Driver skill key to safety: survey
SE England motorists most skills-conscious
SE drivers praise driver skills
The BRMB poll showed 61 per cent of drivers surveyed in and around the M25 ranked driver ability as more important in safety terms than seat belts, (34 per cent) airbags (three per cent) or speed cameras (which scored just one per cent). Another one per cent replied none of these.
But when asked "what in your opinion is the single most important safety factor in any car journey?" only 39 per cent of drivers in East Anglia put driver ability first, and in the North, just 25 per cent acknowledged the importance of driver ability.
Exactly half of the drivers polled in the West Midlands – the traditional home of the NEC Motor Show - saw driver skill as important in preventing crashes.
Drivers surveyed nationally who had admitted to having a crash over the last two years were less likely to blame the lack of driver ability, preferring to cite unexpected hazards (32 per cent) and driving too close to the vehicle in front (10 per cent).
"This survey is a bit of a shock – there is clearly confusion surrounding what contributes to a potential crashes," said IAM chief executive Christopher Bullock.
"Collisions are not just ‘accidents’: they are caused by human error. Driver skill gives the ability to not only anticipate unexpected hazards but also to set safer following distances. And while seat belts and airbags are great innovations, neither of them actually prevents the crash happening in the first place. They do precious little for the more vulnerable road users such as cyclists and pedestrians. That is where the skill of the driver is so important. Drivers should recognise the need for that responsibility and be prepared to act accordingly," he said.
"Perhaps those who have to cope with daily congestion in London and the South East are that much more realistic about how crashes happen because they see more of them. Surveys indicate that so-called road traffic accidents cause 24 per cent of congestion, and the M25 Heathrow stretch is one of the busiest motorways in Europe."
Bullock said that perceptions and attitudes to driver safety were an important first step to improving behaviour, as illustrated by recent research by Brunel University.
That's got to be the most interesting (if obvious) result.
Did anyone take the devil's advocate approach of asking these respondents why they thought the hazards were unexpected, or whether they thought that an unexpected hazard should always result in a crash or near miss? I know I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation...
You CAN drive very quick, very safe
The polices own driving standards are in most cases awfull.
All we get is more cameras and coppers with guns CRAZY
Teach people some basic driving princaples and watch crashes fall out of site.
Sounds like 'driving too close' has nothing to do with the driver??????? It fascinates me how 10 percent think that's not bad driving. And how the writer of the article didn't point that one out, either.
"Teach people some basic driving princaples and watch crashes fall out of site."
Sadly we live in an age where people don't want to learn, and those in power don't want to risk losing their jobs by encouraging simple learning.
'Got a headache? Take a pill!' Got indigestion? Eat some ant acids! Nothing said about changing position, having a stretch/some fresh air, etc, or choosing different food in future. To say nothing about drinking water or cooking fresh food instead of drinking someone's profitable/poisonous drink and heating some pre made crap.....
Bad driving killing people? Drive slower, then, on roads explensively altered to make overtaking almost impossiible.
Democracy's a seductively lovely idea, but it does mean the country's run by power crazy liars of mostly low intelligence along with a few greedy bastards who make money by controlling the media. Guess what we need to do is teach THEM that if they keep on killing some 1200 people a year with their road 'safety' policy they'll be out of a job....
Mind you, we could look at ourselves. I wonder what proportion of Pistonheads readers have had futher driving tuition since we passed our tests?
So basically this survey shows that most people (outside the S/E) drive around thinking that there is some mysterious force keeping them safe.
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.
Will the last one out of Britain please turn oof the lights.
"AN ORGSANISATION THAT MAKES A LIVING RUNNING DRIVER SKILLS TRAINING, PUBLISHES POLL FINDINGS THAT DRIVERS BELIEVE DRIVING SKILL IS IMPORTANT"
Would you expect the IAM to publish any other finding? (not saying I disagree with this common sense finding).
I suppose a Speed Camera Partnership would come up with a survey that said motorists thought speed camera were a priority.
Unexpected hazards causing a crash, driving too close = lack of driver ability.
Doesn't matter how obvious it is, the idiots who cause accidents through lack of attention will not have that basic self-awareness where they know they are in the wrong and will not do anything about it.
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