Certainly is a problem locally, and much more common in busier inner cities. Most roads are not as cycle friendly as needed, which forces cyclists on the path as well. But cyclists do put themselves at risk of being hit by going incorrectly through red lights, as they are not expected (or seen) by the other vehicles, possibly moving quickly.

The Government announced plans today to crack down on those who drive while under the influence of drugs.

Source:  Department of Transport

Would be a very sensible change, if and when the detection methods are proved to be effective. Driving under the influence of drugs, is a real problem to road safety and needs to be taken as seriously as drink driving has been for many years.

Jennifer M Whitehill, a PhD student at the University of Washington, said: ‘We know it is important to prevent young drivers from taking their hands off the wheel and eyes off the road to use a cell phone.

‘This study suggests that thinking about future cell phone calls and messages may be an additional source of distraction that could contribute to crashes.’

As mobiles and other electronic devices get ever more sophisticated  the risk to road safety will increase. Something needs to be done to help cut down on the problem, but authorities may struggle to find an easy cure.

Parents will always worry about children, especially with the dangers of cars. Therefore to best way to keep children safe, is for their driver education and knowledge to be accurate. So taking the correct amount of training before a driving test will allow secure skills, and taking post test training (with the Drive iQ PRO or Pass Plus course), will help to build confidence and extra awareness of potential dangers.

We don’t need a survey to tell us when you are performing an secondary task when driving, that your road vision and handling would be decreased, but the figures for those who think it is ok to put themselves and others at risk is worryingly high. More education is needed to help make drivers more aware.

Definitely a big concern on the roads. There needs to be clear education on the problems of taking drugs of any kind before driving, so motorists understand the risks, and allowing them to make a correct judgement of whether to drive or not. This needs to be backed up with proper roadside testing, as with the drink driving laws.

This suggests that there are many millions of vehicles on our streets, that may have some kind of problem that needs attention. Obviously not everyone is trained in car mechanics, so it’s wise for all drivers to seek advice as soon as a loss of performance, or any strange noises are heard, rather that wait months till the next routine service.

So why are new drivers more at risk? It is because they do not know the road or how to control a vehicle? Possibly not, as the test is unlikely to be passed if this was true. Or is it down to lack of concentration or application to the roads? If everyone drove throughout their life with the same attitude as they do on driving tests the amount of crashes and convictions would be minimal. Perhaps more  needs to done to educate new drivers, or even introduce compulsory post-test training and additional testing.

A £1.2 million THINK! campaign urging drivers to see the person behind the motorcycle helmet was launched today by Road Safety Minister Mike Penning.

It’s worth remembering that a proportion of driving lesson time is actually spent learning how to reverse and park the car, which leaves less actual ‘driving time’, which even lessens the experience of interacting with other motorists.

Always very important for all new drivers to get the correct education and experience for taking to the roads, because for those who manage to ‘scrape a pass’ will not be better drivers after passing their test, they will just be allowed to drive on their own will low skills. 

Clutter free street (from daily mail 2/2/11)

Exhibition road, in Kensington London has opened a street free from all the great amount of  road furniture and unnecessary objects we see these days.  The thought for the planners of this concept, which has its origins from Europe, would be for the motorists and pedestrians to think more about their actions, therefore  interacting safer with each other. An expensive scheme costing a reported £30 million.

Providing pedestrians and motorists monitor and respect each others actions, we may see many more of these types of roads springing up around the country. Many motorists currently don’t look at road signs, react to what they say, or sometimes even know what they mean, so this scheme could improve their awareness and safety.

Is the move sensible? Surely it will lead to more sub-standard vehicles on our roads, in turn possibly decreasing road safety. Two years is a long time between checks, a lot can go wrong, and potentially led to a dangerous vehicle being driven for many thousands of miles on the roads.

For anyone who has had a heavy cold and tried to concentrate on tasks, or even just watching the television, will understand how hard it is to remain focussed on the job at hand sometimes. Additionally drugs that may be taken to combat the illness, may well cause drowsiness, leading to even less concentration powers still. Always wise to stay off the roads, if impaired in any way, not worth the risk.

