastically reduced when vehicles are driven by artificial intelligence.

To understand the prevalence of human error by drivers, the Venson survey asked respondents about their daily bad habits when behind the wheel. 31% admitted to being impatient, 28% to being distracted and 25% to driving too fast. Other driver errors included:- misjudging the distance between vehicles (16%), not checking blind spots before merging or changing lanes (14%) and late braking (10%). These risks should be eliminated when automated vehicles become commonplace on UK roads, making them safer and more accessible for all.

Whilst younger respondents were more likely to admit to unsafe driving habits, the also were the most likely to support autonomous vehicles. 47% of 22 to 44 year olds said they were in favour, compared with 16% of those aged 45 and over. Those aged 25 to 34 are most confident, with 57% saying they do support self driving cars on UK roads.

"Despite the safety benefits and making mobility more accessible for those who can't drive, the majority of drivers do not support the move from sci-fi to everyday, It is perhaps unsurprising that the tech-native generations are the most receptive to artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles, but there is still a long way to go before all age groups are confident in the safety and wider benefits of self driving vehicles. Of course, many vehicles on the road today already include:- semi-autonomous driver assistance features, but it seems that many feel it is too big a leap from lane assist, adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking to sitting back with a book while the car takes full control." commented Simon Staton, Client Management Director for Venson Automotive Solutions.

As vehicle automation steadily increases, drivers need to ensure they understand the functions and benefits, as well as their own responsibility when driving a semi autonomous vehicle or:- 'piloting' a fully autonomous vehicle in future. Businesses must also review company car and commercial vehicle fleet policies to avoid misunderstandings relating to liability and responsibility.

Simon Staton continued:- "If AI was in control of the vehicle, none of the potentially dangerous driving habits our respondents confessed to would pose a risk, so we should see safety improve in line with the rising number of autonomous vehicles from 2026. In the meantime, drivers must always be in full control of their vehicle, even if it does feature an extensive list of advanced driver assistance systems. While many company car drivers may shy away from switching to autonomous as soon as they become legal, acceptance will grow rapidly, and many will be keen to explore the options. Therefore, the next 2 years should see HR and Fleet policies being regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the rapidly changing laws and onboard technology."

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