DODGYDODDS Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 i do the speed limit on any road so if i feel like doing 70 in the middle lane i will or the outer lane i will if you want to go faster go around you are breaking the law :-) and if you want to drive up my ass feel free i dont get intimidated by that ill just drive a bit slower :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Just as a side note : I'd say the best way to improve the safety of driving in the UK is to do a number of things. (1) Widen the carriageways....traffic in the UK is in too close a proximity to each other when they pass on single carriageway roads. (2) Open up sight lines....trim back hedge rows, walls, trees etc. and allow driver to see further along the road, especially on county roads. (3) As mentioned...keeping up driving standards by means of a regular test...as long as it was FREE or very CHEAP and not another money scam against the motorist. (4) Better quality roads so that we are not having to put up road works on every road every week. At the moment the UK government allows construction companies to install the bare minimum in terms of quality of road. (This also extends to road marking and their continued clarity of reflection) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hogmaw Posted October 9, 2009 Author Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yes, the main causes of injury accidents are down to the following: (in no particular order) -adverse road conditions (examples :- ice, flood, high wind etc.) -stupid maneouvres (examples :- reversing around a blind bend, 3point turn on a blind bend) -lack of concentration (examples :- pulling out from junction infront of vehicles, turning into other vehicles etc.) -foreign drivers (examples :- mis-interpreting UK road signs/laws, driving wrong side on county roads, even motorways!) -old, unaware, unfit to drive (examples :- poor vision, dizzyness, sneezing, not physically being able to look and check for traffic etc.) -breaking the law (examples :- overtaking on double white, car unfit for the road, not having a license etc.) -pedestrians (examples :- drunken idiots playing in the road, drugged up idiots on the road, people stepping into road and not looking etc.) .... almost all of which would be exacerbated if the cars involved were speeding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bradleyh_15 Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I must admit in my role as a fire fighter I have been to a lot less RTC's this year than in previous years but its not christmas yet so still time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 .... almost all of which would be exacerbated if the cars involved were speeding Agreed but main point being that 'speed' is not the cause factor. Modern day cars and roads in theory should allow for higher speeds, but driver/pedestrian/pressure group/government attitudes need to reflect this. All of these together along with certain changes as mentioned previously should see a reduction in fatalities with no need to constantly reduce limits on roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 i do the speed limit on any road so if i feel like doing 70 in the middle lane i will or the outer lane i will if you want to go faster go around you are breaking the law :-) and if you want to drive up my ass feel free i dont get intimidated by that ill just drive a bit slower :-) This has to be one of the most ill informed and ignorant forms of driving. The outer lanes are for overtaking only, slowing down because someone wants past is ignorant regardless of speed. If you hog the outside lane at 70 when someone wants past at a true 70 on their GPS the cops are much more likely to pull you. I know, i've seen it on bravo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJames Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I find that if I drive slower I get bored and get the urge to text people.... Hence, going a bit quicker is safer for me.... H. I do hope thats a joke ......... appalling behaviour! Submitted and read on iphone, whiles driving down the M6, nearly made me drop my pint reading it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yes, the main causes of injury accidents are down to the following: (in no particular order) -adverse road conditions (examples :- ice, flood, high wind etc.) -stupid maneouvres (examples :- reversing around a blind bend, 3point turn on a blind bend) -lack of concentration (examples :- pulling out from junction infront of vehicles, turning into other vehicles etc.) -foreign drivers (examples :- mis-interpreting UK road signs/laws, driving wrong side on county roads, even motorways!) -old, unaware, unfit to drive (examples :- poor vision, dizzyness, sneezing, not physically being able to look and check for traffic etc.) -breaking the law (examples :- overtaking on double white, car unfit for the road, not having a license etc.) -pedestrians (examples :- drunken idiots playing in the road, drugged up idiots on the road, people stepping into road and not looking etc.) I reckon the ones in bold would be directly picked up on in a driving test. That's 4 out of 7 in that list. I should start a campaign to bring in re-tests... if I thought anyone in government would give a damn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abz Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 i do the speed limit on any road so if i feel like doing 70 in the middle lane i will or the outer lane i will if you want to go faster go around you are breaking the law :-) and if you want to drive up my ass feel free i dont get intimidated by that ill just drive a bit slower :-) I am sorry mate, but its this attitude which I hate. It slows down traffic, causes delays. I had someone like this the other day in the far right lane, stayed behind