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Do We Need A Better Driving Message?

Mute
in General Automotive Chat

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Thinking about messages broadcast to drivers it's mostly the "speed kills" type. Occasionally "Wear a seatbelt" and seasonally "Don't drink and drive" gets a mention, can't think of much else. Thinking about what messages would be for most benefit, it doesn't match up all that well.

When i see a speed problem, it's rarely above 40mph, it's most commonly things like a driver doing 30mph next to parked cars, round a blind bend in a built up area - 99% of the time the driver wont come a cropper, it's just an average every day occurrence, the norm even, but it's not exactly safe. Often the speed problems are really distance problems - not leaving a safe enough gap for the speed and / or conditions, but we never explain the difference so everything's a speed problem, consequently nothing improves.

I think it would be better spending the time / money on other messages, e.g.

  • Here's how to look ahead, show an in car view, highlight the tell tales up ahead in the distance, finish on a catchy tag line
  • Leave a gap, here's why - show an in car view at 70mph with the car in front stopping suddenly (stationary traffic ahead). Maybe a hardline message, The people who learn this message practically would tell you, but they never survive the lesson, something like that
  • Return to the left. Show a demonstration that you loose no time by letting other cars overtake you when the left is empty. Maybe do the 10 second rule - if you wont pass anything on your left in the next 10 seconds, move left (i.e. show someone contributing their car to a right lane queue for an obstruction they're not near enough to overtake. Show 2 versions - show loads of cars overtaking them having moved to the left, then show time difference to overtake the slow obstacle between being one of the lane hoggers vs. letting more users through a given stretch in the same amount of time).
  • Here's how to use a 2 lane roundabout - how to go straight on (no lane changes halfway across) and how to turn right (always from the right lane unless marked otherwise, maybe demonstrate someone turning right from the left lane and how they meet half way round with someone going straight on from the right lane).
  • Here's how to negotiate an obstruction on your side of the road without you becoming an obstruction to users on the other side.
  • Here's how to drive without road rage. Leave earlier.
  • Here's how to drive without touching the brakes every 5 minutes on a busy motorway

That kind of thing. If there were less bumps, there'd be less injury claims so lower insurance premiums :thumbup:

Totally agree but speed, drinking (also drugs) and tiredness are the biggest causes of accidents.

The Germans use the same slogan on the autobahn but it is reinforced by pictures of orphaned children holding a picture of their dead parents or injured people in hospital (including injured children).

There Isn't an option to 'like' comment #1 however I do agree with what you are saying!

Perhaps you could elaborate on the above points, put it together with a formal letter and send to your local government body for their consideration? It is obviously something you feel very passionate about....

Also agreed.

Yesterday I was listening to the radio during my lunch break, and someone was saying "It was an emergency, so I drove whilst drunk but it was quite safe because I wasn't speeding"!! <HEAD DESK repeatedly>

<LI>Return to the left. Show a demonstration that you loose no time by letting other cars overtake you when the left is empty. Maybe do the 10 second rule - if you wont pass anything on your left in the next 10 seconds, move left (i.e. show someone contributing their car to a right lane queue for an obstruction they're not near enough to overtake. Show 2 versions - show loads of cars overtaking them having moved to the left, then show time difference to overtake the slow obstacle between being one of the lane hoggers vs. letting more users through a given stretch in the same amount of time).

Yes. This is definitely the one that frustrates me the most.

Another is a minimum speed limit on a motorway. There's no reason why a lorry should have to overtake a car that's bimbling along at <50mph. Causes chaos.

Last one on my own personal hitlist would be "Merge in turn". Instead, in the UK, we get a whole bunch of idiots who move out of the closed lanes well before time, creating queues. Then those who actually do cruise up to the obstruction/closure and merge in turn are met with road rage and the like. Funnily enough in my experience of driving through continental Europe, certainly Belgium, France and Germany, those queues don't happen and people don't get stabbed for "pushing in" at the last minute.

speed, [...] are the biggest causes of accidents.