Drivers need to be educated more to the risks that mobile phones have on safe driving, as only a small distraction can lead to major incidents developing. This needs to be enforced on the roads, as drivers flout the law at present, as there is a limited chance of being caught.

This is a very under-estimated problem on the roads, as amounts of any type of drugs can cause massive impairments to drivers judgements, and therefore road safety. Surely a combination of driver education to the risks and potential dangers of all types of drugs would be a start. Then backed up by tougher rules and testing as required.

In some countries there is a zero figure for alcohol levels when driving, maybe we will find that level arrive here in the future. If not we need to educate drivers more, on the risks of drinking and driving, so that deaths and injuries from alcohol related crashes are reduced to zero.

Switching off the lights should not pose too much of a problem for drivers, who will have to drive on a great many unlit roads  anyway. It would seem sensible to turn off some lights as the roads quieten down, then some more could be lost in the middle of the night, this way we could save money and keep roads safe.

The new offence of ‘causing serious injury by dangerous driving’ will carry a maximum sentence of five years in prison and allow the courts to impose tougher punishments on dangerous drivers who devastate the lives of others.

The changes will be taken forward as part of the Government’s Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Bill.

For the vast majority of other dangerous driving cases, the maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment provides the courts with sufficient and proportionate powers to punish offenders.

Justice Secretary Kenneth Clarke said:

“Dangerous driving can destroy lives and have a devastating effect on victims and their families and friends.

“We have listened to the victims of dangerous drivers, their families, MPs, judges and road safety groups and their experiences have directly informed these changes.

“Making our roads safer is a priority – five people died on our roads each day last year, so we need to do everything we can to further improve safety.”

Ellen Booth, Brake senior campaigns officer said:

“Brake wholeheartedly welcomes this new offence which will help to provide justice to families whose lives have been ripped apart by dangerous drivers.

“As a charity that supports bereaved and seriously injured victims of road crashes, we repeatedly see victims’ families being grossly let down by the justice system, which only adds to the terrible trauma they must endure.

“This new offence finally means that serious injury is recognised within the title of the offence, and this recognition is vitally important to victims and their families. It also means that dangerous drivers who inflict serious injuries can expect to see higher sentences to better reflect the terrible trauma and injuries they have caused.”

Road Safety Minister Mike Penning said:

“The vast majority of motorists are safe and responsible but the wilfully reckless minority who put lives in danger must face serious penalties.

“We are taking action to help the police tackle drink and drug driving, as well as to crack down on uninsured and dangerous drivers, and this new offence will mean the courts can properly punish those who inflict serious injuries.

“These measures – together with improved educational courses for drivers who need to improve their skills – will help ensure Britain’s roads remain among the safest in the world.”

Andrew Howard, Head of Road Safety at the AA said:

“Dangerous drivers who do so wilfully choose to take risks and should face the consequences of their actions.

“These law changes should make sentences more proportionate to the devastation dangerous driving causes and should also deter people from driving badly.”

Source: DSA

35% didn’t know it was an offence

88% 17 year olds have had an accident or near miss when ignoring the lights

A craze of risky amber gamblers is sweeping the nation as hasty drivers admit to breaking the law and steaming through traffic light signals because they haven‟t got time to stop, new research reveals. A poll of 3,000 motorists by Thrifty Car & Van Rental reveals a staggering eight out of ten (85%) drivers admit to gambling amber lights in an attempt to race through 2 the traffic, with nearly four out of ten (38%) saying they rarely stop if the lights are on amber. Sixteen per cent (16%) even confess that amber is like a green light to them. Worryingly more than one in ten (13%) motorists has had an accident or near miss as a result of belting through an amber signal. Half (50%) have been shouted at by their passenger and more than a quarter (26%) have been sworn or beeped at by other drivers. If a driver crosses a light on amber, it is an offence, unless they can show that it was unsafe to stop. For some time The Department for Transport has been researching the use of continuous flashing amber signals on traffic lights at quiet times, in a bid to ease traffic flow.   More