We used to have the safest roads in Europe. What can be done to make our roads safer?

Bamford1000

It's hardly surprising given the number of immigrants here who don't have British Driving Licenses and are not used to driving on the left hand side of the road.

Just the other day a polish driver did a U-turn on the M1 killing five people.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/five-killed-after-driver-heads-wrong-way-on-m1-1671328.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8006644.stm

Sunny on the inside

Stop the police from using mobile phones while driving (I saw one the other day!)

Richard

Personally I think the government should scrap their attempt to tax and fine the motorist into submission and focus on education (better teaching and tests) and common sense. I suppose an investment to fix the worst roads wouldn't go a miss, some country roads are only wide enough for one car.
The public transport system should be improved (especially our trains, we used to have the best in the world) but I still wouldn't class it as an alternative.

I would like to see speed cameras (most if not all) removed and replaced by common sense policing which is what they do on the Isle of Man and in German Autobahns. Not only will this rid us of all the pointless fines and licence points it will bring back respect for the law in an area where it is severely lacking. I would not like to see another rise in the age you are allowed to drive, age and maturity are two seperate things and some young people are very talented and responsible drivers, we all have to be a beginner at some point.
Edit- Taxpayer your statistic that 17-28 year old males have the most accidents may well be true but there are boy racers in every country so clearly that is not the issue when comparing ourselves to the rest of Europe. Besides people should be judged as individuals not as a group, if we followed your suggestions there would be a CC limit on Lewis Hamilton.
To be honest I think the system is bad enough at the moment, you can become a soldier and fight in wars at 16 but they wont let you drive a car for another year.

Tedward

I think there are errors in the way the figures are presented and its all EU spin. Looking at the overall stats for europe we seem to come out quite good. I would like to see the stats referred to here and then do what everyone else in power is doing. Spin them.

They have been used to brow beat the motorist for years, they constantly pick on speed as the cause. Fine and dandy but they are missing the bigger killers. The reliance on camera's has taken away the police that can tackle all aspects of poor driving. The reliance on camera's has, in my opinion, caused deaths by removing the police from the equation.

So, increase traffic police. Introduce tougher tests. Introduce re testing every 5 years. Leave the limits where they are.

Cocken

Keep the drunken Irish off the roads!

ï¼¹ï½èŠ±â™¥ãƒ ãƒƒã‚¯â™ª

The road from Macclesfield to Buxton - avoid it! It's like a death ride, seriously! That's the last time I listen to sat nav, I wasn't even driving but it was terrifying.

What do I think can be done? Well either Britain's roads have got worse or the others' have got better. If it's the first you've got to ask what went wrong, and if it's the second, then what are they all doing that we're not?

I'm definitely not in favour of more speed cameras though, they make me paranoid.

rejectedzipper

Not much of a list, is it?
Malta? About as big as the Isle of Wight, so not much chance of high speed stuff there, the others are all Northern European locations that have long, cold, snowy winters. Drivers there have to be good to survive on such roads.

Anywhoo, most of the problems in the UK are from the hard core of young unlicenced drivers. They've figured out that if they just buy a car and use it, if there's an accident they just get out and run, they have no licence to ID them, so what do they care?
Another factor is the huge increase in car ownership, it's not unusual to see houses (not fancy ones, either) that have Mum, Dad and three teen kids, all with a car.
Many British towns were simply not designed for the volume of traffic, many of the council estates designed in the 30's to 50's have narrow roads, no garages, no parking spaces or perhaps a single garage.

Considering how much the test has tightened up in the last few years there is really no reason for such bad accident figures.

wild-man of Borneo

How?
Look in the real world.
Decode this lyrics ' You light up my life"
Who is on the road?
A living human kind?
Or an I Robot with AI behind the wheel?
Who is in control of the wheel?
Trace the fault from statistic on road traffic accidents.
Trace on fatal casualty in hospital too.
Find who was those casualty?
What age group?
Are they the older generation?
Or The lost generation?
Will get to know what cause all the mess out there in time.
When driving on the road.
What do we use for road safety?
Vision at looking on the road?
What about at high speed?
Who is in control?
What about science and mathematics in driving?
Do we use gravity, velocity, emergency braking distance, impact at high speed, engine horse power, tire safety, air pressure, alertness etc while driving?
Or with " Officer ! I did honk the victim." But he keep on crossing the road in running down the poor old aged victim with poor eyesight, poor hearing, weak and wobbling knees who could not make a quick run from the car that is going to run him down in time.
Luke 21.30-36
Luke 6.39-40,41-45,46-49
Luke 9.25,55-56,60
Luke 8.5-8,10-17
Luke 4.4
Matt 22.17-21,32
What do you think?

little weed

Ban all vehicles and put petrol prices sky high ...Labour won't be satisfied until they have done this. They can lower the 30mph down to snail speed of 20mph but whilst ever there are cars on the road there will be deaths,that's a fact of life. Lowering the limits won't stop the boy racers and speed merchants. What we need are tougher penalties for those who drive dangerously.
The vast majority of deaths on our roads are not speed related. They should stop the road narrowings and give motorists more room for manoeuvre.
I agree with Tedward.

johnfromdon

Ensure we don't have Eastern Europeans on the road!

Seriously, speed cameras dont really work.
Teach proper lane discipline to people for motorway drivers - look at all those people driving Citroen Picassos in the middle lane of the Motorways!

warrior

In Texas, we have reduced our deaths by making the use of seat belts mandatory for all passengers in autos or trucks; auto makers are installing air bags on autos and trucks; our police are actively observing our roadways and highways for speeders and violators of other traffic regulations particularly street light runners; and dui has become very expensive for violators. To have safe roads, a joint dedication by the drivers, law enforcement, and the courts must be made.

You can do it.

James K

You have to get your photocard license updated every ten years. Have re-tests at the same time. Re-tests should also be mandatory for those over a certain age at more frequent intervals (We'll say 65). The test has gotten harder over the years, but those that passed years ago are still driving about, with the bad habits they've picked up over the years. I would be very surprised if a large percentage of people who have had a license for twenty years plus would pass their test if forced to sit it again.

In short, education is the answer. I am fed up with driving about seeing idiots overtake on blind corners, blind summits, stop on a pedestrian crossing when in a queue and then almost mow over the pedestrian when they move off when the light is red. It is safe to say that the people who do this wouldn't know the stopping distance in normal conditions, let alone in the wet or on icy roads. I also see a lot of under inflated tyres in queues ahead of me. Even if they knew how to stop, they wouldn't be able to. I believe that in the new driving tests you have to know basic maintenance skills. How many people from even 10 years ago know that your tyres can lose air over time?

Popsifreak

Get rid of the Chavs and Boy racers.
Well in places like France, the roads are really safe and good because they are so long, meaning that the cars are more spread out because of their length. Therefore causing less road traffic collisions.
And as Britain is a rather small country, we cant really do anything apart from what I first suggested haaa

Clay

Reduce speed limits, reduce traffic on our crowded roads by investing in public transport to make it a viable and attractive alternative

davidc

make the roads wider. Powerful cars shouldnt be sold to under 30's.
When your over 60 we should stop driving.
Small things but can reduce.

TaxPayer

Restrict engine sizes for under 21s to 1000cc, Under 30s to 1600cc.
The greater majority of accidents resulting in death occur due to careless driving and unfortunately the two age groups who contribute the most are the 17-28 year old males.

Surprisingly speed is only a small percentage of the causes. But is often a contributing factor.

katy

road signs in different languages for the immigrant population

sheetwowsheet

Enforce the speed limits rigorously and increase the penalties for driving offences.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: