The Roads Are Dangerous

12/01/2021 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

A while ago, I wrote about driving on the roads and how both cyclists and motorists seem to be disregarding the ‘Highway Code’ the aim of The Highway Code is to make the roads safer for everyone because the roads are danerous. It gives guidance as to how you are to use the road in conjunction with fellow users (whether they be motorists, cyclists, pedestrians, or even riders of horses).
For motorists, they are cocooned in a metal box of some type which seems to make them think they are invincible, for the other users (who should be thinking of visibility) most seem to think that wearing dark clothes night and day is perfectly acceptable – of course, everyone will see them!

The Roads Are Dangerous

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay

Get Up To Speed – The Roads Are Dangerous

So why am I writing again about the dismal use of the Highway Code on our roads; well Belfast Live decided to also run an article on the use of our roads.

‘Belfast the most dangerous city for cyclists in the UK, new research suggests’

The statistics they gathered are staggering:

⦁ 71% of those who took part in the survey had been involved in some kind of accident while on their bike
⦁ At least 51% cannot correctly identity Highway Code rules related to cycling and that four out of ten cyclists (38%) quizzed don’t agree that cycle helmets should be compulsory on UK roads (sic doesn’t this remind you about the argument about seatbelts?)

Photo by Matteus Silva de Oliveira from Pexels

Lockdown

Lockdown - The Roads Are Dangerous

Photo by Glen Carrie on Unsplash

With lockdown, the usage of bikes has gone up, but it would the majority of cyclists are not aware of many of the current rules put in place for their own protection! For example, over two-thirds of those surveyed (69%) wrong believe cyclists are able to ride more than two abreast on the road…59% of those surveyed did not think they were required to obey all traffic signs and traffic light signals.

However, the problem is not all one-sided. Motorists are equally as blind to the Highway Code, but they are more likely to get stopped and advised by the police, whilst the police do not have cyclists high enough on their radar.

It is a matter for all of us; in today’s society where we are handling a pandemic of global concern, and where our NHS is under so much pressure, surely we can all take a little bit more care, dress appropriately and act safely to ensure we don’t become the next statistic in the hospital waiting list.

Link:

Safety First – Wear Something bright At Night

07/10/2020 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

IN 1967 as part of the campaign about road safety ‘The Wear Something Bright At Night’ was started.

To me an advert which has remained in my mind always. However, the level of stupidity I see by pedestrians and cyclists on today’s road is almost beyond belief. According to figures just released in June this year, … the annual average number of injured and killed while cycling between 2014-2018 is 53, which is 74 per cent greater than the 2004-2008 baseline average….[The Irish News]

But why am I in despair – firstly cyclists – last week as I was waiting or a bus on a main arterial road. I saw a car with driver pull up at the end of a side road at the double broken white line, check the road was clear and then having indicated pull out and turn right. Meantime coming from the left came a cyclist, with high visibility leggings, a high visibility waist coast which was lying open, and therefore flowing back so you couldn’t see it. Just as the cyclist came up to the road with the motorist halfway out, he (the cyclist) suddenly decided to turn right onto the side road without indication or warning. In itself, not a major problem as the motorist was going one way and the cyclist the other, however, the cyclist broke the highway code in a number of ways:

Firstly not indicating his turn
Secondly deciding to skip behind the car turning right and therefore crossing the oncoming traffic lane, not turning into his lane for travel
Thirdly, he did not have a front headlight or red reflector on his bike – which the law states must have (…a white front light and red rear lights that must be lit at night. A bike is also required to have reflectors…) [Rule 60]

So gripe one; but this is not the end, because obviously there is this continuous unnatural hazard being caused to motorist and pedestrians when cyclists come up on the inside of motorists sat at lights and then cut across them, and then with pedestrians, the cyclists come flying down the footpath, no bell, no lights – a silent menace to everyone.

But pedestrians are equally irresponsible because the go out in the dark without anything white or bright and then complain when motorist says they couldn’t see them.

Over the last few years, there has been a campaign to get motorcar drivers to pay attention for motorcyclists and also to not drive in the blind spot of vans and lorries, something which I commend and have not a problem with.

However, I now feel that the level of respect for the highway code and for recognising that our roads and footpaths are becoming very congested (more so that they everywhere) means that local government and the police need to re-evaluate their current strategies on road safety and target cyclists and pedestrians as well.

Bring back suitable campaigns, even some of the older ones –

LET’S ALL WEAR SOMETHING BRIGHT AT NIGHT

and be thoughtful to our fellow road and pavement users.

