What small changes would you make to improve road/car safety
Discussion
Pan Pan said:
Bear in mind that that there is often a hefty blind spot between the screen mirror, and wing mirror. so that some after checking these, assume that there are no vehicles near them, and pull onto the road / into an adjacent lane, when there is actually another vehicle there.
A quick look over the right shoulder every time, is the best cure for this situation.
Not guaranteed though, but not driving alongside others would help prevent being a victim to a 'blind spot'. A quick look over the right shoulder every time, is the best cure for this situation.
heebeegeetee said:
Pan Pan said:
Bear in mind that that there is often a hefty blind spot between the screen mirror, and wing mirror. so that some after checking these, assume that there are no vehicles near them, and pull onto the road / into an adjacent lane, when there is actually another vehicle there.
A quick look over the right shoulder every time, is the best cure for this situation.
Not guaranteed though, but not driving alongside others would help prevent being a victim to a 'blind spot'. A quick look over the right shoulder every time, is the best cure for this situation.
unless you mean that a vehicle already on the road being joined, adjusts their speed upwards or downwards make space for a joining vehicle.
This is plain common sense on the part of the vehicle already on the road. but if a vehicle joining a road, causes vehicles already on the road to take avoidance action, technically the joining vehicle has broken the law.
We really need to know the most common caused of accidents in order to know what changes would be effective. The most common basic cause could well be lack of concentration, followed by impatience, both difficult to legislate for.
How many accidents are actually caused or even significantly contributed to by mechanical failure? Other than bald tyres very few probably. Similarly for poor skid control technique, and I can't really believe that failure to understand understeer or oversteer is relevant at all.
I think a regular driver assessment, followed by a retest for the worst cases, is probably the only legislative change that would have significant effect.
How many accidents are actually caused or even significantly contributed to by mechanical failure? Other than bald tyres very few probably. Similarly for poor skid control technique, and I can't really believe that failure to understand understeer or oversteer is relevant at all.
I think a regular driver assessment, followed by a retest for the worst cases, is probably the only legislative change that would have significant effect.
Since the 5/10 year retest idea is cropping up quite regularly so far, do we actually think this would have much impact on road safety? After all, these f
king idiots managed to pass a test once so what's to say they wouldn't pass again? It might catch a few but since you're allowed to take unlimited tests they're going to pass eventually.
So with that in mind, I suggest:
1. Make the test a LOT harder, including a reaction time test along the lines of the current hazard perception test.
2. 3 test fails & you must wait a minimum of a year before taking another, with the requirement that you have taken at least another 5 lessons in between (signed off by the instructor).
3. Once passed, you must have a minimum of 2 hours of motorway lessons, again signed off by the instructor. So the procedure would be: provisional licence, provisional+ licence (test passed but motorway lessons/test not completed) valid for one year, full licence once the motorway bit has been signed off.
king idiots managed to pass a test once so what's to say they wouldn't pass again? It might catch a few but since you're allowed to take unlimited tests they're going to pass eventually.So with that in mind, I suggest:
1. Make the test a LOT harder, including a reaction time test along the lines of the current hazard perception test.
2. 3 test fails & you must wait a minimum of a year before taking another, with the requirement that you have taken at least another 5 lessons in between (signed off by the instructor).
3. Once passed, you must have a minimum of 2 hours of motorway lessons, again signed off by the instructor. So the procedure would be: provisional licence, provisional+ licence (test passed but motorway lessons/test not completed) valid for one year, full licence once the motorway bit has been signed off.
It's not unusual when more than one person in a car to see the driver turning their head and looking at the passenger when talking when they should be paying attention to the road ahead. Drivers should be able to conduct a reasonable conversation whilst looking out front where they are going. Worries me even more when this is happening in the car immediately behind me. Police should have power to charge " driving without due care & attention" as these idiots are an accident waiting to happen.
Also the prolific use of screen driven menu systems in cars should be curtailed as this can cause real distraction taking a drivers attention away from the road ahead. I realise this is tricky for manufacturers but you have got to admit these systems are far too complex today and something less "involving" would definitely make driving safer.
A last point..the fitting of " multi function " light binnacle on cars that don't give enough definition between functions at night e.g. The mk5/6 golf have a rear indicator inside the light. When the rear light is illuminated the indicator is then masked slightly with no clear definition. The new Beatle also has the smallest rear indicator I've see for a while...I feel this is style taking over from function and in a safety feature is that right?
Also the prolific use of screen driven menu systems in cars should be curtailed as this can cause real distraction taking a drivers attention away from the road ahead. I realise this is tricky for manufacturers but you have got to admit these systems are far too complex today and something less "involving" would definitely make driving safer.
