Cyclist deaths soar on rural roads in England

[mjr]

While I take your point that the speed limits are too high on those roads, only a lunatic would drive at speeds approaching the limit on most of them.

9% of cars measured were exceeding the speed limit on 60mph single carriageway roads, according to the gov.uk speed limit compliance report for July-September 2021. https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...tics-for-great-britain-july-to-september-2021

1 in 11 are lunatics out there, then!

The figures for motorways and 30mph are far worse, with about half of car drivers speeding.

 

[Alex321]

9% of cars measured were exceeding the speed limit on 60mph single carriageway roads, according to the gov.uk speed limit compliance report for July-September 2021. https://www.gov.uk/government/stati...tics-for-great-britain-july-to-september-2021

1 in 11 are lunatics out there, then!

The figures for motorways and 30mph are far worse, with about half of car drivers speeding.

They won't have been measuring them on the type of roads we are talking about.

They will have been measuring them on rural A or B roads, not the minor roads where two cars can only just squeeze past each other.

In fact they say:
" Only sites where the road conditions are free flowing and there are no junctions, hills, sharp bends, speed enforcement cameras or other traffic calming measures. The statistics do not cover roads where the road layout or traffic calming measures are likely to constrain vehicle speeds. This includes smart motorways. "

 

[mjr]

They won't have been measuring them on the type of roads we are talking about.

They will have been measuring them on rural A or B roads, not the minor roads where two cars can only just squeeze past each other.

In fact they say:
" Only sites where the road conditions are free flowing and there are no junctions, hills, sharp bends, speed enforcement cameras or other traffic calming measures. The statistics do not cover roads where the road layout or traffic calming measures are likely to constrain vehicle speeds. This includes smart motorways. "

Some rural A&Bs are that narrow and I'm not seeing narrow as an exclusion. I also read the exclusion of sharp bends as being only those where it's physically impossible to break the limit. Part of the A10 has speed sensors on the entry/exit to bends because it's been used to justify an enforcement camera installation.

But if you know more, I defer to your knowledge.

 

[Alex321]

Some rural A&Bs are that narrow and I'm not seeing narrow as an exclusion. I also read the exclusion of sharp bends as being only those where it's physically impossible to break the limit. Part of the A10 has speed sensors on the entry/exit to bends because it's been used to justify an enforcement camera installation.

But if you know more, I defer to your knowledge.

I understood "where road conditions are free slowing" to exclude the sort of minor roads we are talking about.

I take the whole thing as meaning they only measure in places where there is no real reason apart from the 60 limit why you can't drive faster than that.

Of course, you may have meant rather better roads than I was thinking of when you said the limit should be reduced, but you did say " roads too minor or narrow to have painted lane lines IMO. "

Incidentally, I would agree that it would be much more reasonable to have a 40 limit on such roads, even though I also believe very few will even reach 60 on most of them. But presumably you would then need to add signs everywhere you went from a main road onto one with no lines, or change the signs when already present, unless you are now going to say the sign with the black bar now means 40 if there are no lines.

 

[HMS_Dave]

"As the temperature drops and the dark takes hold, NFU Mutual has joined forces with British Cycling and the British Horse Society to launch a campaign called Respect Rural Roads, urging those travelling around the countryside to take more care.
They believe that the number of fatalities and serious injuries can be reduced on rural roads if people "respect and understand the needs of all rural road users" and "make safety their priority".

I always question the viability and usefulness of organisations such as "Respect Rural Roads". We of course need more data, but it would be interesting to see how many fatalities and injuries are caused by speeding, driving without due care and attention, under the influence etc etc... Tackling rural road safety from a "pay more attention" aspect isn't going to appeal to those with fat exhausts, twatster users on mobile phones and those who like a tipple before their drive through the countryside... If anything, it proves that there is very little that is being done to tackle road safety...

But, as i say more data is required.

 

[cyberknight]

With cyclists numbers doubled on rural roads. Risk of death unchanged.

indeed i was merely pointing out the article headline was misleading

 

[derrick]

The only way to stop most of this is fines, but to make it fair on everyone the more you have the more you pay, as it is now the rich don't worry to much the odd hundred pound fine does not affect them like it does the poorer people. More bans would help a bit, but then you would have more uninsured drivers on the road. more policing would go a long way to help. To many people with not enough room for them all. What we really need is a culling system. That last remark was a joke before all the idiots start having a go.

 

[Dogtrousers]

Caught speeding? Off to the Soylent Green facility with you. Problem solved.

 

[Drago]

Caught speeding? Immediate 28 day ban, doubling for every extra 5 mph over the limit.

!!! A VOTE FOR DRAGO IS A VOTE FOR ROAD SAFETY AND COMMON SENSE !!!

 

[steve292]

Caught speeding? Immediate 28 day ban, doubling for every extra 5 mph over the limit.

!!! A VOTE FOR DRAGO IS A VOTE FOR ROAD SAFETY AND COMMON SENSE !!!

I agree with that. I would also remove the hardship escape loophole that many people use. If a car/van/truck is that essential for work learn to use it properly and legally.