Driving Behaviour
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DRIVER BEHAVIOUR
RAC Foundation say Scotland’s drivers are too close
More than a quarter of motorists in Scotland are ‘an accident waiting to happen’ - as they drive too close to the car in front, according to the RAC Foundation today (7) at the launch of Strathclyde Police’s RU 2 Close? campaign.
The figures come from a recent traffic survey conducted by the RAC Foundation on the M8 and make for worrying reading. The results also show that more than 60 per cent of drivers were travelling too close to the vehicle in front when clusters of vehicles were measured.
The results have prompted the Foundation to call for an extension to an innovative new system of road markings that appear to be contributing to lessening tailgating on motorways in some areas. The tailgating survey was also carried out at a location where chevrons, designed to encourage drivers to keep their distance from one another, were located.
The results show that on the stretch of road before the chevrons, tailgating was at around 60 per cent. Encouragingly, right in the middle of the chevron patch, it appeared to drop off significantly. While it did pick up again after the chevron patch, not to the extent that it was at beforehand - suggesting chevrons could have a role to play in changing driver behaviour.
At present there are only a small number of sites on UK motorways with chevrons, and although acknowledging that the ‘novelty factor’ may make people keep their distance at chevron locations, the Foundation is calling for a review as to whether any more appropriate sites for chevrons can be identified.
A previous TRL study has shown accident reduction of 56 per cent at chevrons sites, compared to the same stretch of road before the chevrons were installed.
The survey results also picked up on other poor driver behaviour whilst tailgating, including a man driving whilst chatting on his mobile phone, children in the back seat of a car with no seatbelts, and a convertible car sandwiched between two heavy goods vehicles.
At the commencement RU2 Close? - a two week long, high-profile education and enforcement campaign run by Strathclyde Police Force which aims to stress the dangers of driving too close to the car in front - the RAC Foundation revealed that tailgating not only costs lives but also large amounts of money because of the delays and non injury accidents it causes.
According to the Foundation, phantom traffic jams are caused by motorists who tailgate. If a vehicle is driving too close to the one in front and the lead vehicle slows down, then the following vehicle will have to brake sharply resulting in a “red light” domino effect - the red light is the brake light that the following driver sees ahead. The driver behind then brakes suddenly and this has a domino effect until further down the line traffic grinds to a halt.
Motorists are then perplexed as to what has caused the traffic jam. In reality they have all caused the traffic jam because of their sharp braking. The easiest way to prevent phantom traffic jams is to keep a good distance from the car ahead.
The tailgating survey was conducted at 15 sites across the UK, for a period of two hours. The total sample of vehicles was approximately 15,000. Data collected from the M8 site showed that 27 per cent of drivers were driving too close.
Following on from the success of last years initiative and in response to intelligence that identifies ‘failing to maintain a safe distance’ between vehicles as still a leading causation factor in road crashes, Strathclyde Police will once again implement the RU 2 CLOSE? road safety initiative throughout the Force area. The initiative will commence at 0700 hrs on Monday 7 February and will conclude at 0700 hrs on Monday 21 February 2005. The aim of the campaign will be to heighten driver awareness of this issue and the possible consequences by encouraging them to review their driving practices, particularly during a month, which is traditionally associated with poor weather conditions.
Contact Alexis Hall, Media Relations Officer, Corporate Communications, Strathclyde Police on 0141 532 2812 for more details.
RAC Foundation say Scotland’s drivers are too close
More than a quarter of motorists in Scotland are ‘an accident waiting to happen’ - as they drive too close to the car in front, according to the RAC Foundation today (7) at the launch of Strathclyde Police’s RU 2 Close? campaign.
The figures come from a recent traffic survey conducted by the RAC Foundation on the M8 and make for worrying reading. The results also show that more than 60 per cent of drivers were travelling too close to the vehicle in front when clusters of vehicles were measured.
The results have prompted the Foundation to call for an extension to an innovative new system of road markings that appear to be contributing to lessening tailgating on motorways in some areas. The tailgating survey was also carried out at a location where chevrons, designed to encourage drivers to keep their distance from one another, were located.
The results show that on the stretch of road before the chevrons, tailgating was at around 60 per cent. Encouragingly, right in the middle of the chevron patch, it appeared to drop off significantly. While it did pick up again after the chevron patch, not to the extent that it was at beforehand - suggesting chevrons could have a role to play in changing driver behaviour.
At present there are only a small number of sites on UK motorways with chevrons, and although acknowledging that the ‘novelty factor’ may make people keep their distance at chevron locations, the Foundation is calling for a review as to whether any more appropriate sites for chevrons can be identified.
A previous TRL study has shown accident reduction of 56 per cent at chevrons sites, compared to the same stretch of road before the chevrons were installed.
The survey results also picked up on other poor driver behaviour whilst tailgating, including a man driving whilst chatting on his mobile phone, children in the back seat of a car with no seatbelts, and a convertible car sandwiched between two heavy goods vehicles.
At the commencement RU2 Close? - a two week long, high-profile education and enforcement campaign run by Strathclyde Police Force which aims to stress the dangers of driving too close to the car in front - the RAC Foundation revealed that tailgating not only costs lives but also large amounts of money because of the delays and non injury accidents it causes.
According to the Foundation, phantom traffic jams are caused by motorists who tailgate. If a vehicle is driving too close to the one in front and the lead vehicle slows down, then the following vehicle will have to brake sharply resulting in a “red light” domino effect - the red light is the brake light that the following driver sees ahead. The driver behind then brakes suddenly and this has a domino effect until further down the line traffic grinds to a halt.
Motorists are then perplexed as to what has caused the traffic jam. In reality they have all caused the traffic jam because of their sharp braking. The easiest way to prevent phantom traffic jams is to keep a good distance from the car ahead.
The tailgating survey was conducted at 15 sites across the UK, for a period of two hours. The total sample of vehicles was approximately 15,000. Data collected from the M8 site showed that 27 per cent of drivers were driving too close.
Following on from the success of last years initiative and in response to intelligence that identifies ‘failing to maintain a safe distance’ between vehicles as still a leading causation factor in road crashes, Strathclyde Police will once again implement the RU 2 CLOSE? road safety initiative throughout the Force area. The initiative will commence at 0700 hrs on Monday 7 February and will conclude at 0700 hrs on Monday 21 February 2005. The aim of the campaign will be to heighten driver awareness of this issue and the possible consequences by encouraging them to review their driving practices, particularly during a month, which is traditionally associated with poor weather conditions.
Contact Alexis Hall, Media Relations Officer, Corporate Communications, Strathclyde Police on 0141 532 2812 for more details.
Good post, Street
M1 Southbound J40 - accidents every week in rush hour due to tailgating. Its downhill and up the otherside to the junction and what happens is that someone decides at the 200m marker to go from outside lane to inside - sudden braking - all cars too close - four car pile up.
Numpties
M1 Southbound J40 - accidents every week in rush hour due to tailgating. Its downhill and up the otherside to the junction and what happens is that someone decides at the 200m marker to go from outside lane to inside - sudden braking - all cars too close - four car pile up.
Numpties
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