Drink drive shock for road safety experts
An audience of road safety experts and businessmen and women “gasped in disbelief” when they watched an eye opening display on alcohol and drink drive limits from a Shropshire road safety expert.
Jenny Wynn, Managing Director of specialist driver trainers, the TTC Group, graphically showed how one glass of wine can put a woman over the limit at two Scorsa (Scottish Occupational Road Safety Alliance)conferences in Fife and Hamilton aimed at educating the business community to manage occupational road risk for employees who drive as part of their work.
“I asked how many people would go into a pub and ask for half a pint of wine. No-one put their hand up,” said Jenny, whose Hadley Park, Telford, organisation is the UK’s largest provider of courses for the National Driver Retraining Scheme (NDORS).
“I then proceeded to pour liquid from a half pint glass into a 250 ml wine glass to show that they were virtually the same.
“The audiences audibly gasped and then a hush came over the room because of their sheer disbelief.”
Jenny went on to explain how one glass of wine at 12 per cent or more volume was much stronger than half a pint of beer at four per cent.
“That is why one drink can take a woman over the drink drive limit,” said Jenny, whose organisation is the largest provider of education courses for convicted drink drivers.
The seminars looked at the business benefits in managing occupational road risk, how organisations can identify best practice, how to get more information and gave businesses the opportunity to ask questions from the experts.
The TTC Group also run speed awareness courses and the National Driver Alertness Course for motorists committing minor traffic offences.
They have been educating drivers since the early 1990’s in a bid to reduce the number of deaths and injuries on UK roads.
Occupational Health and Safety Development Manager, Robert Atkinson from the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives said that delegates appreciated the wealth of knowledge made available to them in occupational road safety.
“It is good for businesses to know who they can contact in their local area to seek advice and assistance. It is also good for delegates to understand about driver impairment in terms of alcohol use and the relevant messages that go with that.
“The presentation was, again, much appreciated by the audience. It was real learning for many of the delegates. “
The free business seminar was aimed at companies which manage occupational road risk for their business drivers. A third of all road crashes involve someone who is driving for work purposes.
For more information on business driver safety contact the TTC Group on 0845 270 4363 or visit www.ttc-uk.com For advice on road risk policies contact Healthy Working Lives on 08000192211.
