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BBC blames the road
BBC One on 17 January at 7.30pm - Panorama: Britain's Killer Roads?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-60002624
This is tragic and I would not want to make capital out of personal tragedy, but if we seek prison time for the road then nothing changes. Given the question mark in the title, can we hope the programme will go deeper than blaming the road and find real solutions, and put and end to such tragedy.
If you're new please join in and if you have questions pop them below and the forum regulars will answer as best we can.
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23 comments
I can think of one type of killer road - the cycle-o-path!
Any crash by this individual wouldn't have been the road. Although as she wouldn't have been able to see it, that surprise corner might well have been the culprit.
I watched the program. Each section tackled a particular issue but what struck me as consistent in each was following too close to the vehicle in front, including from the presenter whilst driving his van. Is the 2 second rule not a thing anymore?
PROGRAMME
But I thought the same. I suppose there is a slim chance it was the tech vehicle the shot cam from.
I amazed there are not more collisions.
Just seen a bit on BBC news about it - they balmed the increase in deaths on
- fewer dedicated traffic police
- fewer breathalysers
- significant number of speed cameras switched off.
Resulting in a road network with fewer checks; leading to some drivers being more likely to drive more dangerously; and therefore making roads more dangerously.
Of course these are just the proxy reasons. Fewer breathalysers does not cause people to drink and drive, fewer traffic police does not cause anyone to drive like an idiot etc. But very quickly the actual blame is apportioned in this way, it's the police's fault. Which feeds the "speeders will speed, they can't help it, if nobody stops them it's not their fault" line of reasoning.
Of course the situation could be improved with better policing, and they need to do their job, but the immediate cause of speeding is the idiot behind the wheel.
Well the Panorama selection of NMOTD, well more like collisions of the day, show its naff all to do with the roads in those cases, presumably theyll explain the A82 in more depth.
But seriously, road traffic policing has been deprioritised for the best part of nearly 30 years, the first Gatso was installed 1991, this isnt really a new news story.
I actually passed one of those community cameras yesterday as I was overtaken by a car doing 37mph in a 30 limit, I was barely chugging along at 13mph into a headwind, I doubt it captured the reg being not quite driving centre in the lane.
And certainly none of the other cars doing 40-50mph in some cases in 30 limits were being caught because there were no cameras and no police.
Yup, and also from the video, why don't cyclists use the cycle lane...?
Lancs police showing their usual care for cyclists.
Don't worry, they're on the case. I spotted this on the news the other day...
And what name had he decided on using this time?
typical driver stuff - someone else is not working hard enough to "sort the traffic".
I had the same reaction as you. There's even a woman who is interviewed about the A82 who says that she doesn't blame anyone, it's the road's fault!
Unfortunately the article gives no breakdown on the contributory factors in the "acidents" but I suspect that excess speed would feature in the vast majority of cases. If that is the case then surely more fixed speed cameras (whilst far from perfect) would be a relatively cheap measure to reduce the number of incidences.
Have average speed camera or have fixed and mobile cameras and remove the need to "warn" drivers that there is any. Also any cars found to have the darkened number plates should be seized and sold at auction. Remove the 14 day NIPS requirements and reduced points until unavoidable bans to 9 points rather then 12.
All of that would easily raise safety, remove more dangerous drivers and could be self funding. It is a plaster as doesn't catch poorer driving on smaller roads, but if they were more proactive with Dash cam etc that might help.
Excess speed, no! Shear stupidity in thinking the car can defy laws of physics or impatience, yes.
Doesn't matter if the speed limit is 60mph if you go into a 30mph corner and 35mph, you will fall off. Dosen't matter if the speed limit is 60 mph if you attempt an over take that requires X meters to be safe and there is X-2 meters.
As a car driver, the biggest problem we face is "fuel savers". By that I mean those that drive in too high a gear/too low revs that invaribly end up crawlling everywhere. The same ones then get pissed off and leave clouds of black diesal smoke, as I pass safely in the right gear to have the revs in the power range winding up my turbo. Before any says, I know the limit is a limit and not a target, but if there is no reason why your vehicle cannot drive to the limit, yet you constantly drive well below, ( like 40 in a 60 zone or 20 in 30 zone) you need to consider if you are fit to drive.
There are some speed limits that are too high around here - and if you don't know the road - you can't hit that limit.
So you get people doing 40 in a 50 zone - but they are usually the same people doing 40 in a 30 zone too !
There are a lot of bad drivers out there.
That depends where you are. Speed limits aren't the only determinant of maximum safe speed at which to drive.
70 mph on M-way in thick fog? No.
60 mph on winding narrow country lane with high hedges, farm gates, perhaps mud in places? No.
Not only are many drivers lazy and complacent, lacking consideration for anyone outside their metal box, but there is a get-outta-my-way culture or mindset among a vast number of drivers that really needs to change.
Not helped by modern cars always advising to use a higher gear, even though the car has just been unale to hold the speed in that gear due to the gradient.
Quite right, who in their right mind would want to save fuel in a climate emergency. Much more important that you are able "wind up your turbo" to get to your destinantion a few minutes earlier.
Seconds.
Not minutes.
Well that just shows your lacking knowledge of engines.
Turbos make the engine more efficient by introducing more air into the combustion chamber. Resulting in a cleaner burn and more power for the same amount of fuel used. Far better for the environment then these idiots with their foot planted in the carpet for a dirty and inefficient burn.
Flooring the accelerator does not directly increase power, it opens the air intake to allow the engine to breath more in, as result ECU increases the amount of fuel to match.
Think of it the way, I'll be riding up a hill spinning comfortably in a low gear whilst you struggle hardly turning over in too high a gear.
There end that lecture.😁
In this very sad case, the whole incident was captured on another vehicle's dashcam. The same lady blames the weather in this article:
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/news/scottish-news/5533573/crash-fort-w...
It would be interesting why they were both(?) travelling at speed if there was torrential rain. One car was on the wrong side of the road it seems. At a guess, I'm assuming the one with the victims if no charges have been brought against the other driver.