cerberus wrote:
From tonight’s Blackpool Evening Gazette in the letters section
http://www.blackpooltoday.co.uk/ViewArt ... ID=1200661Lancs Scammers wrote:
Whingers should belt up - we improve road safety
Richard Hook (Letters, September 6) was highly critical of the organisation for which I work – the Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety.
He claimed the work we undertake was "unproductive" and "unnecessary" and outlined four questions, the answers to which he said we were choosing to ignore.
Although Mr Hook doubted we would respond, I would like to take this opportunity to answer as fully, frankly and factually as possible those questions.
Firstly, he wanted know what we are doing about camera sites on the Fylde where the number of accidents have increased rather than decreased.
With regard to this, anyone who works in safety, be it road safety, workplace safety etc will tell you that in some years there are more accidents than in other years.
So she accept regression to the mean....when it suit her!
LanCASH£££££re scammistress L£££nda wrote:
Our job is to reduce the number of road users killed and hurt on Lancashire's roads. It is not about necessarily reducing the number of road accidents per se, which is something that seems to cause confusion.
If, for an example, a motorist is in a crash, but because of a nearby safety camera they are driving at a slower speed than they otherwise would have been driving, that person is less likely to be killed or even hurt. It may be they are unscathed and need no treatment, saving the NHS valuable money. For us, that is the message reaching home, but the driver's crash is still recorded.
Perhaps they crash becuase they were watching the dash und not the road ahead.
But they are not improving road safety either - und hardly slowing down traffic given the constant flow of revenue raised - un NO accident!
But ist about nailing at 33/34mph still und giving them the Speed Course if other drivers (majority -maybe) above the invite threshold of 38mph on dual carriageway which used to be 50 mph anyway!

By the way - no residential areas of schools on some of these roads....mostly fields...
LanCASH£££re L£££nda wrote:
Regarding his second question, all that I can say is that latest, independent research shows that in the three years between June 2002 and June 2004 inclusive, safety cameras reduced death and serious injuries on stretches of roads where deployed by 40 per cent. That's a fact.
Ist also fact that these roads never saw one accident before the scam - und scam ist only there because of daft decision to reduce a speed limit - maybe because business park could be built on those fields - but plan permission never granted....but ist nice little earner und you can claim whopping success of accident reduction where no accident happened anyway....Also - you place scams at areas where no injuries but little non-injury collision - was in admission in local press ca. Oct 2003. You talk to photographic long term memory bank bei mir|!
[size=9] Mad Doc tremble at my memory

[/small]
LanCASH£££re L££nda wrote:
Mr Hook's third question concerned the junction of Devonshire Road and Warley Road, an accident hotspot.
He wanted to know why, if we say that camera revenue will be spent on road safety measures, there had been no improvement to this junction's lay-out to make it safer.
The answer to this question is simply that this is something he needs to ask the local Highways Authority – Blackpool Council – which is in charge of maintaining and making safe the roads in the borough.
Ist cop out -- Road SAFETY PARTNERSHIP - should be part of your brief to identify these hazards und recommend un apply pressure working with the locals to iron these out! But easier to make money....Road think we have seen this on on trip to seaside - engineering will remove problem und need for the scamera... Just confimr desire to make money - und might I remind you the the Council ists supposed to be on of your partners

You talk und work with partners!

LanCASH£££Re L£££nda wrote:
When we receive safety camera revenue back from the Government, we can only spend that money on the installation of new static safety cameras, the maintenance of existing cameras, mobile enforcement and public education.
More way to make money you mean ....und cash to speed course - pay to the Council - your partner....see above rant!

By the way - small margin of income spent on public information leaflets per the website - but will say you do at least give some account unlike steviebabes...

who go all reserved und sub-marinated

when asked hard question.

At least no dead carnations.....

Speed course - good idea - but invites are still not correct. Need to work on this aspect - but from what have been told - will agree that the course as stand with strong COAST input teach

is a good one from what I hear of it. Just the way the invites are dished out --- undermines it.
Lancash££re L££nda wrote:
This brings me to Mr Hook's final question regarding what we do spend our money on. By far our greatest spend is on education.
We visit workplaces (factories, offices),
Have pals who work in factories und offices throughout Lancs - und one cousin ist auditor who go round to lot of firms und factories - you have never been seen visiting und advising once by any of these people. Und remember people from my area do commute to Lancs to work in thes factories und offices - they have not seen you either.
LanCASH£££re L£££nda wrote:
ante natal clinics and SureStart groups,
Have pals expecting babies in Lancs area - they have not seen any one offering advice over car seats und driving with baby - und no one turned up to my ante-natal classes por even post natal classes last year to advise about anything to do with cars.
LanCASH££re L££nda wrote:
schools (nursery, primary and secondary), colleges, universities,
In circle of friends - - two cousins-in-law teach in Lancs - they have not seen you visiting their schools - but have bought a teacher's pack and gort some free

hedgehog :

stuff from you.... In fairness - they think the teacher's material was value for money but are not impressed with hedgehog thing as Tufty was a lot cuter!
Have pal who lecture at Lancaster Uni und acquaintance who work in office at the Central Lancs one .. they have not heard of any visits to lecture the students - who only appear if they have a lecture anyway - und who may give you a miss in preference to student jobs und Union bar.
Lancash££re L££nda wrote:
shopping malls, mosques, motor shows, bike shows, agricultural fairs and family fun days throughout the county throughout the year with exhibitions and presentations aimed at encouraging motorists to drive within speed limits, not to drink and drive and to always wear a seat belt and ensure any passengers (adult, baby and child) are properly and safely restrained.
Have been to Lancs shopping malls und big towns to do shopping for goods which are not in ambundance in rural Cumbria... not seen you in these malls either. Have seen Road Peace North West doing great job though!
But you are not doing this - as no mention in local press of such achievements....und you would not miss main chance for the publicity und photos!
LanCASH££££re L£££nda wrote:
In addition, we pay for mobile speed enforcement, undertaken at sites of "community concern".

Hiding under blanket in unmarked Hertz Hired van in Gastang - illegallly parked Ocotber 2003. Was in national tabloids - all of them! You nabbed our company rep at 34 mph on that one! He did the course....!
LanCASH££re L££nda wrote:
These are sites/roads where local residents have asked for our help because they are worried by speeding traffic. More often than not, these sites are by a school.
Have yet to see by these schools - ist where you maketh money!
LanCAHSH££re L££nda wrote:
We also award "Community Action Road Safety Grants". These grants are sums of money from £50 to £1,000 that are given to community organisations that want to undertake their own road safety projects.
Ah - yes - the villager with the

speed gun....
LanCASH££re L£££nda wrote:
And finally, what money we do have left is spent on campaigns such as the Lost Soles campaign, which has just launched in Blackpool.
This ist national - Carlisle did it... Bolton did it - even Merseyside (not a SCP area) did it...
Please tell me - how does a poster of a shoe in road achieve anything. Most would take it on the eye as anti-littering poster.
Lancash££re L££nda wrote:
These campaigns bring us valuable radio and newspaper coverage, which helps spread our message.
Spend just an hour with us, Mr Hook, and you may change your mind about what we achieve.
Linda Sanderson
Communications Manager
Lancashire Partnership for Road Safety
Preston
Not acheiving as as much as you think you are! By the way - proof ist in the pudding und those stats do leave a very sour taste in mouth...of failure.