West Mercia Police run VR sessions to keep older drivers safe
Drivers aged 65 and over have been invited to watch a virtual reality film to learn about how ageing can affect driving.Police and the fire service have teamed up to run 10 sessions for mature drivers over the next five months across Herefordshire and Worcestershire, with dates for Shropshire still to be announced.Supt Stuart Bill of West Mercia Police said: "We've got a lot of rural country roads in West Mercia. We want to ensure our older drivers are as safe as possible."Police said the group discussions might also appeal to family members who had concerns for an older relative.
At the first session in Redditch on Tuesday, a 78-year-old man called Gerald said he had begun to find driving more challenging, "avoiding these youngsters whizzing round who are quicker and faster than me".He said he now took longer to react to situations and found motorways more of a challenge.
Sandra and Hazel said they signed up to feel more secure and their issues included boy racers, a lack of respect for slower drivers, impatient motorists and people who did not signal.Kate, 65, said her concern was whether people's reactions were as good as they thought, while Pádraig, 66, said attitudes changed with age and older drivers tended to look out for things that those aged 17 or 18 did not.
Supt Bill said older drivers were not unsafe and often had years of driving experience behind them.He said, though health concerns needed to be considered, the force wanted "to keep people mobile".Police and Crime Commissioner John Campion said there were 34 deaths and 259 serious injuries across West Mercia between 2020 and 2024 involving drivers over 70.He said the virtual reality sessions used the latest technology to equip drivers with "the knowledge they need to stay safe".
Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Nottingham operator warns against 'dangerous' TikTok trend
A tram operator has warned against a "dangerous" TikTok it says is influencing young people to hold on to the back of trams while they are moving. Nottingham Express Transit (NET) said a so-called "tram surfing" trend had caused a "recent rise of a number of incidents".The firm said it had received a number of videos of incidents which it had shared with police. Managing director at NET Sarah Turner said the behaviour "could result in death or serious injury" and was not something the firm was taking lightly. 'Risk to life' "All of the footage and videos we've received of such incidents have been shared with the police who are now handling it as a criminal matter," she said. Nottinghamshire Police has been contacted for comment. Ms Turner said NET would be reaching out to schools of those caught engaging in the trend and schools in the area to "educate students of the severity" of the trend. She added: "Although incidents of this are usually very rare, anyone taking part in this trend, whether doing the challenge or filming it and sharing it online, is playing their part in publicising an extremely dangerous activity that ultimately could end someone's life."We'd like to remind the public of our strong measures that are in place to keep our network safe, including high quality CCTV cameras in all trams and tram stops, which means that every incident is recorded and handed over to the authorities."Anyone caught engaging in dangerous activities such as tram surfing will face the very real repercussions of their actions."
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Cannabis factory found after fire in Norwich pub
Officers investigating a fire at a former city pub uncovered a cannabis factory, police were closed after a blaze started at the Cat and Fiddle on Magdalen Street in Norwich at about 14:50 BST on Thursday."Crime scene investigators and fire investigators found 40 cannabis plants and hydroponics equipment in the building," said a statement from Norfolk fire brought part of the city to a standstill. Neighbouring buildings were evacuated. Norfolk Police said no arrests had been made and officers were "continuing to investigate the discovery".Fire crews were stood down just after midnight on Friday, after using a thermal imaging camera to check for Street has reopened, but a cordon remained in place. No-one was injured in the is the technique of growing plants using a water-based nutrient solution rather than soil. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
3 hours ago
- BBC News
Corby flour mill fined £300,000 after worker loses finger
The owner of a flour mill has been fined £300,000 after a maintenance worker's finger was severed by a incident happened at ADM Milling on the Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby, Northamptonshire, in investigation found the firm had failed to plan and risk assess the job firm pleaded guilty to one count of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was sentenced at Northampton Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which brought the prosecution, said the incident demonstrated that all maintenance tasks should be "carefully assessed".David Wood, who was 59 at the time, had been carrying out maintenance work on a packer closing HSE said: "The 800kg (126 stone) machine became unbalanced and tipped backwards, trapping his left hand."This resulted in the little finger on the hand being severed."The HSE found that the firm "failed to safely manage the risks of people performing maintenance at its factory".The health and safety legislation requires employers to make sure people working on their site who are not employed by them are not "exposed to risks to their health or safety".The firm was ordered to pay a total of £309,517.40 in fines and costs. An HSE spokesperson said: "HSE guidance states that maintenance work needs to be correctly planned and carried out."Unsafe maintenance has caused many fatalities and serious injuries, either during the work or as a result of using badly/wrongly maintained machines."The Workers' Union said: "Health and safety breaches can result in more than financial penalties - they can damage a company's reputation, lower workforce morale and change lives in an instant." Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
