RURAL DRIVING

[R0G]

Lots about this on the news today so what is your solution to reduce the incidents on rural roads?

My solution = compulsory graduated licencing where the second part (post basic test) must include driving on motorways if nearby as well as rural road and night driving

[backwoodsman]

I am teaching my wife to drive, and I am making sure she does, country lanes, city driving, heavy rain, dark, and anything else I can think of.

I agree, motorways should be on the test.

[Jasandjules]

Stop telling people that speed kills and tell them to drive properly.

[hondansx]

Haven't seen the news today but i was under the impression that rural accidents mainly involved locals? They get used to driving fast down the lanes until - boom - one day, there's a tractor pulling out of a junction.

I'm no angel by any means, but i'm often surprised when i'm out in the sticks and see pretty mundane cars being flung around on country lanes at high speed.

Sadly, you can't really teach someone not to be complacent. For rural driving, it's about the highways agency increasing visibility and improving road layouts. Oh, but save a few stretches of roads for me to use exclusively...

[Jezzerh]

Jasandjules said:

Stop telling people that speed kills and tell them to drive properly.

+1

[vournikas]

I was surprised (in a good way) listening to BBC Shropshire Radio this morning when they had a transport minister on the line to talk about this very subject.

In the headlines at 8:00, the newsreader stated that the reason for the high percentage of casualties on rural roads was losing control of the vehicle "because of driving too fast". The minister being interviewed, after being asked what the solution is, stated, 'Well, the best thing to do is to drive to the conditions, and make sure you can stop in the distance you can see to be clear'.



A MP talking sense on driving issues???!!!!

I nearly crashed the car

[littleredrooster]

hondansx said:

For rural driving, it's about the highways agency increasing visibility and improving road layouts. Oh, but save a few stretches of roads for me to use exclusively...

The HA have nothing to do with rural roads, that's down to local authorities. HA only do motorways and major trunk roads.

[poing]

Jezzerh said:

Jasandjules said:

Stop telling people that speed kills and tell them to drive properly.

+1

As above.

[eldar]

hondansx said:

Haven't seen the news today but i was under the impression that rural accidents mainly involved locals? They get used to driving fast down the lanes until - boom - one day, there's a tractor pulling out of a junction.

I'm no angel by any means, but i'm often surprised when i'm out in the sticks and see pretty mundane cars being flung around on country lanes at high speed.

Sadly, you can't really teach someone not to be complacent. For rural driving, it's about the highways agency increasing visibility and improving road layouts. Oh, but save a few stretches of roads for me to use exclusively...

I live in Cumbria, the rural bits out west. Lots of fatals per head of population, with two main causes. First is stupid overtaking, resulting in loss of control avoiding a head on - which leads to the second cause, lots of trees, drops and granite lining the roads.

The roads are pretty unforgiving if you make an error.

[Vipers]

backwoodsman said:

I am teaching my wife to drive, and I am making sure she does, country lanes, city driving, heavy rain, dark, and anything else I can think of.

I agree, motorways should be on the test.

I despair when drivers struggle to work out a box junctions let alone motorways.

Back to motorways, no different to a dual carriageway, my view is you can either drive safely or you cant, some will never master safe driving although they may pass a driving test, which is worrying.

Maybe more time on a simulator. At the end of the day no easy answer. What I do know is the standard of driving today is well below standard by a lot of drivers, not all.

[Debaser]

We should ban everyone from whatever the most dangerous roads are.
Eventually we'll end up with no more road deaths.

[TooMany2cvs]

I'm just wondering what a motorway test'll tell people about driving on single-track lanes.

[Vipers]

TooMany2cvs said:

I'm just wondering what a motorway test'll tell people about driving on single-track lanes.

Apart from nothing, nothing.

All driving needs observation, and anticipation, whether its on a single lane or motorway.

On single track lanes, if you cant see past the corner, slow down, we all know that, aint rocket science, sadly as Michael Caine said, "Not everyone knows that"

[MrBarry123]

Ban all travel method other than walking.

[Vipers]

MrBarry123 said:

Ban all travel method other than walking.

Sorted, except those morons texting and will walk into each other

[NiceCupOfTea]

LBC had somebody on from BRAKE discussing this while I was driving home this evening. Didn't do anything for my road safety as I was too busy shouting at the radio

Basically their solution is a blanket reduction in limits. No suggestion that it is a MAXIMUM speed, or that perhaps people should drive to conditions rather than taking their brains out and driving at a speed dictated to them by a number on a stick...

[Who me ?]

I learned to pass the test ,many years ago in a city. Like a lot of country folks, as test centres are few and far between in the country. Problem is that learning to pas the test does not include the driving skills needed to drive safely on country lanes, where the road camber can suddenly become your worst enemy. Then again as mentioned before- the "SPEED KILLS" brigade have a lot to answer for. Their answer is that any speed below the limit is "safe". No mention of sighting distance round a bend, or of attention to negative camber, or road conditions. To them it's safe to drive at 25( 30 limit) on a dry empty road as it is on an iced up road in traffic.