Not a lecture but a get-together
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• Chief Inspector Joe Budell, of Oldham, is believed to be the only police officer in the country who spends part of his time lecturing at an FITITB centre. The Chief Inspector was talking to commercial vehicle drivers at the RTITB centre in Pell Street, North Manchester, last week. An officer has been taking a class each week since the centre opened in May with the theme being the role of the police in road safety. The aim of the talk, said Chief Inspector Budell, was to establish a closer relationship between drivers and the police.
Mr. Jack Wood, the North Manchester group training officer, said that the way in which the police had become involved in the centre had surprised everybody. "I think that if you can bridge the gap and obtain co-operation between lorry drivers and the police there will be a reduction in the number of accidents and less breaking of the law", Mr. Wood told the Police before they agreed to come along and talk to drivers. "It's not a lecture," said Mr. Wood, "but a get-together."
There are usually about eight drivers on the course, each representing a different firm. Chief Inspector Buda is therefore able tc communicate with eight firms a week or matters of road safety. Jack Wood said that the men who had already heard the police talks accepted the police point of view anc were prepared to conform to it.
The Chief Inspector brought along a reacto box to test the speed of his audiences' reflexes in the same way as an emergency stop would. He said that the normal reaction speed was two-thirds of a section, and even at 30 mph a vehicle would travel 30ft before the brakes were even applied. Each person in the classroom took the reactor box test.