Safe Speed Forums

Do you think that if _every_ driver and pedestrian complied with the Highway Code to the letter we would have tens of thousands fewer accidents than we currently have?

I personally think there is no doubt that there would be. One would have to change the way motorways work, where each individual lane would have variable, staggered, mandatory speed limits depending on the conditions.

For example in heavier traffic, L1 40, L2 50 and L3 60. In clearer times all lanes at NSL. It could be managed automatically using simple flow sensors monitoring each lane.

In-vehicle technology would have to be developed to reinforce the concept, for example warning alerts for exceeding the limit, driving too close to the vehicle in front, slippery road surfacing, etc..

Introducing this concept could have benefits?

No. I think we have to display skills and attributes FAR beyond anything that could ever be expressed in the Highway Code.

Can the Highway Code describe visual search?
Can the Highway Code describe anticipation?
Can the Highway Code describe hazard perception?
Can the Highway code (adequately) describe risk assessment?

The risk associated with strict rule compliance is that the rules replace 'responsible behaviour'.

What's needed is a balance. The rules provide a baseline. We need to encorage rules compliance, but we must NEVER let rules compliance replace responsible behaviour.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

When we strip away the cruft, those things simply mean "hope for the
best but prepare for the worst". A very good message, but one which is
delivered in addition to the rule book. mpaton2004 is asking
specifically about the importance of the rules of the road, but you are
deliberately conflating the issue with other factors.

Those ideas must be expressed to drivers, over and above the rules
of the road. You also have to find a way to express them yourself,
somehow, don’t you? So what media will you use to distribute your
observations?

Do you have time to personally visit every crap driver at your own
expense to give them your lectures? Nope. Will road hogs have to pay to
sign up for a session of brainwashing, repeating over and over “don’t
bother obeying speed limits – we don’t!”

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I stole this .sig

Its up to to the authorities to communicate the messages and ideas that contribute to safe driving, anticipation, perception etc, over and above the rules which I believe to be important but not the ultimate panacea.
We used to do this reasonably well with short public information infommertials, but this has been lost.
In Germany they do this very well. There is no highway code, its all law, and the TV carries frequent simple road safety messages that help complement the laws.

Those old ads were memorable. I still recall them and so does the Mad Doc who is just 5 years yonger than me.Even the Swiss who vistied as kids recall seeing these - such was the sheer [i] force [/i[ of Jimmy Saville's clunk Ckick adverts, weaverbird, Grren Cross Code man , Tufty, wooden top, reginald molehusband, and the dipped headllight advert.

I know EU as a whole have a series of similarly memorable campaigns regularly on TV - unlike here!

I would love these old adverts be shown again. In each commercial break as they used to be - and I recall my childhood of planning homework around fave programmes at the time and seeing them as a throughout my gramm ar school education They did become more ingrained in the subconscious and U an sure the same awareness can be achieved just by re-airing these gems.

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Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.

I couldn't agree more, but you left out the two second rule man stood by the side of the road, that was another good one.
I lived in Germany for a number of years, and SSVC had the German TV Road safety adverts withan English voiceover dubbed on, they were and excellent series of adverts, they should be updated and remade for British TV.
My local cable station has started showing some road safety adverts, there should be more.
Is there no way of campaigning for this, perhaps other road safety groups would see the high value of adverts like this and join in the campaign.

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Semper in excreta, nur quantitat variat.

Well, apart from the dodgy blonde moustaches and hairdos

No. Not at all. Those subconsciously applied behaviours are the essence of road safety in practice.

If you mentally strip them away, the slightest human error would usually lead to serious outcomes.

But if you took away all the restrictions instead, the vast majority of responsible people would drive more or less exactly as they do now.



Damn right I'm conflating them. That's because they are very closely connected. In many ways they are 'inversely connected'. More emphasis on rules frequently means less emphasis on individual skills and responsibilities.

We need a proper balance, with the emphasis dictated by the importance. That means a little on rules and a lot on skills and responsibilities.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

If you must be disagreeable, please try to explain how preparing only for
the best helps roads safety in any way! But now you have brought these
things up, you should know that almost every page of the Highway Code
contains information on “visual search”, “anticipation”, “hazard perception”
and “risk assessment”. Have you read it? If you have bothered, you
would know that the whole book is mostly about “risk”, so why are you not
100% behind it? Odd that, for safety campaigner, isn’t it? It may explain
why “Brake” don’t bother with SafeSpeed.



Yeah, the Brits are so nice, maybe they don’t need any rules, like in a
fairy land. Try it in another country first, and let us know, yeah?



Not at all. If obeying the highway code conflicts badly with individual skills
and responsibilities, the code must be changed. What changes should
be made?

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I stole this .sig

Just noticed you evaded telling us what media YOU would use to get this
across? Would you try to write it down for people, in a book? With some
pictures? Like the highway code, maybe? Or do you know how to
perform mass-mind control on the population? Good luck with that.

