Viewing: How to make the roads safer

***waynne*** · 15-12-2008, 12:41 PM

Perhaps some of those anti car road safety mob will read this thread.

What tips would you pass on that will help to make our roads safer?

I think we should focus on driver training primarily.

**Massive** · 15-12-2008, 02:24 PM

do whats they doin in london or summet, get rid of all the pavements, the traffic lights and ped crossings ¬_¬ THATS JUST STUPID!

i think we should have a more intense driving test and lessons, like the do in sweden is it? with the wet road skid simulator thingy they showed on top gear

**Twamgl3** · 15-12-2008, 03:12 PM

Well, I think that's part of it right away.

Roads aren't dangerous, and therefore the use of the word 'safer' shouldn't really apply to any of them! When's the last time you were on a road and part of it jumped up and hit you?

Engineering measures to reduce road traffic collisions (I prefer the term crashes - but I can never say accidents!), like guard rails, and sign posts which collapse when hit could, expensively go to the nth degree.

It is invariably the motorist that is the weak link so education of the driver would be the best way to make roads 'safer'.

I would like to see compulsory retesting for anyone who is banned from driving - especially those that have injured or killed another person. I am sickened that someone can kill someone with their car and essentially get off with a temporary ban (no need for a retest - simply wait out the ban), a fine and either a short stay at her majesty's pleasure or a community thingy.

***HDi fun*** · 15-12-2008, 03:39 PM

Start employing traffic planners and road consultancy engineers who actually drive cars

***waynne*** · 15-12-2008, 06:19 PM

You mean that drive cars properly!

**lutonmatt** · 15-12-2008, 07:38 PM

well has to be said i know i will get moaned at but getting rid of women and old people off the road be more cleaner cars and maybe safer

you will never make it safer all the time there are cars on the road but its no safer now walking

**stamford** · 15-12-2008, 07:43 PM

There should be road traffic moderators, all running challenger tanks! De-chav the planet, get rid of buses and taxis and replace with a mono-rail system to keep all pedestrians and commuters away from the 'peoples roads' so we can enjoy our cars!

Create fast driving roads where we can go as fast as we wish.................except that it has no run-offs or barriers, just a shear drop into oblivion!

Judge Dredd is not too far away!

***HDi fun*** · 15-12-2008, 08:09 PM

In response to Stamford this (the unfenced road with no barriers etc) is what makes motorcyclists superb road users - they know if they screw up they're risking very serious injury or death. In modern cars we've got upwards of half a dozen airbags plus all the other passive safety kit.

**stamford** · 15-12-2008, 08:13 PM

Indeed, us car drivers will die of suffocation when all those darned airbags deploy at once!

Reckon we will all have the expanding foam like Stallone did in Demolition Man!

***HDi fun*** · 15-12-2008, 08:48 PM

They have their uses. Thankfully, I've never experienced one being deployed and I've owned and been driving about in cars with SRS for over ten years.

What I find really silly is the constant lowering of speed limits on roads where there's the occasional bend that cannot be taken at the posted limit. If drivers are so stupid that they simply barrel the car into a corner at the posted limit and leave the road as a direct result of their speed then they really should not be driving at all.

The A372 and A378 (Huish Episcopi, Langport and Curry Rivel) are like this (Hayley - have they dropped 'em to 30mph yet?)

So is the A422 from Buckingham to Brackley down to 50mph. Yet there's no section of that which you cannot drive at 80 plus, at least in the dry.

Why do we constantly legislate for benefit of the clinically and criminally stuipd?

**stamford** · 15-12-2008, 09:14 PM

I find the trouble with them stating a maximum speed for any given bend is like a red rag to a bull! If it says max 40mph I can't help myself to see if it is true or not! But I suppose that is based upon a Reliant Robin

**turbonutter69** · 15-12-2008, 09:16 PM

I think education is the best way forwards to pedestrians as well as motorists though. If everyone knows road safety and the highway code then it would be a little safer i'm sure.

