| Topic: | Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | |
| Posted by: | Roland Gilmore | |
| Date/Time: | 22/03/10 19:35:00 |
| You are quite right Bryony but it is the exceptions, the small minority, who are forcing such rules and measures upon us. For drivers, it isn't simply a matter of sticking to the Highway Code but adapting our driving to suit the prevailing conditions. As for Richard's assertions; Driver error and inattention is the most common contributory factor in UK road accidents, according to 2009 statistics from the Department for Transport, while speed-related causes contribute to just 14 per cent of all road accidents. The DfT stats attribute 68 per cent of all road accidents to a failure to look, while in the majority (32 per cent) of fatal accidents, loss of control is reported as a contributory factor. Exceeding the speed limit is a contributory factor in just five per cent of all accidents; driving too fast for conditions accounts for nine per cent. This makes exceeding the speed limit the sixth most common contributory factor. Please note the difference between exceeding the speed limit, driving too fast for the conditions and speed related causes. They are not the same things. Out of interest, the report also mentions the following accident statistics: Traffic calming (eg. speed cushions, road humps, chicanes) 6 fatal accidents, 176 accidents (page 48, table 4a) So, according to the Department's own data, calming measures were responsible for almost as many deaths as those caused by defective brakes. Makes you think! I would not be one of those who argue that speed cameras save NO lives but when the govt. paid for a very large study of about 4,000 cameras a few years ago, the summary opinion of the statisticans hired by the government was that cameras saved about 100 lives per year. As the overall death rate at that time was around 3,200, you could rightly say that cameras had no impact on 97% of deaths. The latest data on the relative importance of speeding seems to correlate well with the camera study and indicate again that the road safety "industry" (government, police and councils) are spending 90% of their time (and our money), on tackling only 10% or less on the causes of road deaths. Taking a picture of a car exceeding a posted speed limit, a limit that is not governed by any physical law and is purely the opinion of the authority enforcing the restriction and bears no relationship to prevailing conditions (e.g. the recent snow & ice) or driver skill level does not prevent any incident created by that vehicle by travelling at that detected speed. That is why the 20 number is so arbitrary. Personally, I have no trouble reading my speedometer though not to your ridiculous decimal places nonsense, admitedly. I was the victim of a road traffic "accident" a few years ago where the other driver was travelling below the 30mph limit but was distracted by his three children in the back of his car. He was charged by the police on several counts including driving with "undue care and attention" and after consulting with me, the police required him to attend a driving refresher course to avoid a court appearance and probable heavy fine. I believe that cameras contribute a tiny amount to accident prevention but courses such as that can contributor significantly over time. It's all about education and re-education when required and not photos of car number plates with fines attached, particularly for those who can afford to pay them without hardship. As you can probably tell, I believe a system designed to dish out fines (that many will not pay) without tackling the real reasons for the majority of accidents is not the answer and I would not under-estimate the cost of installing and operating a NPR system; on the West Putney and the rest of the non-red route roads in the borough. Although I do not live in West Putney, my personal experience would not lead me to believe this area deserves precedence over other parts of Wandsworth should such a system be installed. As a side view to this issue, I would point out that the EU will soon have a system of satellites in place to make road pricing viable (This is to counter the loss of revenue from fuel taxes once arguements for those taxes become unsustainable). Billions are being spent on it right now. This means, your vehicle will be tracked wherever it goes and speeds calculated in real time. Unfortunately, there are no current plans to force those cyclists who need education/re-education to have the necessary transceivers. |
| Topic | Date Posted | Posted By |
| 20 mph | 18/03/10 00:03:00 | Martin Hime |
| Re:20 mph | 18/03/10 07:35:00 | Simon Knight |
| Re:Re:20 mph | 18/03/10 11:13:00 | Suzanne Taylor |
| Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 18/03/10 22:47:00 | Jonathan Callaway |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 09:34:00 | Bryony Evens |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 10:06:00 | Martine Guy |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 10:26:00 | Adam Tripp |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 14:54:00 | Jeroen Padt |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 15:46:00 | M Blissett |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 22:46:00 | Rose Kelland |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 18:39:00 | Maxine Campbell |
| Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 10:34:00 | M Blissett |
| Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 13:34:00 | Martin Hime |
| Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 14:34:00 | Matt Price |
| Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 15:01:00 | Simon Knight |
| Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 16:35:00 | R Lucas |
| Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 16:54:00 | Francis Forman |
| Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 17:39:00 | Richard Carter |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 18:05:00 | Simon Knight |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 18:16:00 | Suzanne Taylor |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 18:37:00 | Jonathan Callaway |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 19:02:00 | Suzanne Taylor |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 19/03/10 21:10:00 | Alan Thomson |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 20/03/10 09:48:00 | Lucille Grant |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 21/03/10 07:44:00 | Richard Carter |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 21/03/10 09:23:00 | Craig Fordham |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 21/03/10 10:17:00 | Richard Carter |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 21/03/10 13:39:00 | Roland Gilmore |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 21/03/10 14:57:00 | Richard Carter |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 21/03/10 20:32:00 | M Blissett |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 22/03/10 15:50:00 | Suzanne Taylor |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 22/03/10 17:23:00 | Simon Knight |
| Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 22/03/10 17:37:00 | Bryony Evens |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 22/03/10 19:35:00 | Roland Gilmore |
| Re:Re:Re:Re:20 mph | 22/03/10 20:20:00 | Martin Hime |