Bright Days for British Summer Time

Organisations urged to go bright for Brake as British Summer Time begins

Being bright, safe and seen is not just for dark, winter nights. As British Summer Time begins, employers, community groups, and other organisations are being encouraged to run a Bright Day in support of safer roads, as part of an initiative by Brake, the road safety charity, and partner Autoglass®.

Bright Days aim to remind drivers to slow down and watch out for pedestrians and cyclists, particularly around homes and schools. The call comes as Brake and British cycling today (28 March) published a survey of 1,000 cyclists revealing that nine in 10 (88%) think traffic is too fast on roads in their area and an overwhelming 98% said more should be done to make local streets safer for cyclists and pedestrians.

 The survey also revealed:

• Safer roads would encourage people to cycle more: 46% would cycle more local journeys, 44% would cycle more for leisure or exercise and 40% would cycle more to work, given safer local routes
• Seven in 10 (68%) say widespread 20mph limits are needed in their area to make cycling and walking safer.

When asked in 2012, nearly two thirds (65%) of British Cycling members said reducing residential speed limits to 20mph would reduce injuries to cyclists.

Brake and British Cycling today said that introducing 20mph limits in towns and cities alongside improvements to existing road design would help produce more safe cycling routes to deliver a legacy of healthy, active, green communities where everyone can cycle and walk without being endangered. They are also calling on drivers everywhere to do their bit to make roads safer, by slowing down, giving space to cyclists and looking out for people on bike and foot.

Brake and British Cycling are part of GO 20, a coalition of 11 charities and organisations calling for: more local authorities to implement 20mph limits across towns, cities and villages; the government to work towards 20mph being the norm in all our communities; and drivers to pledge to GO 20 around homes, schools and shops.

Since November 2012 when the GO 20 campaign launched, significant progress has been made for GO 20 across the UK. The UK government and Welsh Assembly both recently moved to encourage more 20mph limits in England and Wales, especially where lots of people do or might walk or cycle. Transport for London also recently announced a raft of safe cycling measures in London. Read Brake's reaction to the Department for Transport, Welsh Assembly, and TfL announcements. On a Bright Day, people wear bright and high-visibility clothing and raise money for Brake. Brake offers guidance on promoting road safety messages as part of the event, and can promote Bright Days to local media to raise awareness about road safety in the wider community. Last year hundreds of organisations, schools and community groups across the UK ran a Bright Day and together raised more than £17,000 for Brake.

What Mattters Most... Seeing the Cyclist

What Matters Most is a new publicity campaign focusing on the needs, concerns and safety of cyclists.

The campaign highlights the many distractions that can lead to drivers failing to concentrate fully on the road ahead and other road users. The aim of the campaign is to enable all road users to gain a greater appreciation of each other’s habits, obligations, and needs on the road.

The campaign website and social media will provide extensive information and advice for drivers and cyclists. See their tips section for 'What cyclists want drivers to know and 'What drivers want cyclists to know'.


Tim Philpot, chair of Road Safety GB Mercia (Midlands, England) the team behind the campaign, said:

“Many modern vehicles have satellite navigation, air conditioning, electronically adjustable settings for everything and an entertainment system as sophisticated as anything at home. Add to this a mobile phone, drinks, snacks and other paraphernalia in the vehicle and it is hardly surprising that drivers allow themselves to be distracted.

Everyone should be concentrating on the road, other traffic, and people around them.
A significant proportion of collisions occur when someone makes a simple error or a poor decision just before impact. How guilty would anyone feel if they caused serious injury or loss of life, only because they glanced at a text, failed to look properly at a junction, or grabbed a sandwich on the move?”

The campaign is endorsed by the national cycling charity, CTC. For more information see the What Matters Most campaign website.

Employers urged to help drivers ‘tune in’ to road safety in national Road Safety Week

Road Safety Week, the UK’s biggest road safety event, will take place 18-24 November 2013 and will appeal to everyone to tune in to road safety and avoid distractions to help save lives. The charity Brake, which coordinates the Week, is encouraging employers to get the date in their diary now and get inspiration from the Road Safety Week website for life-saving ways to get involved.

Road Safety Week – now in its 17^th year – is supported by headline sponsors Specsavers and Romex. Focusing on the main theme of ‘tune in’, this year Brake will be working with partners around the UK to raise awareness of the importance of everyone giving the road their full attention – particularly at the wheel, but also when walking, cycling, skating, running, or anything else – to keep themselves and each other safe. Read more.

