MSA GB Newslink July

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News Budget cuts and pandemic blamed as councils cut back on street maintenance ADIs are being reminded to report road signs which are obscured by overgrown bushes and trees to their local authority after reports of councils not cutting back on foliage. Road safety organisations have voiced concern over what is a growing problem, with important signs and traffic lights hidden by trees or bushes. Hidden road signs are at best a nuisance for drivers, and at worst can be misleading and dangerous, according to road safety charity GEM. This year has been a brilliant growing season for a lot of the UK’s vegetation, with a mild and largely frost-free spring followed by warm days and then a period of wet weather. Now that days are warmer and with more sunlight hours, many trees and bushes are flourishing. But this growth spurt comes as local authorities are reportedly struggling to keep up with Mother Nature’s demands. A spokesperson for the Local Government Association told <strong>Newslink</strong> that the problem was a two-handed one. “Since March 2020 many councils have cut back on highways maintenance, either through the demands of lockdowns or for the practical reason that members of their teams were ill or self-isolating,” he said. “Self-isolation is the biggest problem. A lot of the street crews work very closely together, sharing council vans to get to jobs and office space, so if one of the team tests positive for Covid-19, the whole crew is forced to self-isolate. “It goes without saying that these are staff who can’t work from home!” Losing key manhours over the past 15 months has meant that many routine seasonal jobs such as verge cutting, lopping of trees that overhang pavements and trimming back of bushes around signs haven’t been kept up to date – “and as any keen gardener knows, once you let Mother Nature have her way, tidying up the vegetation takes twice as long!” But there is another, more long-term reason why the roads around your house may look a little less well-kept than in the past, the LGA said. “Since 2010 the amount paid to local authorities from central government has fallen dramatically: from £60 billion to just over £50 billion today. Bear in mind, over that 11-year period inflation has been running at around two per cent per annum, so if the central government funding for councils had remained static the central grant should have been worth around £75 billion today. In effect, your local council has seen an effective cut in central funding of around 50 per cent. “At the same time, the cap on council tax has meant that councils could not make up this shortfall by increasing local levies, leaving them short of cash.” In such a scenario it is inevitable that some areas of council spending have suffered, with highways maintenance an easy target. ‘‘ Councils are short of cash... it is inevitable that some areas of spending have suffered, with highways maintenance an easy target ‘‘ A pedestrian crossing light obscured by foliage. The gap between the leaves and the light is a matter of feet, and drivers approaching the lights will not see that they are on red until they are very close to the crossing “What we are finding is that rather than axeing maintenance, councils are simply increasing the gaps between treatments/cutting. So, if a council worked on a road’s verges and trees three times a year in 2010, they are now doing the same work in two or even just one visit. The result is road signs near bushes and trees are increasingly being covered up by foliage.” This leads to some very dangerous and confusing situations for motorists. The photo on this page shows a traffic light which is masked by an overhanging tree. The crossing is opposite a library and health centre and close to a large secondary school. A local resident commented: “This is a very heavily used pedestrian crossing but it is in a dangerous spot anyway, as it is in a dip and often sees cars driving faster than the speed limit on approach. “As you can see on the photograph, the crossing lights are obscured; the green light is barely visible, but the red and amber lights are completely hidden behind the overhanging tree. “If this light was on red an approaching motorist would not know.” GEM chief executive Neil Worth comments: “Road signs provide vital information for drivers, who will plan their speeds and actions based either wholly or in part on what the signs tell them. If you can’t see a sign, then your ability to make safe decisions is compromised, especially if you’re on unfamiliar roads. “Nourished by recent rain, vegetation at this time of year tends to be at its most prolific, meaning more and more signs risk being partially or completely covered. It’s a growing menace that puts road users at risk.” His advice was for ADIs “to help highways authorities and local councils to know where the problems are by using the reporting facilities they provide. It is vital for road safety that trees, bushes and branches are not allowed to obscure important information.” 14 NEWSLINK n JULY 2021
For all the latest news, see www.msagb.com Introducing the new Safe Driving for Life website The Stationery Office (TSO) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) are proud and delighted to announce the launch of the new Safe Driving for Life (SDFL) website. To visit, go to www.safedrivingforlife.info. Be prepared The new SDFL website will support learners through their theory and driving tests and in becoming a life-long safe driver. With a completely fresh and clean look, the easy-to-navigate site provides everything learners will need to know during their driving life. SDFL offers all this information for free: n Practice theory tests for all the driving/riding categories n Hazard Perception tests n Road signs tests n Visual media clip tests It will also give learner drivers or riders a free taster of the theory test revision material available through a paid-for subscription. All the advice The popular blogs and advice content from the old site are included in the new SDFL site. They provide guidance for all road users, wherever they are in their driving life. And this content will be easier to find and navigate. New Features One of the most significant changes to the site is in the development of updated eLearning modules (formerly on the Official DVSA Learning Zone). As with the Learning Zone, the eLearning modules will be available through a paid-for subscription. They cover all driving categories, including new modules for anyone wanting to train as an ADI. The eLearning includes all the information an ADI needs to help prepare learners for their theory test. And the eLearning modules include some exciting new benefits, based on the most up-to-date learning science. For example: n Active learning – exercises and activities designed to engage learners and promote learning n The Forgetting Curve – this shows how the brain does not retain information over time if we do not actively try to keep it. Typically, humans tend to halve their memory of newly learned knowledge in a matter of days or weeks, unless they consciously review the learned material. SDFL takes this into account and actively encourages learners to keep practising as their test date approaches, to give them the best chance of passing n Test Readiness Gauge – the learner will see a gauge on SDFL’s main eLearning dashboard, giving them an indication of when they’re ready to take their test. The gauge is based on different factors, including the amount of practice questions the learner has answered correctly and how long they’ve spent studying. ADI benefits Another added benefit for the new website is a huge increase in functionality for ADIs: n Learners will be able to share their progress through the eLearning modules with their ADI and parents. This allows them to work through the theory element together. It also helps the learner through any elements of the theory test they may be struggling with. n Any ADI can use the platform free of charge. And, the more of their learners they get to sign up to a subscription, the more reward points they can earn. The ADI can then redeem these reward points in the form of Amazon vouchers. Use it, enjoy it, tell us what you think! We hope you’re as excited as we are about SDFL and all its new features. There’ll be an ongoing programme of development and enhancement and we’ll introduce more modules and functionality over time. During SDFL’s development, we welcome your feedback. So please visit www.safedrivingforlife.info: use it, enjoy it and let us know what you think. NEWSLINK n JULY 2021 15
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MSA GB Newslink July

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