External Links:

Wear something light at night (1967)
Be bright be seen

LGBT groups for young people in North Yorkshire forced to meet in secret due to fear of attacks

03/12/2015 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

The Northern Echo – Emily Flanagan / Tuesday 1 December 2015 / Northallerton

North Yorkshire County Council’s headquarters in Northallerton. A council committee has looked at the issues faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people in the county and found not enough is being done to support them

A REPORT has found lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people in North Yorkshire need more support, as they experience bullying and poor emotional health.
North Yorkshire County Council’s Young People’s overview and scrutiny committee found LGBT young people were the most likely social group to have been bullied at school and worried most about being different and said there was “not enough being done” to help them.
The report compiled by the committee looked at the experiences of Year ten pupils and used statistics from a 2014 survey Growing Up in North Yorkshire, which involved all local authority maintained secondary schools and the majority of school academies.
One young person told the report’s authors: “I was left stranded; my school didn’t want to know neither did my parents so the youth advice centre has been my home since I was eleven.”
Another said: “The school thought it was easier to get rid of me rather than deal with the homophobic bullying in the school.”
The report said one teenager spoke of receiving death threats at school.
County councillor Val Arnold, the chair of the task group that looked into the issue, said the young people drew strength from being able to meet and campaign together, but the two LGBT young groups in North Yorkshire had to meet in secret due to fears of attacks.
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“They also talked passionately of the strength they had gained from being able to meet and campaign together on the issues they faced,” she said.
“Yet the two local LGBT Youth groups within North Yorkshire meet in covert locations afraid to hold their meetings in open due to their real fears of physical or verbal attacks on their way to or during the meetings.”
The committee has made a series of recommendations on to how to raise awareness and understanding.
They include ensuring North Yorkshire schools’ anti-bullying policies cover LGBT and explicitly state that homophobic or transphobic bullying and language is unacceptable.
Other recommendations include staff training within schools and the creation of an environment where staff and students feel safe to ‘come out’.
In her report introduction Cllr Arnold said: “Most young LGBT people feel that their time at school is affected by hostility or fear, with consequences such as feeling left out, lower grades and having to move schools.
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“It can also result in significantly higher levels of mental health problems including depression and anxiety, self-harm and suicidal thoughts.”
The report will go before North Yorkshire County Council’s executive committee on Tuesday (December 8)

HIV+ HIts The News Media Again!

02/12/2015 By ACOMSDave Leave a Comment

So our news media yet again show that headlines and ratings comes before the well being of someone, in this case it was Charlie Sheen who was forced to admit that he was HIV+.
Charlie had done nothing wrong, had not broken any laws, indeed from everything I have been able to read, he has been extremely sensible in his actions and in his advice to subsequent partners once he discovered that he had the virus. However, the news media loved the hype, and the speculation, indeed my observation is that they went out of their way to play the situation up and to expand their readership.
…
HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that attacks and weakens the body’s immune system (the body’s disease fighting system). HIV makes it difficult for your body to fight against infections and cancers that it would normally be able to fight off.
If a HIV positive person does not get proper treatment, the virus may progress to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome). AIDS is a disease in which the immune system breaks down and the body is unable to fight off certain infections.
According to the latest figures, 320 people were diagnosed with HIV in Ireland in 2011. That means that around 6 people are diagnosed every week with HIV. Globally, there are 34 million people currently living with HIV.

Your partner or one night stand can be HIV positive and not know it. Always use condoms.
You can be HIV positive and not know it, so if you’re sexually active it’s a good idea to have regular STI check-ups.
Once you have HIV, you are infected for life and have the potential to infect others….

What treatment can you get?

There is no cure for HIV and AIDS, but there is treatment available that helps to slow down the progress of HIV. This treatment is called HAART (Highly Active Retroviral Therapy) or ‘the cocktail’. It works to stop the virus spreading within your body and it requires keeping to a very strict medication schedule.
You will generally attend a specialist HIV clinic every three months or so to get testing done and your treatment monitored. They will also be able to advise you on safer sex and other practicalities of living with HIV. You can also get emotional support from hospital social workers and HIV organisations.
If you are pregnant and HIV positive, you can also receive treatment during pregnancy and labour that will help to prevent the risk of your baby being infected by the virus. You need to talk to your doctor about the available options. Your partner and recent partners should also be tested….

HIV+ is a virus, it can be fatal, but with the right treatment it need not be. BUT, HIV is a sexually transmitted virus, just like Chlamydia and other sexually transmitted infections. We ALL our responsible for taking the correct precautions when we decide to have sex, i.e.

