Lawford Kidd's Blog

The Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) is warning drivers about the dangers of distracted driving after research found that nearly one in ten (9%) of drivers admit to crashing their cars because they were distracted. Just under one in twenty drivers (4%) say that someone was injured in the crash.

The IAM/Vision Critical survey, which polled nearly 1500 regular UK drivers aged 18 years and over, also found that of the 500 divers who admitted to having a near miss, almost one in five (18%) then went on have a crash.  

The most common distractions are:

The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) has said it is “disappointed” and “concerned” over plans to deregulate areas of health and safety.

The Joint Committee providing pre-legislative scrutiny of the Draft Deregulation Bill issued its report towards the end of last year, and IOSH has repeated its concerns that some self-employed people could be excluded from necessary health and safety legislation.

IOSH head of policy and public affairs Richard Jones said: “IOSH is disappointed and concerned that the Committee has not recommended the removal of the clause exempting certain self-employed from health and safety law, particularly given the serious concerns raised by IOSH and others during the inquiry.”

Brake, the road safety charity, is calling on Scotland's drivers to commit to staying stone cold sober if driving home from Christmas festivities, to avoid causing devastating casualties.

The call comes as Police Scotland's annual drink and drug driving enforcement campaign kicks off. The month long campaign sees forces across Scotland stepping up checks to catch drink and drug drivers putting lives in danger.

In 2011 (most recent figures available), drivers over the drink drive limit were responsible for 680 road casualties in Scotland; 90 people sustained serious injuries and 20 were killed. While casualties have dropped by 43% since 2001, Brake argues more must be done to reduce these entirely preventable deaths and serious injuries to zero.

A number of Scottish employers have come under the spotlight recently after their health and safety failings led to workers suffering serious and in some cases life changing injuries simply as a result of trying to do their job.

Janitor loses toe in chainsaw incident

In one such incident, Fife Council was fined £20,000 after a janitor lost a toe while working with a chainsaw.

The 39-year-old had been sent to a primary school in Dunfermline to remove a tree that had blown down in the school grounds. He and a colleague had removed most of the branches and were eventually left with just the trunk and a single limb attached at above-shoulder height. He climbed onto the trunk and started cutting through the limb, but it sheared away and landed on his foot, trapping it against the trunk.

The Faculty of Advocates has published details of its response to the consultation over the Inquiries into Deaths (Scotland) Bill, which has been proposed by MSP Patricia Ferguson to make reforms to the current system of fatal accident inquiries (FAIs).

In its response, the Faculty acknowledged that there was room for improvement in the current system, but warned that the proposed legislation could have a number of “unintended and unwelcome” consequences.

The Faculty said it did not support the proposal to extend the requirement for an FAI for a work-related death to include deaths caused by industrial disease. In its response it said: