How Safe Are Britain's Roads?....

[RedRobin]

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BBC2 now.........

Or if you missed it:   http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nqccq/How_Safe_are_Britains_Roads_Episode_1/     

[nadlad]

Good work robin

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[Deako]

Quite enjoyed this. 

[RedRobin]

^^^^
Me too. Didn't know what it would be like but it was very interesting, covered a lot of aspects, and did it well. Next episode should be good as it deals with drivers.

[rich83]

Not very.

[Horatio]

Im always making this face...so many noobs  



http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nqccq/How_Safe_are_Britains_Roads_Episode_1/

[sub39h]

I'm half way through and I think that it's mostly utter garbage so far. If you don't maintain your tyres (or any other part of your car) and you have a crash there is no excuse - it is your own fault. I also do not buy that raising the speed limit will be dangerous - maybe if the government focused on getting rid of idiots off the road instead of focussing on speeding fine targets our roads would be safer.

Also I'd like to point out that cancer and cardiovascular disease deaths (which are mostly preventable) kill as many people per DAY as who die on UK roads per YEAR. Hence I do not care much for road safety. If you want to save lives your energy is better focussed somewhere else.

Edit: the 2nd half was slightly more bearable, but I think i'll give next week's a miss.

[Horatio]

I'd love to see members on here with the camera device in their modded cars, it would crash the server  !

[mad_pete]

I think if I was flattened by a nutter driver I wouldn't be thinking glad the government spent money trying to get people to jog more and eat lettuce.

Road deaths are too high. 30 minutes in a car in a driving test and you are good in all conditions for the next 50 years ? More like Finland. Night driving, skid control, motorway all part of their test.

The speed limits should go up but in the right places.

[SRC]

The problem with Britains's roads is not Britain's roads.  It's the fact that everyone thinks they're a good driver.  The truth is that those who proclaim it the loudest are usually the worst culprits.

My solution?  Don't spend a penny more on signage, just decent surfacing.  Then charge all drivers £150 every five years for compulsory retests.  That'll stop us slipping into bad habits and clear the roads of those who would be better off getting a minicab on their once-a-week trip to Aldi.

Now my challenge to you there, nodding, is - take an advanced driving assessment. 

[andrewparker]

Road deaths are too high. 30 minutes in a car in a driving test and you are good in all conditions for the next 50 years ? More like Finland. Night driving, skid control, motorway all part of their test.

This. It's far too easy to get a driving licence. No compulsory motorway lessons or tests.

Sure, you'll have perfected a 3-point turn, but that's not going to kill anyone. Not being able to control a skid at 70mph will though.

[RedRobin]

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I agree wholeheartedly with those who say that the key to less road accidents is driver education and teaching car control.

I think that the programme was quite well balanced and covered a lot of aspects objectively. The prog presenter Justin Rowlatt is clearly a typical driver with very bad habits but Anita Rani loves driving and so far appears very much better.

Something that came across very strongly indeed was how far too many drivers stay much too close to the vehicle in front and also don't look far enough ahead. Those are two very very easy habits to break and would result in less accidents.

Unfortunately the standard Advanced Driving courses include eco-crap about always selecting high gears etc whereas the course I went on for performance car driving taught the opposite regarding gear selection.

[mad_pete]

Yes I need to get my advanced done.  As for gear high selection ?   I think VW thought of that and put  D on the shifter for "driving test"  and the box selects the high gears as required. :-)

[sub39h]

Yes I need to get my advanced done.  As for gear high selection ?   I think VW thought of that and put  D on the shifter for "driving test"  and the box selects the high gears as required. :-)

IAM tell you to override an automatic transmission where possible to improve fuel economy - or at least my instructor did.

[RedRobin]

Yes I need to get my advanced done.  As for gear high selection ?   I think VW thought of that and put  D on the shifter for "driving test"  and the box selects the high gears as required. :-)

IAM tell you to override an automatic transmission where possible to improve fuel economy - or at least my instructor did.

....My instructor taught me (a full day in my car) to use D (automatic) as little as possible but to always select the optimum gear for either quickly braking or quickly accelerating as needed. He is qualified as both an Advanced Instructor and a Police Instructor.

Driving safely and driving either economically or for the sake of the environment, are totally unrelated. This is where I strongly disagree with IAM.