DeSigns want new regulations in Road Safety week!
During National Road Safety Week (21-27 November), DeSigns are making lifesaving donations to local taxi drivers as it calls for the government to extend regulations which could help reduce the risk moving vehicles pose to late night revellers.
From July 2011, regulation ECE104 has made it mandatory to apply approved reflective tape to newly registered HGVs with a mass over 7.5 tonnes and trailers over 3.5 tonnes. DeSigns are now calling for the regulation to be extended to include taxis to make them more visible to people socialising in towns and cities across the country.
Rob Daysley, managing director of DeSigns, said: “Safety on the roads for motorists and pedestrians is the primary concern and we fully support the regulations applied to HGVs, however the fear is that they don’t go far enough.
“Every weekend in the UK there are tens of thousands of people, many under the influence of alcohol, who flood into towns and cities and fail to see taxis when in close proximity. In National Road Safety Week we are asking the government not to overlook this risk and to make this simple modification compulsory for taxi drivers to help reduce the risk of accident and ultimately to save lives.”
Neil Woolston, a taxi driver in Hull for more than 20 years, said: “The tape really is eye-catching when fitted and anything that helps improve the safety for passengers is a fantastic idea. I fully support the call for the reflective tape to be made a legal requirement for taxis everywhere.”
