RAF Cottesmore Wins Defence Road Safety Competition
BACKGROUND
In 1998, the Director of Logistic Support Services, Brigadier T M MacCartney, introduced the Annual Defence Road Safety Award to help raise the profile of road safety within the defence community. The award of a Silver Rose Bowl is now made annually to the unit, garrison, station or establishment which is judged to have made the greatest contribution towards the promotion of road safety within the last 12 months. The Award is administered by the Defence Surface Transport Branch at the Defence Logistics Organization (DLO), Andover and is sponsored by Land Rover.
DEFENCE ROAD SAFETY COMPETITION - 2003/04
The judging panel for the award, met at DLO Andover on 28 May 2004, to review 12 submissions sent in by the individual Service and Command filter Boards (1 x Defence, 1 x Royal Navy, 7 x Army and 3 x RAF). All members of the judging panel were very impressed with the high level commitment to Road Safety demonstrated by all submissions, and the RAF made a clean sweep of this prestigious award. RAF Cottesmore was nominated winners of the Defence Road Safety Award for 2003/04 with RAF Waddington, Runners Up.
In recognition of their efforts, RAF Cottesmore is presented the Silver Rose Bowl and RAF Waddington the Crystal Rose Bowl which they will keep for a year. Both Units received framed certificates, signed by the Chief of Defence Logistics, Air Chief Marshal Sir Malcolm Pledger to commemorate their achievement. The winners also receive a prize of a corporate day out with Land Rover at one of the Company's Land Rover Experiences.
RAF CONNECTIONS WITH RoSPA
RAF Waddington . RAF Waddington has close ties with the local, Lincolnshire RoADA Group with several personnel from RAF Waddington having taken and passed the RoADA Advanced Driving Test, many of whom were awarded the Gold standard. Recently, Squadron Leader John Baldaro attended the Lincolnshire Group's AGM and presented the Chairman's Challenge Cup.
RAF Cottesmore . As well as being a RoSPA Fleet Trainer, Squadron Leader Bob Wilkey is the Chairman of the RAF Cottesmore Road Safety Committee. Together with the other members of the Station's Road Safety Committee, he is seen in the photograph being presented with the Silver Rose Bowl by RAF Cottesmore's Station Commander, Group Captain Andy Golledge. Bob is a highly qualified driving instructor; he is a Fleet Registered ADI, holds the RoSPA National Diploma of Driving Instruction, a graduate of the High Performance Course and member of the High Performance Club, as well as a Fleet Trainer with the Institute of Advanced Motorists.
A summary of RAF Cottesmore's submission is given below:
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| RoSPA Trainer, Bob Wilkey being presented with the silver rose bowl |
Although RAF Cottesmore is positioned in a very rural part of the East Midlands, it is also sited adjacent to one of the UK's busiest arterial roads, the A1. Moreover, with another major RAF base, 3 large towns and a major city all within 30 minutes travelling of the Station, the high volume of traffic and other potential hazards are an every day challenge for any driver. Furthermore, life in the Armed Forces carries with it an innate risk, especially as personnel are deployed world-wide to areas, many of which are in conflict and are not blessed with a properly constructed road infrastructure. Thus the more that can be done to mitigate unnecessary risks through educating all road users, but particularly Servicemen and women who drive and ride, both on and off duty, the less the Station will have to endure socially, emotionally and financially.
Against a backdrop of worldwide operations, support to the Firefighter's strike, as well the Stations' routine business, there was a 50% reduction in both the number and cost of RTAs in 2003, compared to 2002. The figures were: 18 RTAs in 2003 against 35 in 2002 and costs reduced from £25,000 to £12,000. Given the level activity and a workforce of 1200 based at RAF Cottesmore, this is an impressive record. Road Safety initiatives included:
- A formal presentation by the Chairman of the Road Safety Committee to every Station new arrival.
- Support to the National and MOD Road Safety Week with Station-wide presentations which were supported by the Rutland County Council's Road Safety Department.
- An active pre-Christmas Drink/Drive Campaign with a novel approach to introducing the message at the bottom of a beer glass, together with a live simulation of a RTA outside the Station's on-base Primary School.
- A Road Safety Poster Competition held at the Station's Primary School.
- An active policy on illegal parking on the Station.
- “Cycle Smart” – a scheme aimed at children to make them more aware of the dangers (and pleasures) of cycling.
- Operation FRESCO training (training for drivers of ‘Green Goddesses' in the Firefighter's dispute).
- Two new Zebra crossings installed on the Station.
- Reducing a posted speed limit at a potentially hazardous junction before there were any accidents
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