Safe Speed Forums

My copy arrived this morning as well.

Just finished reading it. What a fantastic analysis of everything that was wrong with road safety policy in the '60s. It all applies - only more so - today.
Leeming would be spinning like a top in his grave if he knew about speed cameras....

The only slight down points IMO to the book are the chapters by guest authors, which haven't got the quite the same bite as Leeming's text, but still a compelling read overall, which I recommend to everyone that has an interest in road safety.

A lot of his examples are Dorset based, so I can picture what he's describing. There's a great passage about building a new roundabout very large (where the A31 crosses the A350 near Wimborne) against local opposition, his reasoning being that soon both roads will be dualled, so the roundabout is future-proof. Roll on 40 years and both roads are still SC...

I remember reading something like this some time ago and I dont agree with much of it for a number of reasons. To improve roads to the highest standard of safety and 'forgiveness' throughout the country would cost so much money we'd all get a TAX thrombosis. I believe it requires a huge driving culture change and many aspects road safety addressed, heres a few ideas, chew on these......
1.Improved education before obtaining a provisional licence.
2.Better training ( Todays standards I am not impressed )
3.Higher standards in testing.(with a requirement to show UNDERSTANDING of the highway code not simply remembering images for the theory test or parrot fashion learning)
4.Compulsery motorway training, high speed braking test and sudden reaction training(off road)after basic test passed.
5.Re-training after any crash deemed by police or insurers to warrent this.
6.Insurers to load the policies of those who have the crashes rather than spread the losses amogst us all.
7.Improved roads where greatest risks are.
8.Reduction of street furniture that does more to impede drivers of all vehicles rather than help.
9.Strict policing of traffic in built up areas with zero tollerance within a 30 limit or less, but more relaxed elsewhere.
10.If YOU cause the crash YOU pay for it. (with limitations of course) The tax payer picks up the bill for most crashes in one way or another( e.g road clean ups,sign repairs minor road repairs ,policing,ambulance etc) it is right that those responsible should pay, Im sure you would all want your neighbour to pay for the broken window if he hit a ball through it or would it make you feel better to just accept it and build a safer fence ?
11.Policing should focus more on driving standards than speed (ha ha) I am certain that over the last 20 yrs if they had committed themselves as much to dealing more in that area we would see slightly better driving standards and possibly a lot less deaths, certainly no more deaths than we have had in the last 20 yrs.

Well theresa few Ideas for you to read and know 'its never gonna happen'

Whether it's road accidents or anything else, given the choice between "prevent" or "punish" this government will go for "punish" every time.

Legislate, punish, fine, fixed penalties - oops doesn't work - legislate again , punish, fine, fixed penalties - oops doesn't work - legislate again, punish...and so on ad nauseam.

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Save a cow - eat a vegetarian

Prevent or punish?

Its like all areas of accident prevention isn't it?

Prevent if at all and where possible.

Punish where the culpable are found to have transgressed.

Simply admonish, but don't patronise, without penalty where more appropriate. Not easy in this day and age where folks tend take any sort of critcism, well meant and properly deserved and directed or not, as being patronised

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Political Correctness is a doctrine, fostered by a delusional, illogical, liberal minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a turd by the clean end.

Hmm. What is an accident?

If a car is struck by lightening and this causes a pile-up, that is an accident.

If someone drives too fast for the conditions (say 29mph on packed ice) that is not an accident.

If someone crashes because a road was badly maintained (for example, wrong road surface material used) and a car crashes... then that might not be an accident, either. Negligence by the council/contractor, perhaps...

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www.thatsnews.org.uk / www.thatsnews.blogspot.com / http://thatsmotoring.blogspot.com/

If poor or deceptive road design was the key, how then can nation of people change from one side of the road to the other and reduce accident rates by 40% for a considerable period before familiarity and contempt raised it to its usual level. Does not this point more to mental aplication and concentration rather than a road design fault . I firmly believe that the right kind of training and right mental attitude aligned with concentration is all thats needed to drive anywhere anytime no matter what the roads or circumstances. However if we acept that drivers are actually pretty poor to abismal and road improvements eliminates their failings then I could possibly accept some of the theory.

prevent and punish .

Why are black spots, black spots?

1) because people tend to behave improperly at such spots

2) because these spots encourage misbehaviors

3) because drivers don't know any better

4) because road designers don't know any better

If "1" or "2", and we further assume that people will resist regulation and / or surveillance changes at that spot, then it's more of a demographic issue than a driver knowledge issue or a road design issue.

I "3", then drivers need better education and training. Actually, drivers need better education and training, regardless.

If "4", then either road designers education and training is lacking [whether by accident or on purpose], or road designers are not being permitted to do what they should by their superiors. Put another way, government personnel badly educated in proper road engineering and design - though probably well educated in Machiavellian machinations - are using those who are properly educated as puppets to do their bidding, while hiding behind their credentials.

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The Rules for ALL ROAD USERS:
1) No one gets hurt
2) Nothing gets hit, except to protect others; see Rule#1
3) The Laws of Physics are invincible and immutable - so-called 'laws' of men are not
4) You are always immediately and ultimately responsible for your safety first, then proximately responsible for everyone's
Do not let other road users' mistakes become yours, nor yours become others
5) The rest, including laws of the land, is thoughtful observation, prescience, etiquette, decorum, and cooperation