Road Safety Week is a great time for organisations to run awareness-raising activities to promote a road safety culture among staff, or launch policies and initiatives aimed at reducing crashes or promoting sustainable travel. It’s also a chance for organisations to engage the community in road safety as part of CSR activities, and publicise their commitment to safer roads. Read about 2012 organisation activities.

Organisations getting involved can focus their activities on any road safety topic, but Brake is particularly calling on employers to get behind the ‘tune in’ message, especially by urging drivers to switch off phones before driving and keep focused on the critical task at hand.

Organisations can access free resources and advice to help them take part by going to www.roadsafetyweek.org.uk, clicking on ‘organisations’ for initial ideas, and registering for a free e-action pack (sent from August). This includes downloadable posters, plus advice and case studies of how other organisations have taken part.

Brake is also urging organisations with staff who drive for work to make use of low-cost guidance from Brake’s Fleet Safety Forum the run up to the Week and year-round to develop effective fleet safety practices. Various Fleet Safety Forum events offer best practice advice between now and the Week. Joining the Forum means big event discounts plus regular guidance briefings, resources and news.

Brake deputy chief executive Julie Townsend says: “Last year hundreds of organisations got involved in Road Safety Week, running a range of activities to promote life-saving awareness among staff, customers and the community. We hope to see even more taking part this year, because organisations can make a big difference in promoting responsible road use and preventing terrible crashes and casualties. Plus organisations can really benefit from getting involved – by getting fleet safety and sustainable travel initiatives off to a flying start, educating employees on keeping safe, and gaining positive publicity.

“This year we’re particularly appealing to employers to help get the vital message out about tuning in to road safety and avoiding distractions at the wheel. The Road Safety Week website is full of ideas: log on to register for an e-action pack and start considering how you’ll get involved to help save lives.”

Paul Carroll, director of professional services at Specsavers, says: ‘Every year Road Safety Week is a great platform to bring attention to how vital it is to stay vigilant and focussed when on the road. For the past decade we’ve worked closely with Brake to raise awareness of the importance of regular sight tests and wearing correct prescription eyewear when driving.’
 

Joggers advised to wear bright reflective clothing

If you go jogging or walking late evening or early morning you may want to take a look at this article: MSMS | MSMS Encourages a Safe Return for the ‘Weekend Warriors’. If it's true for joggers then cyclists should take heed as well. 


I quote 'In 2007 alone, 4,654 pedestrians died and 70,000 were injured in traffic accidents in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Evenings and mornings posed the greatest risk, due to the lack of visibility. Many of these deaths and injuries involved joggers and might have been prevented had the joggers made themselves more noticeable to drivers of motor vehicles.'


When I was a kid out cycling I used to think that it was up to road users to see me whether I had lights or not. High visibility clothing was just not heard of. That's all very well but the cyclist invariably comes off worst in a collision.  That's why I take responsibility for making sure motorists have the best chance of seeing me. I have observed that most motorists are very considerate of cyclists perhaps increasingly so these days. I also think that if a cyclist or jogger demonstrates to a motorist that they take their safety seriously by wearing hi vis and a helmet then motorists are more likely to take them seriously as well. However, I'm sure this depends on your location. In London I'm sure the whole experience may well be different.

Fluorescent Sports Shirt - Product Review

Well it's been warm for the last few days but has it been warm enough to cycle to work in a t-shirt? Time to test out our new T-shirt. 


It is certainly bright being fluorescent green (other colours are available : yellow, orange and pink) - it will make me visible during the day. There is no reflective material on it so is no aid to visibility after dark. They can be customised with a reflective print to aid night time visibility.


These shirts are lovely to wear. The material is very light and feels cool to touch. They are made from Neoteric textured fabric with inherent wickability for comfort (takes perspiration away from the body). My journey to work takes about 30 minutes and it felt comfortable for the whole journey.

These shirts can be customised with a custom print (minimum order 10) or you can choose one of our popular prints.  Normal retail price for 1 is £12 but bulk discounts are available and schools, local authorities and youth groups can apply for additional discounts.


Why not take a look at this product on our website?

Spring is in the Air!!

You can definitely tell that Spring and the good weather is on the way. My colleague has just arrived at work looking very bright in one of our new fluorescent sports shirt which he wore for cycling in to work. Feeling very inspired maybe I'll give it a go next week!!