***HDi fun*** · 15-12-2008, 10:32 PM

It's not the fact that recommended speeds are given for bends - it's the fact that the whole road is regulated down to that speed to allow for just one bend

***HDi fun*** · 15-12-2008, 10:33 PM

The A329 (M40 Jct 7) to Thame has some of the Max Speed 30 signs on a couple of bends close to the Oxfordshire Golf Club. So why is it that I used to take 'em at around 70mph without incident?

**turbonutter69** · 16-12-2008, 02:17 AM

What about a 1 chance saloon... You get 1 chance to pass. If you fail then it's the bus service for you......

***HDi fun*** · 16-12-2008, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by turbonutter69

What about a 1 chance saloon... You get 1 chance to pass. If you fail then it's the bus service for you......

That's a bit short sighted. There are plenty of first time passers out there who have been driving for 30 years yet have not improved one little bit since test day. The reverse also applies.

**turbonutter69** · 16-12-2008, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDi fun

That's a bit short sighted. There are plenty of first time passers out there who have been driving for 30 years yet have not improved one little bit since test day. The reverse also applies.

Give everyone a retest then....

***waynne*** · 16-12-2008, 10:32 AM

I like the idea of the sheer drop. Up in the peak district and in the Lot (France) one mistake would have sent the car plunging down a cliff. That focusses the mind.

Perhaps all the safety features and sound deadening are creating a false impression of a safety cucoon

I think we have to look at driver training, driver education and re training. Speed limits do nothing other than cause congestion. Bad drivers will still crash at the lower speeds, if they stick to the limits.

**jc denton** · 29-07-2011, 07:39 PM

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=sig...pyMj1Cg&zoom=1

***old-git*** · 29-07-2011, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HDi fun

Start employing traffic planners and road consultancy engineers who actually drive cars

Surprisingly, most of them do drive and a lot are enthusiasts. which is one of the reasons they get into traffic management/highway design/road safety as they are keen to improve matters.

The problem is that car drivers are an inventive lot and keep finding ways to kill themselves and others.

As mentioned by Twamgl3, it isn't the road design that is dangerous, it's the users. At every crash site, thousands of vehicles pass safely each day so in order for a crash to happen at least one person has to make a bad decision. That's the problem, how do you design a road layout that eliminates the possibility of a driver making a mistake? It's easy for the armchair experts, who know diddlysquat about highway design but think they do as they use the roads. It's like complaining about the bumpy plane landing and giving an opinion about how it could have been done better just because you are a regular passenger!

**mechkween** · 30-07-2011, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lutonmatt

well has to be said i know i will get moaned at but getting rid of women and old people off the road be more cleaner cars and maybe safer

you will never make it safer all the time there are cars on the road but its no safer now walking

I think women are better drivers than men. Accidents on roads are primarily due to the rash driving by men, who seek adrenaline whenever the foot meets the pedal.
In short educating people about the correct driving techniques, the rules to follow will be "right of way"

**Jakeymd** · 30-07-2011, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Twamgl3

Roads aren't dangerous, and therefore the use of the word 'safer' shouldn't really apply to any of them! When's the last time you were on a road and part of it jumped up and hit you?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ha5w9tFUXM

***old-git*** · 30-07-2011, 01:10 PM

Good one!

Mechanical Engineers build weapons and Civil Engineers build targets.

***waynne*** · 31-07-2011, 08:35 AM

Why does traffic calming not calm down drivers? If they put posters of fluffy animals and a freshly pulled pint I think it could make drivers more calm?!

***old-git*** · 01-08-2011, 12:17 AM

I'm dropping out of this discussion as I know too much about the subject, having dealt with road safety for over 30 years but it appears that the opinion of this thread is that guys like me know SFA about what we are doing. Crikey, I'm glad I have retired so no longer have to deal with the 'experts' out there.