Community Wheels News

08/08/2008 10,000 young person to visit the Community Wheels
On Monday 11th August Community Wheels is attending an exciting young motorcycle rider skills day being held at Canvey Island, at Thames Ambulance, Northwick Road, Canvey Island, Essex, SS8 0PS, from 10am - 3pm. This event is being held in response to increasing local concerns around the safety of both the community and the young riders.

This exciting event is being hosted by Essex Police and Thames Ambulance, in partnership with Community Wheels. Thames Ambulance is creating real life scenarios that may affect young riders who will be attending the event, and the consequences of not wearing the correct protective clothing and having the correct insurance and qualifications to ride motorcycles. Volunteer actors will be reconstructing lifelike accident scenarios involving motorcycles, to highlight hard hitting consequences.

Essex Casualty Reduction Board's Community Wheels vehicle will be highlighting motorcycle safety, through TV, smart board and simulator technology. The young people attending the event will also have the opportunity to learn the importance of maintaining their motorcycles and keeping them well maintained. Essex Police will be highlighting training and why the law is the laws on motorcycling, which many young people do not understand.

Community Wheels will be celebrating its 10,000 young person to visit the project at this exciting event. Community Wheels is a purpose-built, multi-media resource, education and demonstration vehicle. It is staffed by a core of experienced teams including Fire & Rescue, Police, Ambulance and Road Safety specialists, as well as volunteers recruited from selected local communities.

Last year 286 bikers were killed or seriously injured on Essex roads, of these 27 were killed. In March 2008 a new project was launched that provides a unique opportunity for partners in the Essex Casualty Reduction Board to work together to promote and deliver road safety.

Councillor Hume, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation said: “16 – 18 year old riders are over represented in casualty statistics. This is something I and the casualty Reduction Board take very seriously. I know temptation to take risks from my personal experience as a rider, but risks cost lives. I support any event that engages with riders of this age”.

01/08/2008 Essex Casualty Reduction Board commended
The Essex Casualty Reduction Board, which Community Wheels is a project of, was ‘highly commended’ at a national transport award ceremony for its efforts to reduce deaths and serious injury on the roads.

Essex was recognised for its work on road safety, which has led to one of the biggest falls in road accidents recorded in a county in recent years.

Essex Police force's senior traffic management officer Adam Pipe said the Essex Casualty Reduction Board’s (ECRB) recognition at the National Transport awards underpinned the “phenomenal successes” of working as a partnership.

“The success we have seen has only taken place since we all started working together more closely,” explained Mr Pipe.

“We are looking to further the partnership to make even more significant reductions by saving lives and reducing the risk of injury on our roads.

31/07/2008 Basildon Shoppers face the Mobile Phone Challenge
Community Wheels and the team from Basildon Road Safety challenged local shoppers in Basildon and Castle Point this week, to see if drivers really could do two things at the same time.

Volunteers completed a simple reaction time test on the computer, while being asked questions at the same time. They wanted to see if their level of concentration dipped when trying to concentrate on two things at once. Nobody was able to successfully complete the test.

Linda Shrimpton, Road Safety Officer for Basildon, explained how this is an excellent example of why people shouldn't use their mobile phones when driving. She also discussed with the public other aspects of road safety that were concerning members of the public.

The Shoppers that took part in the test were then shown other aspects of the Community Wheels vehicle. They were able to test their reaction times on the driving simulator, and look at the mapping software of hotspots in their area.

24/07/2008 Community Wheels delivers the Drink Drive Message
The number of drivers testing positive for drink-driving has increased following Essex Police’s 2008 summer campaign (which took place throughout June).

A worrying trend has also developed among young people with 4.42 per cent of under 25s testing positive in 2008. Last year that figure was 2.80 per cent.

Essex Police’s Senior Traffic Management Officer, Adam Pipe, believes the figures demonstrate a worrying trend.

We work hard to get the dangers of drink-driving across to the public and I hope that these statistics will be a wake-up call to anyone considering drink-driving,” said Mr Pipe. “It’s simply not acceptable to drink and drive. Motorists should not consume any alcohol, however little, before getting behind the wheel.”

Essex Police is keen to remind anyone considering drink driving that they could face a 12-month driving ban, a £5,000 fine and a criminal record. The message is don’t drink and drive. This message has been given out at all the Community Wheels activity, to try and reach the most at risk groups and educate them about the effects of alcohol.

27/04/2008 Community Wheels attends the launch of Bikesafe
Bikesafe Essex is part of an ongoing commitment by Essex Police to reduce the numbers of motorcycle related crashes across the county's road network. The campaign involves assessing motorcyclists, and providing them with further training options should they be required, along with high profile enforcement of inappropriate rider behavior.

Over 300 motorcyclists attended the third Bike Safe motorcycle event at Millfields in Burnham, run in partnership with Essex County Council, Maldon District Council and in support of the Essex Air Ambulance.

21/04/2008 Community Wheels at Braintree College
The Community Wheels project worked with Braintree College students this week, to help them understand the improtance of Road Safety as they become young drivers.

Over 100 students went through the Community Wheels vehicle, and really enjoyed using all the technology on board.

"The students who attend this were very enlightened and made aware of dangers of cars/bikes. The driving simulator was a big seller. Already this morning I have had some of my students saying they really really enjoyed it they would also like to say thanks to all those involved", said Tracy Argue, Pastoral Tutor for Construction & Motor Vehicle at Braintree College

25/03/2008 Community Wheels Official Launch
The new and unique Community Wheels vehicle is set to take to the road with high tech safety messages throughout the County more than 220 days a year.

The vehicle, which has been funded by the Department for Transport, marks the first project of this kind combining the skills and knowledge of the Police, and Fire Services and Road Safety Officers.

Community Wheels is a purpose-built multi-media resource, education and demonstration unit, all housed in one vehicle. It is staffed by a core of full-time experienced multi-agency teams of Fire and Rescue, Police and Road Safety specialists and, at least, 100 trained volunteers recruited from selected at risk groups and local communities.

The Community Wheels Project will provide properly resourced, mobile, neighbourhood targeted, high quality Road Safety education and training.

The vehicle includes a full driving simulator which visitors can use to test all aspects of their driving, including testing reaction times on the road, television and DVD player and a range of teaching tools used to get across the Road Safety Message.

Cllr Norman Hume, Cabinet member for Highways and Transportation and Chairman of the Casualty on Road Safety said: “This new vehicle is bringing together partners all of whom work in the field of road safety.

“It is an exciting project which will allow vital road safety messages to be delivered within the community.

“Community Wheels is an excellent tool which will allow us to reduce the number of casualties on Essex roads.

David Hadjicostas, Essex County Fire and Rescue Service RTC Reduction officer and one of the leads on the project said: “This vehicle gives us a fantastic opportunity to take road safety messages out to the people of Essex.

“It is an entirely new way of presenting road safety information and gives us a chance to get the message out to where it matters – wherever in the county that may be.”

Community Wheels will be visiting venues all over the County in the coming year. A full list of events is available from the Project Manager Andrea Macalister at andrea.macalister@essex-fire.gov.uk

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