This picture shows the high vis rucksack which works both as a great way of letting other road users know you are there, plus lots of room to carry everything.

Some great new products for the spring

I love the new products we've just introduced for the spring. There are some nice colourful incentives for kids. I particularly like our new rubber (erasure for our US customers) codenamed rainbow. We were going to call it a 'rainbow rubber' but knowing what our kids are like we'd have been given the third degree having blue and red next to each other!

If you want to promote active lifestyles then you've got to take a look at our new 'Be Bright Get Active' pens. Originally we wanted to do these in purple text on red but it just didn't show up very well.

Are you looking for new ways to get the road safety message across in the classroom? Then look no further than the delightfully illustrated book 'The Dangerous Road Game' by Hedley Griffin.

All these products and many more are available at www.brightkidz.co.uk and remember if you are a school, local authority or youth group then you can register online for discounts.

We've also added some great new adult clothing to our range. These fluorescent sports shirts are just what you need if you are out and about jogging or cycling. Or you might like one of our new fluorescent fleeces.

Social Vision Awards - Regional Winner!

We were over the moon to be chosen as the East Midlands winner of the Social Vision Awards. The aim of the awards is to find images which best capture the work of Social Enterprises.

All regional winners were entered into a national online vote, which was won by Fordhall Community Land Initiative. We would like to say a massive thanks to everyone who voted for us and our lovely picture of a Walking Bus has been made into "January" for the Social Enterprise calendar.

Avoid the nasty cold weather and order those last minute Christmas presents from the comfort of your home. We've got some great new products which would be ideal stocking fillers. This trendy new neon neck warmer is fab for keeping warm in those freezing temperatures. Equally why not try out the reflective tag which attaches easily to bags and ensures you are seen day and night. Don't forget if you spend over £10 on our website you will receive a sheet of shiny feet stickers for free!!

Lights Camera Action

Lights Camera Action

Gosh with the clocks changing this weekend saw a rush of promotional activity for us all at Brightkidz. This year the validity and wisdom of changing the clocks has been revisited - should we move our clocks forward an extra hour in-line with Europe. With the debate for double summer time becoming a political issue and discussed by all the major parties, we were able to offer our view on this emotive subject on various media, local radio and television no less!

We shall watch with interest as the bill for Daylight Saving makes its way through Parliament.

New Reflective Items

With misty damp mornings becoming the norm, why not check out our latest flashing reflector and reflective tag, great ways to ensure that your children are seen on the way to school.

The reflective tag comes in four fluorescent colours and affixes to your bag or baggage enabling you to easily locate your items. Whilst the flashing light reflector has a choice of permanent, fast or flashing settings. As it is reflective it will show up in car headlights even when not switched on. Even looks good in a disco!!

For more new products why not go to our website Brightkidz.co.uk.

International Walk to School Day

Did you know that tomorrow is International Walk to School Day where the intention is to get everyone across the world to Walk to School on this one day. Who knows you may enjoy it so much that you then want to carry on indefinitely.

The whole walk to school month is a great way of highlighting the benefits of getting youngsters walking to school. Its a great social time for the children, catching up with their friends on the way to school and it has also been shown to increase concentration through the extra exercise. From an ecological perspective it is a step to reducing the carbon footprint.

So come on, pull on a high viz waistcoat and join this great international day!

Re-use rather than recycling is greenest IT strategy - 10/08/2010 - Computer Weekly

Re-use rather than recycling is greenest IT strategy - 10/08/2010 - Computer Weekly

Interested to see this report. Another good reason for delaying purchasing a new pc.

Social Enterprise Mark

BrightKidz received the social enterprise mark at a ceremony in Leicester.

Lance Holland, Director of BrightKidz said

“We’re really pleased to be awarded the Social Enterprise Mark because it shows BrightKidz isn’t just about selling ‘high vis’ products – it recognises all the work we do to promote safe, active, sustainable travel to school”.

The organisations were presented with certificates by Lucy Findlay of the Social Enterprise Mark Company at the SEEM organised event which looked at the future role of social enterprise in delivering public services. The government’s vision for the ‘Big Society’ places social enterprise at the heart of the reform of public services

• The Social Enterprise Mark is supported by the Office of the Civil Society, the National Lottery through the BIG Lottery Fund and Capacity Builders. Visit www.socialenterprisemark.org.ukto find out more