Carnage on our roads?

[Brandane]

As one who spends an unhealthy amount of time on the roads in a variety of vehicles (bicycle, motorbike, car, HGV's), it has not gone unnoticed that for whatever reason, they have become very much more dangerous in the last few years. Every time I look on local news pages on-line, there is another story of tragedy in this area.
I live in a small town in Ayrshire, and in the last week alone we have lost 2 residents in road crashes. The latest involving a 17 year old girl . bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west.

Just a week ago, and a few miles from the above crash, it was a 53 year old male. bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west.

Last night, another bad crash about 8 miles away leaving a driver " fighting for life".

If this is a typical representation across the rest of the country, then things are bad out there. We can speculate all we like about the causes of accidents; all I know is that every day I see several examples of outstanding phuckwittery by drivers, and very little in the way of law enforcement going on. Yes I know the statistics are probably showing that we have one of the lowest road death rates in the world, but for how much longer? I know that I am certainly not full of confidence that I will get home in one piece when I venture out on the road. Especially on the motorbike. You thought cyclists were invisible to cars? Try taking a motorised version out there. In fact the nobbers can't even see brightly painted articulated lorries, so what chance for the rest of us? At least when I'm in the lorry and some nobber pulls into my path, they are only going to hurt themselves! And breathe ......

 

[gbb]

It may be the time of year, the roads arw wet and slippery, its darker...people just dont adapt.
I think it also goes in phases, you see nothing then they all come together.
This lunchtime, coming home feom work I saw some flashing yellow lights ahead...aha, a car has (in all probability) took a 90 degree bend too fast, fishtailed it and slid into a ditch...in almost exactly the same spot someone else did a few weeks ago. A couple miles up the road there's another series of 90 degree bends...earlier this year they caught out 3 or 4 cars on seperate occasions, all within a month. Road conditions and failure to adapt in a lot of cases I suspect.

 

[G3CWI]

The statistics are clear. It certainly gets worse every year.

http://charts.dft.gov.uk/dft-business-plan/indicators/#05

Not.

 

[Mrs M]

Similar situation up here.
Road tragedies most days in the local press.
Going to work each morning in the passenger seat I get really wound up to see drivers quite obviously texting, etc when moving in slow traffic, also the lane weavers and would be rally drivers .

 

[Levo-Lon]

It would be nice to see shoot heads turn their bloody lights on..amazes me how many are oblivious to this concept..

 

[Mrs M]

It would be nice to see shoot heads turn their bloody lights on..amazes me how many are oblivious to this concept..

Mr M always flashes them (with the car headlights) .
Occassionaly gets a naughty gesture in return.

 

[Drago]

Considering the number of motor vehicles has fallen slightly and the number of road mile covered annually fallen a lot, we should be seeing something more marked than the slight drop in casualties of recent years.

 

[gavroche]

There are more and more vehicles on our roads every year and roads are saturated so people get frustrated when going from a to b and take chances. Also, alcohol and drugs contribute to bad driving too. Finally, cars are more powerful and in the wrong hands, disaster happens. The driving test is also outdated and elderly people should assessed regularly from the age of 70.

 

[NorthernDave]

This time of year (the couple of weeks after the clocks go back) usually sees a bit of a spike in RTC's - people aren't used to driving in the dark, the weather is worsening so roads are slippery, etc and some people just don't adjust their approach.
Plus, roads policing was one of the first casualties of budget cuts, so the chances of any roadside education / enforcement action are pretty slim.

 

[Neilsmith]

Considering the number of motor vehicles has fallen slightly and the number of road mile covered annually fallen a lot, we should be seeing something more marked than the slight drop in casualties of recent years.

According to the department of transport the number of vehicles and miles driven has risen 9 quarters in a row, apparently it dropped briefly in the past which they put down to the recession at the time. So the figures dropping while the roads get busier is progress lets hope.

 

[Brandane]

The statistics are clear. It certainly gets worse every year.

http://charts.dft.gov.uk/dft-business-plan/indicators/#05

Not.

Ahh; Government stats; always reliable and meaningful. Not.
Apart from Drago's point re less miles being driven, let's look at motorcyclist fatalities. They actually ROSE between 2012 and 2013, despite the fact that the number of new motorcycles registered has been dropping since 2008 (some meaningless BS statistics of my own, gathered from your DfT link).

 

[gaz71]

It might help if using mobile phones whilst driving was banned...oh hang on.

 

[Neilsmith]

I think those stats show a clear downward trend with one or two exceptions. Bikes as you pointed out being one of them.

 

[Brandane]

I think those stats show a clear downward trend with one or two exceptions. Bikes as you pointed out being one of them.

Yes even the DfT would struggle to adjust overall stats on road deaths. However, how many lives are being saved by safety improvements in cars? How many by medical advances? Road crashes which would have resulted in fatalities a decade ago are likely to be survivable now. Statistics aren't going to show that.
On the same note, how many accidents are being caused by drivers driving like plonks because they believe that airbags and crumple zones make them invincible?

 

[Neilsmith]

Yes even the DfT would struggle to adjust overall stats on road deaths. However, how many lives are being saved by safety improvements in cars? How many by medical advances? Road crashes which would have resulted in fatalities a decade ago are likely to be survivable now. Statistics aren't going to show that.
On the same note, how many accidents are being caused by drivers driving like plonks because they believe that airbags and crumple zones make them invincible?

I would have to agree with you on this, something which I have often thought