Automotive Charity BEN Offers Support for Flood Victims

With the acrid, foul-smelling flood waters slowing abating and worries that we have not seen the last of the bad weather, the automotive charity BEN is extending their support for our affected automotive colleagues.

Following the Environment Agency's report that 5,800 properties have been flooded since the start of December and 100,000 homes having experienced power cuts, we recognise that members of our automotive community are extremely likely to be amongst those being challenged by the experience.

Commenting on the situation BEN's Chief Operating Officer, Nigel Rothband stated,

"The prolonged damage caused by these events will be placing severe physical and emotional stress on those affected, and we are desperate to ensure that anyone connected to our automotive industry community knows that we are on hand to offer our care and support.

We cannot solve the long-term problem; sadly we cannot throw millions at it to make it go away, but what we can do is to provide short term immediate support including financial assistance, where needed.

Obviously, some people will have been unable to work and will have incurred additional costs in trying to protect themselves and their properties - where these factors have caused short term financial hardship we may be able to assist depending on the circumstances of the individual.

Many will be covered by insurance, which should always be the first port of call, but for those who are vulnerable and do not have cover, or remain unsupported by other agencies we can, and will, respond to immediate need. Whether those affected just needing someone to offload too, advice on temporary accommodation or financial assistance- we are here to help. I would urge any automotive person who is distressed or suffering to get in touch."

In addition to actively encouraging those affected to get in touch, BEN is also contacting existing beneficiaries, in affected areas, to find out if they need help. Many older people in these circumstances will have been unable to get out and therefore missed out on normal social contact, or they may simply be more anxious and need some reassurance. We at BEN are determined to support these individuals and can also offer support to those people needing help to complete their insurance forms.

To contact BEN's helpline;
Call 01344 876770
Text 07781 472622
Email careservices@ben.org.uk

BEN - Caring for automotive people, and their dependants, in times of need

BEN is the Good Garage Scheme's chosen charity - the UK’s dedicated charity for those who work, or have worked, in the automotive and related industries, as well as their dependants.

Make the Road Safety Pledge

The Good Garage Scheme supported Road Safety Week last week by encouraging visitors to its website to "Make the Pledge". The Good Garage Scheme and Miles Better tweeted and sent messages of support via Facebook and Twitter and dedicated a page of its website to the charity's campaign.

Brake, the road safety charity, ran its Road Safety Week from 18th-24th November to help prevent appalling crashes caused by multitasking at the wheel. The "Tune in to Road Safety" campaign appealed to drivers to turn off their phones or put them in the boot and urges everyone to refuse to speak on the phone to someone who’s driving. It is launched a decade after hand-held mobiles were banned at the wheel and coincides with the week-long enforcement campaign.

Facts on driver distraction from BRAKE:

• Driving is the most dangerous thing most of us do on a regular basis: operating a potentially dangerous machine in an unpredictable, public environment requires full concentration at all times. 
• In the UK, Ofcom has warned of increasing levels of smartphone addiction by users who are unable to go without checking their phone for short periods or through the night. Statistics from The Communications Market 2011, Ofcom, 2011
• It is believed around one in five crashes could be caused, at least in part, by driver distraction and drivers who perform a secondary task at the wheel are two to three times as likely to crash.  Study data from National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2006
• Some very complex tasks, like talking on a phone, whether hand-held or hands-free, increase this risk even more. From study by University of Western Australia, 2005
• The effect of talking on a phone on driving has been shown to be worse than drinking certain levels of alcohol. Driver reaction times are 30% slower while using a hands-free phone than driving with a blood alcohol level of 80mg alcohol per 100ml blood (the current UK limit) and nearly 50% slower than driving normally and soberly.
  Transport Research Laboratory, 2009
• Other forms of distraction not involving technology also cause risk. If you're eating or drinking at the wheel, you are less able to react; some studies have suggested the risk is as great as when talking on a phone. Brunel University, 2008
• Heightened emotions such as stress, anger or upset are cognitive distractions that significantly impede your ability to drive safely. The level of distraction depends on the level of distress. The Open University, 2011

According to Brake, drivers caught using a hand-held phone at the wheel to call or text face a (recently increased) fixed penalty notice of £100 and three points or may be offered a course instead of taking points. 

In 2012, more than 10,000 drivers caught using their phone at the wheel took a ‘What’s Driving Us’ course instead of opting for points. In some cases, drivers may go to court and face disqualification and a maximum fine of £1,000. 

Drivers who cause a crash and kill someone while using a phone could face up to 14 years in prison. Worst still they they will have to live with the knowledge that someone died because of their decision to use their phone at the wheel. 

If you haven't done so already, Make the Pledge to drive more responsibly.