A last point..the fitting of " multi function " light binnacle on cars that don't give enough definition between functions at night e.g. The mk5/6 golf have a rear indicator inside the light. When the rear light is illuminated the indicator is then masked slightly with no clear definition. The new Beatle also has the smallest rear indicator I've see for a while...I feel this is style taking over from function and in a safety feature is that right?
sparks_E39 said:
Motorway/night/wet weather/skid pan to be compulsory in the driving test is a great idea. I have a (25 year old) female freind who absolutely will not drive on a motorway, will do anything she can to avoid driving at night and avoids roundabouts. In my opinion such people shouldn't be on the road if they can't cope with such basic aspects of driving.
Good luck with motorway tests in this part of the countryNo matter what, there is only one way to improve road safety by a significant margin. Ban human beings. Either that or accept that there are good and bad drivers, that there will always be the minority who drink/drug drive, those who speed (Not a PHer of course!), always be that moment of inattention, that muddy wet bend where tractors have been in and out of a field, that black ice, and there will always be accidents. Then get on with life. It is being human that makes us dangerous.
Centurion07 said:
Since the 5/10 year retest idea is cropping up quite regularly so far, do we actually think this would have much impact on road safety? After all, these fking idiots managed to pass a test once so what's to say they wouldn't pass again? It might catch a few but since you're allowed to take unlimited tests they're going to pass eventually.
That's an argument against having tests at all though.king idiots managed to pass a test once so what's to say they wouldn't pass again? It might catch a few but since you're allowed to take unlimited tests they're going to pass eventually.The fact is that driver assessments/refreshers are effective at reducing accidents. The point is that there are a lot of accidents that are caused by ordinary drivers making mistakes, they aren't all caused by the lunatic fringe. For another thing such assessments identify occasions when the ordinary driver is leaving themselves vulnerable to idiots and where they could increase their safety margin.
Dr Jekyll said:
We really need to know the most common caused of accidents in order to know what changes would be effective. The most common basic cause could well be lack of concentration, followed by impatience, both difficult to legislate for.
How many accidents are actually caused or even significantly contributed to by mechanical failure? Other than bald tyres very few probably. Similarly for poor skid control technique, and I can't really believe that failure to understand understeer or oversteer is relevant at all.
I think a regular driver assessment, followed by a retest for the worst cases, is probably the only legislative change that would have significant effect.
Hush how. We'll have no good sense in this thread, thank you very much. How many accidents are actually caused or even significantly contributed to by mechanical failure? Other than bald tyres very few probably. Similarly for poor skid control technique, and I can't really believe that failure to understand understeer or oversteer is relevant at all.
I think a regular driver assessment, followed by a retest for the worst cases, is probably the only legislative change that would have significant effect.
Negative Creep said:
sparks_E39 said:
Motorway/night/wet weather/skid pan to be compulsory in the driving test is a great idea. I have a (25 year old) female freind who absolutely will not drive on a motorway, will do anything she can to avoid driving at night and avoids roundabouts. In my opinion such people shouldn't be on the road if they can't cope with such basic aspects of driving.
Good luck with motorway tests in this part of the countryEasy to implement south and east of Manchester but not very practical elsewhere. I'm not saying it couldn't add value, but it's still impractical.
Dr Jekyll said:
The fact is that driver assessments/refreshers are effective at reducing accidents.
Do you have any evidence of that?I think all retesting would do is create enormous expense and inconvenience and result in even more unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road than we have now.
Such enormous expense would be far better spent on something else if the intention is to save lives.
heebeegeetee said:
Do you have any evidence of that?
I think all retesting would do is create enormous expense and inconvenience and result in even more unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road than we have now.
Such enormous expense would be far better spent on something else if the intention is to save lives.
I tend to agree with that, given that the most dangerous drivers on the road have been very recently trained, tested and passed as fit to drive.I think all retesting would do is create enormous expense and inconvenience and result in even more unlicensed and uninsured drivers on the road than we have now.
Such enormous expense would be far better spent on something else if the intention is to save lives.
Mr SFJ said:
- Also, I feel that cyclists should also have to contribute to the upkeep of the roads, and pay insurance and have yearly inspections, because A: they use the road too, so why not pay for the upkeep/introduction of new cycle lanes? and B: if there is an accident they have the same insurance as car drivers.
- Also; there should be a fine, or consequences set in place for cyclists who run red lights.
It might be safer for all concerned if drivers without an ounce of intelligence were banned from using the road.- Also; there should be a fine, or consequences set in place for cyclists who run red lights.
Getting rid of them from internet forums would also make PH less embarrassing.
CraigyMc said:
darreni said:
Mobile phone use - 1 year ban
If caught a second time - 3 year ban.
Do you mean using a mobile phone while driving, or holding one?If caught a second time - 3 year ban.
One of those is legal at the moment.
I'd make the law in the UK the same.
With all of the modern Bluetooth tech, I can't see any reason for fumbling about with a phone when you are driving.
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