[ST] Fw: [safespeed] PR375: Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You

["Mike Bostock" <sprint-st@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

This message has been forwarded to you by "Mike Bostock"
<sprint-st@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
The original sender was safespeed@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

PR375: Sorry Mate, I Didn't See You

news: for immediate release

Research findings published today by Autoglass warn drivers of 4x4 vehicles
about the dangers of A pillar blind spots.

The Safe Speed campaign has been highlighting this very real danger for
years,
but warns drivers that it isn't only 4x4 vehicles that suffer these
problems.

'A pillar' blind spots are believed to be a common cause of 'Sorry Mate, I
didn't See You' (SMIDSY) crashes, and are especially dangerous to bikers.

Following our work on the issue with Bike magazine, published in September
2004, Department for Transport commissioned urgent research. We believe
that
the research was completed in March 2004, but it remains unpublished. We'd
like
to know why.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: "Many cars in all classes have 'A pillars'
that
are wide enough to cause potential dangerous obstructions to drivers'
vision.
Safe Speed has been working to highlight the issue since 2002. Our
findings,
warnings and recommendations are published on www.smidsy.org.uk."

"The warnings published by Autoglass should be extended to all drivers."

"Making cars stronger and more 'crash worthy' has had the side effect of
making
A pillars wider and stronger. The effects on drivers' vision have been
largely
ignored until recently."

<ends>

Notes for editors
=================

See:
http://www.smidsy.org.uk
(A site within Safe Speed)




About Safe Speed
================

The Safe Speed road safety campaign is primarily the work of
engineer-turned
road safety analyst Paul Smith.

Since setting up Safe Speed in 2001, Paul Smith, 51, an advanced motorist
and
road safety enthusiast, and a professional engineer of 25 years UK
experience,
has carried out over 10,000 hours working on the campaign with well over
5,000
of those hours researching the overall effects of speed camera policy on UK
road safety. In addition to those 10,000 hours, Paul has funded to
campaign to
the tune of £10,000.

We believe that this is more work in more detail than anything carried out
by
any other organisation. Paul's surprising conclusion is that overall speed
cameras make our roads more dangerous. Paul has identified and reported a
number of major flaws and false assumptions in the claims made for speed
cameras, and the whole "speed kills" system of road safety.

The inescapable conclusion is that we should urgently return to the
excellent
road safety policies that gave us in the UK the safest roads in the World
in
the first place. Far from saving lives, speed cameras are a dangerous
distraction.

Safe Speed does not campaign against speed limits or appropriate
enforcement
of motoring laws, but argues vigorously that automated speed enforcement is
neither safe nor appropriate.

Safe Speed is very slimly funded by voluntary contributions to the web
site.
We are urgently seeking improved funding.

The Safe Speed web site contains more than 350,000 words of road safety
analysis and information. We are seeking publishers for 'the book of the
web
site'.

It has turned out to be quite an amazing story and there are opportunities
for
journalists and broadcasters to explore how all this came about, what it
means, and where road safety has gone so badly wrong.



Contact Safe Speed - We have moved
==================================

description: Safe Speed road safety campaign
web: http://www.safespeed.org.uk
email: psmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
telephone: > 01862 893030 < Primary number
ISDN Audio: 01862 894772
mobile: 07799 045553

Location: North Scotland

We are always available for further comment on your road safety story.

To be added to our PR distribution list send an email to
psmith@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or visit our press pages at:
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/prindex.html

Recent press releases (since November 2004) are automatically and
immediately
uploaded to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SafeSpeedPR

============================================
Note new address and telephone numbers
============================================



-- 
Mike Bostock
mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Mid Devon, UK
N50.79155 W3.66646
Wales and SW ST Riders
http://www.sprint-st.org/

'99 Red ST


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