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I stole this .sig

I'd like to see more of this, as well. But what should the content of the ads be
based on? Opinion, maybe? Or the Highway Code? Or should they say "look,
gentlemen, don't bother with that silly speed limit, it does no good at all",
and show a toff zooming through a village swerving around the children on their bikes?

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I stole this .sig

I like most people will never read the highway code after I passed my test unless I am taking another driving test or coaching somone else for thier test. Or trying to settle an argument.

Yet apart from the rubbish about braking distances it all makes good sense.

People are of varied skills and learning abillities, Education is the key to road safety and seperation of powered vehicles and pedestrians/cyclists.
In order to improve road safety you need to educate all drivers and pedestrians to the highest reasonable level that they can achieve. Some of that can be by one-to-one tuition. Some by reality TV some by drip-drip advertising.

One thing that amazes me is that when the road tax reminder arrives it does not include a list of laws that have changed that apply to my vehicle or a reminder of existing laws. What a missed opportunity!

Survey after survey finds that Joe Average only knows some road signs, never checks the tyres untill the MOT. Hasn't a clue if the jack is in the car or if he/she is allowed to drive a minibus and thinks they can tow a monster of a caravan with a focus.

The highway code is just foundations to good driving, however good the foundations are, it appears we have only built a tent on them.

PS. if stuff like the hazard perception test are so good, why will existing drivers never be offered the chance to improve thier skills?

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Mostly because they'd have to pay for it. And they have to pay
for it because training-people need to eat. So as usual, in the end, it's a
resource issue.

Individually, do we want to be part of the problem or part of the
solution? If there weren't so many speeding, tailgating knob-heads
around, we would spend less dealing with that sort of thing, and we
could spend more on training. What is your individual choice? Mine
is to try and obey the limit and other rules and tips of the road, BTW.

It has occurred to me that part of the problem might be this
“Anglo-Saxon self-righteousness” that has plagued the land since
the Daily Mail first appeared at the newsagents. This is just a theory, but
I reckon a countryman of any other European country would not be
phased in the least by a flea-bite sized speeding fine. Perhaps it takes an
Englishman to get so wound up about such a minor matter? It is just a
theory, that also tries to explain English soccer hooliganism and
Saturday-night beer-binging. Perhaps it might be better posted in
Brainstorming?

_________________
I stole this .sig

basingwerk: If you cant type anything constructive don't type anything.

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Speed limit sign radio interview. TV Snap Unhappy
“It has never been the rule in this country – I hope it never will be - that suspected criminal offences must automatically be the subject of prosecution” He added that there should be a prosecution: “wherever it appears that the offence or the circumstances of its commission is or are of such a character that a prosecution in respect thereof is required in the public interest”
This approach has been endorsed by Attorney General ever since 1951. CPS Code

Basingwerk Liebchen

Entire family are Ex Brake members. We were "founder members" - family had much in common after all.

If you read carefully - Brake pour scorn on training intiatives.. rant on about lowering speed limits.

The only thing we will support Brake on concerns fatigue, drink/drugs/prescription drugs und quality garage repairs (their initial raison d'etre)


Most on this site quote und refer to the Highway Code. You, as I recall, seem to advocate dealing with a road raging tailgater by way of brake testing. You create a COAST space und remain calm. You allow the overtake - their licence if Gatso/van around ... not yours .. und if you provoke or exacerbate problem. you are also guilty of road rage und leaving yourself open to prosecution for inconsiderate driving






























































Foreign KSI rates are worse - a lot worse even in Swiss Alps



Highway Code ist basically a set of good practice. Some legal - but most ist "should" und not "must with reference to Road Traffic Act"

Even aggressive so-called "lawyer" on cycling forum posted this in retaliation to law abiding member of Swiss feline family .. purrrrr , claws.. miaow. purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

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Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Yeah, you really need to be a little more understanding of other people's failings you misanthrope you.

Ist official - all English are really "German" und thus "stubborn"

_________________
Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

What a load of twaddle!

However 'rich' we might make the Highway Code, the real world will be thousands of times richer.

But the introduction to the Highway Code badly needs changing. It should explain the nature and the scope of road user responsibility, and explain how the Highway Code itself is no more than a starting point.

_________________
Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Quite.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Agree - Highway Code is a good comon sense starting point as it stands NOW!

Lot of areas thoughout which cry for an update and I am sure our cycling pals and lurks will abe moved to add comment.

All opinions are welcome as we want to further, refine and redefine exactly what we need ot establish a decent working code of practice for all who use the roads..

Obviously Paul as fair foruum manager - precludes obvious trolling, personal attacks - and the the notorious internet troll - but I'd guess anyone else would be given a warm welcone and if there is a clash of opinion - it is not personal and regualr person here likes to think they "upset" someone anyway

_________________
Take with a chuckle or a grain of salt
Drive without COAST and it's all your own fault!

A SMILE is a curve that sets everything straight (P Diller).

A Smiley Per post
FINES USfor our COAST!

Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon - but driving with a smile and a COAST calm mind.