What’s in the Police Van?

1st September 2019 and it is the canal festival, which started as Cops on the Canal. It was potentially our 8th visit, but we missed a few, especially last year as we were trapped at the Kelpies. The Police part of the festival is really growing and this year I took some photos in the vans and photos of the speed cameras, now working with laser pulses.

Thanks to all the Police who shared information and their experiences, although I am not sure giving out certificates for the kids saying “I outran the Police” is sending the right image to all those potential criminals!

Tart Ma Cart

This is the start of the Tart Ma Cart material put together by Gregor Steele from SSERC and spread by Brian Redman. Thanks guys.

The pupil instructions are given in the sheet and are copied below.

Tart Ma Cart2

Tart Ma Cart Pupil Instructions

Style and Safety

You have probably seen TV shows where an ordinary car is fitted with an amazing body kit and a fancy stereo before being given a stunning paint job.

Your group’s task is to take an ordinary physics trolley and fit it with a bumper or crumple zone to make it safer in a collision. You can make it stylish, but safety is more important!
You will be given a choice of materials plus card and sticky tape.
Your design must be able to be fixed to the front of the test trolley with Blu-Tac.
It should not add more than 2 cm to the length of your trolley.
It must not have a large effect on the performance of the trolley.
Your design will be tested. The test will measure the deceleration of the vehicle in a head-on collision.

Do you think a large or small deceleration will be best in a collision? (Should the change of speed in the collision happen quickly or slowly?)

Tart Ma Cart

Tart Ma Cart teacherguide

Tart Ma Cart technicianguide

Safe Winter Drive Campaign 26th November 2016

Thank you to all those who answered the questionnaire on Winter Driving.

http://www.qdpservices.com/online/OLI_Questionnaire.asp?SID=10001-1210491-00000

21st September European Day Without A Road Death- wonderful news. No deaths on D&G roads on 21st September 2016. Let’s keep it this way.

Support this event! But don’t drive on this side of the Road in the UK!

Below are the pictures of our Road Safety Event, which involved Lockerbie Academy students, Police Scotland and sponsorship from Tesco Lockerbie and Brake. The students had an amazing day and really built up their confidence and team skills. Everyone of them now feels confident that they could check a car for safe winter driving. One commented that it only felt like 2 hours and not 5. Inspector Campbell Moffat and his team taught the students in a lovely way, building up their confidence and ensuring that they would complete the checks adequately. We would especially like to say a great big thank you to Tesco Lockerbie. Not only did they provide de-icer, sponges and screenwash, but they also gave up a large chunk of their car park, as not many towns folk were up the Academy end. Tesco were great hosts and even provided a top up of the screen wash, for which we and the drivers were grateful. We will tweak our speeches to the driver, but would be happy to do winter checks again. Thank you so much. The Road Safety message continues to be reiterated at Lockerbie Academy.

As part of Lockerbie Academy’s continued drive and commitment to road safety we have again teamed up with Police Scotland through Inspector Campbell Moffat and Sergeant Paul Dodds to bring a “Winter Safe Drive” Campaign to Lockerbie Academy and everyone is invited, whether you own a car or not. This is a FREE event, and the Police and pupils will be on hand, with some school staff to answer questions on safe winter driving, advise you on what to have in your car in case of breakdown, or being stuck due to a traffic jam or bad weather and to complete car safety checks. This is an advisory event, and hopefully you and your car will leave better prepared for the winter driving ahead.

A new team of Road Safety students have been busy preparing for the event making banners, posters and learning about safe driving. The questionnaire, which was started a couple of years ago has been re-launched and we hope to help to make drivers in Dumfries and Galloway feel more confident and be more prepared and have their cars ready for the winter..

http://www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk/

We believe at Lockerbie Academy that young people can make a huge difference to road safety. They make passionate, effective campaigners who understand the devastation road crashes cause to young lives. They can help prevent casualties, and make their communities safer and greener, by speaking out for road safety and sustainable transport, and making and encouraging responsible decisions within their peer group.

We will have copies of the Brake Pledge for safer driving, which you can sign if you feel that you want to add your name to the campaign. There will be lots of free items and a chance to ensure that you have a clean windscreen and lights, that your lights are fully working, screenwash is topped up and tyres are at the right pressure. We hope to be selling additional items at cost price.

www.brake.org.uk

Please come and support us for this event, even if the weather is bad, we will be waiting to help you out. Bring your cars to the Lockerbie Academy car park, and even if you are a non driver, or don’t have a car, there will also be helpful advice for pedestrians as well.

THE EVENT TOOK PLACE ON SATURDAY 26TH NOVEMBER BETWEEN 10AM AND 3PM. Approximately 80 vehicles were checked.

Thanks to Inspector Campbell Moffat and his team for making this event so enjoyable and educational for our students. They will be great ambassadors for Road Safety.

Make a difference to road safety: Make the Brake Pledge

Brake’s vision is a world where streets are pleasant, unpolluted, and safe for everyone to use freely.

To help us get there, everyone can sign our Pledge, whether you are a driver or not. The Pledge calls for people to drive less and, if they do drive, to do everything they can to protect themselves and the people around them. Scroll down to read the Pledge

http://www.brake.org.uk/pledge

Make the Brake Pledge too

Slow

Drivers – I’ll stay under limits, and slow down to 20mph around schools, homes and shops to protect others. I’ll slow right down for bends, brows and bad weather, and avoid overtaking.
Everyone – I’ll speak out for slowing down and help drivers understand that the slower they drive, the more chance they have of avoiding a crash and saving a life.