him for a while (without tailgating) Flashed my lights & waited for a response...then thought maybe he is blind, indicate to the left lane (middle) and guess what he wakes up & does one of the things which get on my pecks the most!!! Indicates & changes lanes at the same time! Do people think that if they indicate it does not matter what is in that lane it needs to shift? Unbelievable! Anyway I agree with 10 year test, even 5 year tests! I am sorry but if you are not confident in car then you should not be in one. When my girlfriend passed she was not very confident I agree but knew how to watch around herself & keep an eye on traffic AROUND her. I let her drive a few different cars at night when traffic is lower and now she is much more confident. She also agrees that its normally women drivers who cause the most problems in the road (she said that not me!). Apologises I feel better now... driving up to Chesterfield tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminator Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I think the authorities must have noticed more idiots who can't dive on motorways, as I have seen a lot more "return to the left after over taking " messages on illuminated signs. The second and third lanes are for overtaking. What is this thing with feeling safe in the middle lane, that is totally ridiculous, may be the driver should consider if they are actual good enough to be on the road at all. My top annoyances. On any road, drivers who can't have a conversation with out turning their head to talk to their passenger. Drivers who use a mobile phone without hands free. On motorways and dual carriageways, drivers who stay in the second and third lane when there is no traffic head of them. Drivers who leave indicators on. Drivers who use fog lights in the rain or when it is not foggy. Drivers who pull out to over take then drop their speed. Driver who over take, pull in and slow down in front of me for no reason. Drivers who drive too close in traffic queues. Lorry drivers who over take another lorry at 0.0009 mph faster than the lorry they are over taking on a dual carriageway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martini Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Lorry drivers who over take another lorry at 0.0009 mph faster than the lorry they are over taking on a dual carriageway. Agree with pretty much everything but this one really makes me laugh out loud sometimes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AJI Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I reckon the ones in bold would be directly picked up on in a driving test. That's 4 out of 7 in that list. I should start a campaign to bring in re-tests... if I thought anyone in government would give a damn. Yes that is true. But there is also the question of how to you get people to continue driving properly when not happen to be doing a test? In my line of work I get numerous phone calls from the public saying that "this or that road is not safe, something should be done"..... the problem is, generally is that the roads are safe but the drivers are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martini Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 is that the roads are safe but the drivers are not. The roads in central Manchester are in dire need of a completely new surface though... I take action to avoid massive pot holes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garethr Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 I work with the national accident database on a regular basis and its fact that less than 5% of injury accidents are caused by the term 'speeding'. This is interesting. Do you have info about what the main causes are according to the database? It's higher for fatal accidents (12%), but still nowhere near the "one third" that the government used to claim. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-407521/Only-20-road-accidents-caused-breaking-speed-limit.html The "contributory factors to road accidents report", the first of its kind, showed a total of 147,509 accidents last year. Of these five per cent, or 7,314, had breaking the speed limit as a factor. This rose to 12 per cent, or 325, for accidents which ended in a fatality. http://www.dft.gov.uk/adobepdf/162469/221412/221549/227755/contributoryfactorstoroadacc1802 "Road Environment Contributed" was 15% (12% fatal), but campaigning for something that costs (taxpayers') money doesn't make political careers or create a new opportunities for empire-building and "fact finding" trips to sunny destinations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevie_b Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Yes that is true. But there is also the question of how to you get people to continue driving properly when not happen to be doing a test? Well, here's my previous thoughts on it: http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showpost.php?p=1879358&postcount=15 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted October 9, 2009 Share Posted October 9, 2009 Agreed but main point being that 'speed' is not the cause factor. Modern day cars and roads in theory should allow for higher speeds, but driver/pedestrian/pressure group/government attitudes need to reflect this. All of these together along with certain changes as mentioned previously should see a reduction in fatalities with no need to constantly reduce limits on roads. I feel another major danger facing us is that the Govt's focus on speed over the last 14 years hammers the concept into peoples brains to the point where they think as long as they are at or below the limit, all is well and they are in no danger at all. Possibly why people such as Red Rocket say they will do 70 in any lane and to hell with anyone else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.