Key ways include:

talking to your partner about your sexual relationships;
contraception;
using condoms and dental dams;
being aware of how alcohol and drugs can lower inhibitions and affect decision making;
getting tested for sexually transmitted infections if you think you may have put yourself at risk;
limiting your number of sexual partners;
avoiding overlapping sexual relationships.

NIGRA urges everyone to be safe, and live. Enjoy yourselves with safety in mind, and then you and your partner can enjoy the future.

Do the LGBT Youth in Northern Ireland feel safe?

12/06/2015 By Dave McFarlane Leave a Comment

Editorial: So LGBT young people in Scotland ‘feel unsafe’! I wonder if the same is true in Northern Ireland – only you the readers can tell us. What not leave us share stories in our comments box.

Many LGBT young people ‘feel unsafe’

Many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) young people still encounter harassment in public spaces, according to a Scottish charity.

LGBT Youth Scotland said its research suggested more needed to be done to ensure LGBT young people felt safe.
It urged those affected to understand their rights and report discrimination.
The charity said not every young person was aware of what constituted a criminal act under hate crime legislation .
In an online survey of LGBT people aged 13 to 25 conducted by the charity, 49% of the 273 respondents said they felt safe and supported by the legal system. The figure fell to 40% among those who identified as transgender.
Half of those surveyed said they were aware of their rights, while a similar proportion (53%) said they would feel confident in reporting a crime they experienced to the police.
Among transgender young people the figure dropped to 48%, while bisexual women were the least likely to feel confident reporting a hate crime at 46%.

Hate crimes

Just over half (51%) of transgender young people said they felt safe using public transport.
While the charity has welcomed an increase in the reporting of hate crimes, YGBT Youth Scotland has recommended that campaigns, activities and lesson plans be developed for use in schools, with specific reference to hate crime.
Chief executive Fergus McMillan said: “In Scotland, we are fortunate to have strong hate crime legislation that is inclusive of transgender identities yet the safety report shows a gap in knowledge and confidence for transgender young people in particular.
“When young people know about their rights, and have confidence in the process, they are more likely to be willing to report.
“An increase in reported crimes since the introduction of the legislation is certainly positive, yet more must be done to ensure that LGBT young people feel safe in their communities, understand their rights and how to report discrimination and harassment, and have the confidence to report.”

Politics – Azerbaijan gay group forced to close over safety fears

17/02/2015 By David McFarlane Leave a Comment

Co-founder of Nefes committed suicide last year over persecution

12 FEBRUARY 2015 | BY TOM ANA

Founder of Nefes Isa Shakhmarli committed suicide with a rainbow flag in 2014.

One of the only LGBTI rights group operating in Azerbaijan has announced it is being forced to close today (12 February).
Nefes (which means ‘Breath’) has said the increased arrests and persecution has forced them to make a decision:
They cannot risk the personal safety of its members any longer, and will close.
At the beginning of 2014, former Nefes leader Isa Shakhmarli hanged himself with a rainbow flag in his apartment.
‘I am leaving you. God bless you. This country and this world are not for me,’ he said in his suicide note. ‘This world is not colorful enough for my colors. Farewell.’
While the death was seen as a significant loss for the community, it helped kick start a new found passion among members of the group.
But then, once they renewed their campaigns, activists of the group reported they were subject to raids and travel restrictions.
And in September, one of Nefes’ founding members became a national target after news of his engagement to his male partner went viral in the press. It led to harassment and threats of violence.
The couple attempted to seek asylum in another country, but unconfirmed reports claimed their attempts to flee was blocked by Azerbaijani authoritities who allegedly confiscated their passports.
And earlier this year, their website was hacked by suspected religious extremists. A message stating ‘We Will Destroy You All’ ‘ was posted on the main page alongside an image of a jihadist flag.
Other members of Nefes have reported other incidents including hate speech, physical attacks and even torture.

In an interview published late last year, Shakhmarli said LGBT Azerbaijan people struggle because it is a homophobic, strict Muslim country and many cannot find a job. This means 90% are forced to remain closeted.
He also said his family could not accept his sexuality.
– See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/gay-man-20-hangs-himself-rainbow-flag-azerbaijan230114#sthash.RVbI3WWG.dpuf

In an interview published late last year, Shakhmarli said LGBTI Azerbaijan people struggle because it is a homophobic, strict Muslim country and many cannot find a job. This means 90% are forced to remain closeted.
He also said his family could not accept his sexuality.
‘I want LGBTs to be brave. I live separately from my family in my own house, I have my own job, I can do everything myself,’ Shakhmarli said in the interview, his parting words to the world.
‘If you want, you can achieve.’

– See more at: http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/azerbaijans-only-gay-group-forced-close-over-safety-fears120215#sthash.mCYHRc8h.dpuf