From the Chair

Stewart Knowles, SoRSA Chair

I write this editions 'From the Chair' from a different chair; one in my dining room! We are all getting used to a different working environment, many of us in spare rooms or at kitchen tables with children running amok around us, and I imagine many long to be back on site doing Road Safety Audits.  It's strange times at the moment, but the main thing is to try and stay safe and well. 

I was hoping to tell you all about our exciting conference to be held in June 2020, but it is with great sadness that we have had to postpone this year's event due to the Covid-19 outbreak.  We did consider running it later this year, but on balance believed that it wasn't right for you or for SoRSA.  We have booked the 2021 conference for 21st and 22nd June to be held at Manchester Airport Radisson Blu.  This leads on to another sad tale to tell you, which I had hoped to hold off until June this year.  

This year's conference would have been the last for Alison and Alistair at AlderCross, as they are hanging up their boots and going into retirement.  They have been great supporters of SoRSA over the years and have always done an amazing job with organising our annual event.  It's a big thank you from me and the committee and you will be sorely missed.  The 2021 event will be run and organised by CIHT Headquarters. Obviously the postponement of this year's annual conference means that you will not get your two days CPD through this channel.  We are working hard as a committee to try and come up with alternative ways of how you can achieve this and we will be in touch with details as soon as we can. 

On a brighter note, we have had some successes over the last few months though.  SoRSA have been accepted as a UK Representative on the World Road Association (PIARC) 2020-2023 cycle, where we will be inputting into the new Road Safety Audit Guidelines.  We also attended and presented at the Portuguese Road Safety Auditors Conference, which was the first occasion that SoRSA, ASEVI and FASR have been represented at the same event - long may this continue. 

As always, we love to hear your views.  If you have anything to tell us please contact us either via email sorsa@ciht.org.uk or on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/groups/3680444/

SoRSA Events Update

Catarina Bergonha (FASR - Portugal), Javier López Delgado (ASEVI – Spain), Eric Hill (SoRSA – UK)

On the 3^rd of March 2020 SoRSA was represented at our Portuguese colleagues meeting in Lisbon, presenting on the processes and challenges relating to road safety audits.

The Forum Auditores Segurança Rodoviária organised a meeting with speakers from across Portugal and Spain that representatives from government, consultants and Waze (the car navigation app). SoRSA was represented by our Committee Member Eric Hill.

It was the first time that representatives from SoRSA and our Portuguese and Spanish Road Safety Auditor colleagues had come together to present.

You will not be surprised to hear that the SoRSA workshop planned for Hertford on the 19^th May has been postponed. But to keep in touch with any news and comment, about Road Safety Audit please visit the SoRSA LinkedIn page.

SoRSA Coronavirus Statement

In late March, SoRSA released guidance around Road Safety Audits during this time. You can find this statement below.