Sober

Drivers – I’ll never drive after drinking any alcohol or drugs – not a drop, not a drag.
Everyone – I’ll plan ahead to make sure I, and anyone I’m with, can get home safely and I’ll never get a lift with drink/drug drivers. I’ll speak out if someone’s about to drive on drink or drugs.

Secure

Drivers – I’ll make sure everyone in my vehicle is belted up on every journey, and kids smaller than 150cm are in a proper child restraint. I’ll choose the safest vehicle I can and ensure it’s maintained.
Everyone – I’ll belt up on every journey, and make sure friends and family do too.

Silent

Drivers – I’ll never take or make calls, read or type when driving. I’ll put communication devices out of reach, and stay focused.
Everyone – I’ll never chat on the phone to someone else who’s driving.

Sharp

Drivers – I’ll stay focussed on safe driving. I’ll take regular breaks and never drive if I’m tired, stressed or on medication that affects driving. I’ll

Be A Campaigner

This is the information from the BRAKE website

Lockerbie Academy will be working to increase awareness during ROAD SAFETY WEEK

Young people and road safety

Less than one in 12 licence holders is under 25, yet one in five fatal and serious injury crashes involve a driver this age. Often the victims are young people themselves: road crashes are the biggest killer of young people in the UK and worldwide.

At the same time, young people can make a huge difference to road safety. They often make passionate, effective campaigners who understand the devastation road crashes cause to young lives. They can help prevent casualties, and make their communities safer and greener, by speaking out for road safety and sustainable transport, and making and encouraging responsible decisions within their peer group.

If you teach or work with young people, you can help them understand the issues around road safety and sustainable travel, make safe and sustainable choices, and speak out for responsible road use. Use our online resources including posters, interactive tools and videos, or order our hard copy resources including posters, leaflets and a DVD.

The resources are ideal for youth leaders, secondary schools and colleges, emergency services professionals and driving instructors. Teachers can also make use of our guide to teaching road safety and sign up to our termly educator bulletin.

If you’re a young person wanting to make a difference, stand up for safe and sustainable travel by:

getting the info you need from our resources and fact and advice pages for young people.
making the Brake Pledge to show your support for safe and sustainable streets.
using the Pledge to lead a campaign to raise awareness in your school, college or community.
staying in touch with us on Facebook or Twitter.
registering to be part of Road Safety Week in November.
fundraising for us in your school, college or community.

Project Edward Pledge

I’ve signed the pledge- can you? Notice you don’t need to be a driver

Can you sign the pledge?

I promise that I will:

Remind my family, friends and colleagues to take extra care on the roads.

Put my lights on for safety.

Drive as safely as I can and follow the rules when behind the wheel or riding a motorbike or bicycle.

Be extra vigilant and attentive to the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, children, older people and horse riders.

Drive at speeds that are both legal and safe.

Carry out proper safety checks on my tyres.

Pay particular attention when driving near schools, and where there are lots children

Never drive after drinking alcohol or taking drugs/medicines that could impair safety.

Look as far ahead as possible and not tailgate other drivers

Always wear my seat belt and ensure that everyone with me wears theirs.

Not use my mobile phone while driving.

Ensuring I am not distracted by anything inside or outside the car, or inside my head.

Set a good example to my passengers by driving calmly and safely.

Let’s work together to reduce death and serious injury on Europe’s roads…

www.tispol.org/edward #ProjectEdward

Our Project and the Royal Society

road-crash-investigator

http://sse.royalsociety.org/2014/crash-investigation/

apartnershipgrantproject-puts-equations-in-motion/

Road safety: be a road crash investigator – a Partnership Grants project puts equations in motion.

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“When will we ever use these equations?” is a question often asked of Mrs Physics, a teacher at Lockerbie Academy when teaching equations of motion. Her new answer, with support from a Royal Society Partnership Grant is to work with Road Crash Investigators (RCIs) to put together a 3-D package whereby pupils see a simulated crash (using ride-on scale model cars and dummies) and have to use maths skills, team work, questioning, the scientific process, their general knowledge and problem solving skills as if they were RCIs.

Mrs Physics explains how her pupils are working with Neil Hewitson, a Roads Policing Inspector, to learn through science the experience of a road crash investigator. She says, “We want to put together some different scenarios of simulated crashes, based on real crashes, which would be laid out in the hall or playground. The students have to determine the causes of the accident and if crimes have been committed. Hopefully this will develop into a bank of resources that could be used by other schools and embedded as an extension to our current courses. We know that young drivers aged 17- 25 years are a particularly vulnerable group who are likely to take risks whilst driving, so in addition to the educational input, the Road Crash Investigator will give a free talk and follow up discussion on a crash that involved local young drivers. Can you think of a more exciting and relevant use of equations of motion?”

Neil

Neil Hewitson, who has been involved in roads policing for 17 of his 26 years service, says, “Crash Investigation is concerned with the way vehicles behave before, during and after a crash. The role of a crash investigator is to reconstruct the crash as much as they can from the marks and other physical evidence left at the scene. In order to carry out an effective reconstruction the crash investigator must have an in depth knowledge of a number of equations of motion together with the laws of physics and how these can be used to calculate vehicle speeds and behaviour. Both I and my team have carried out numerous investigations into crashes and I feel the science which we use on a regular basis could be transferred across to students to educate them how mathematics and physics can be used on a practical basis.”

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Marie-Claude Dupuis, Education Outreach Manager at the Royal Society says, ““I think this is a really interesting project because the subject is original and it shows that science is part of a lot of professions one might not necessarily relate to science. It’s very different from the traditional image of a scientist in a white coat in a lab. It also has a different twist on traditional CSI-oriented projects. The use of the cars and the toys is a great example of how you don’t necessarily have to get expensive lab equipment to inspire students and do something hands-on.”