Not sure exactly what you are saying here ... I'd agree that inappropriate speed is a cause of accidents, but I'd also say that going above the speed limit isn't necessarily inappropriate for the conditions. So if you mean that 'speeding' is one of the biggest causes of accidents I'd be inclined to disagree - I remember some stats along the lines of 6% of accidents had inappropriate speed as one of the causal factors, (which isn't to say 'speeding').

  • Author

Another is a minimum speed limit on a motorway. There's no reason why a lorry should have to overtake a car that's bimbling along at <50mph. Causes chaos.

Last one on my own personal hitlist would be "Merge in turn".

Both of those :thumbup: especially the merge in turn that would really benefit from a visual demo.

I wouldn't believe it if I didn't see it myself but there was a guy driving in the right hand lane on the A8 westbound yesterday at 40mph. It doesn't sound too bad on paper but the effect on traffic was staggering - people aren't generally willing to undertake, but there's no other way past.

I'd agree that inappropriate speed is a cause of accidents

Yeah it's definitely inappropriate speed not absolute speed that's the problem, but I don't the the general public knows the difference, they don't stretch past "look at that juan kerr, hes doing over a ton, he's going to kill someone".

Sometimes they're right but it's rarely to do with the actual speed which would be fine in other conditions.

Regular re-tests via www.iam.org.uk or rospa would get my vote

Agree completely, but I think it's just too hard for some, sadly.

It's a whole raft of things really, many of which you cover in the first post and others have raised some more.

Attitude would be the first to address I think, rather than any specific road-based issues. Driving has perhaps become a bit too 'easy' in this day & age (without meaning to sound like an old man!) - but people don't really think about what they're doing, and why they're doing it.

I'd also increase the training element - maybe with minimum hours served in a number of different driving disciplines, a bit like a pilot's license. For example, I still find it staggering that when a learner passes their test, they can drive off the very same day and join a road network and system that they've never experienced before. It has 3 lanes each way and it's called a motorway...

I also try to perform to the best of my abilities when driving. I take it seriously and I try to enjoy it as much as I can as well. Sadly, it would seem the vast majority of the British driving population don't share my outlook.......

I also try to perform to the best of my abilities when driving. I take it seriously and I try to enjoy it as much as I can as well. Sadly, it would seem the vast majority of the British driving population don't share my outlook.......

+1

Here's a good traffic message.

Ban all oversize 4 x 4 in urban areas. They block the road and visibility. You don't need a huge Chelsea tractor to do the school run or, come to that, any trip in an urban area - a Fiat 500 will do. The only people who need to drive a 4 x 4 are Special forces and perhaps the odd farmer and other workers in exceptionally tough terrain.

My useful motto "Harrow ain't Helmand"

Just bring in a special test of competence for driving the blasted things and 90% of the wide-awake club that drive them will fail. Sorted.

Nick

Speed does not kill at all.

It's the STOP that does!

How about 'Try Indicating'?!

I really don't know what is going on, on the roads nowadays in this country....Whether it is a lack of skill, lack of police presence, or just dam ignorance but there are people on the roads that really shouldn't be!

I think that you should have to have a driving assessment every 10 years (perhaps as a pre req to renewing your photocard) and if the assessment is deemed to be 'unsafe' or needs extra tuition then you should have to go down a route of having to retake your driving test (but a less pedantic version of it as you already have a driving license) in perhaps a IAM style assessment that concentrates on what you failed your assessment on. Such as lane discipline, driving to the speed limit where road conditions allow, observation etc.....

I would happily take a test every 10 years. I took my IAM test about 5 years ago and this helped me no end with my driving skills but in some ways it winds you up as you can see other peoples mistakes much quicker! I may contact my local IAM centre soon for a re-assesment to check that my skills haven't dropped and also now i no longer drive a manual B)

I don't think indicators should be an option when you buy a new car They should be standard fitting it seems most cars don't have them fitted now.bill {ex hgv driver retired}

it seems most cars don't have them fitted now.

...Or Bikes, lorries, vans.... :thumbup:

Wing mirrors also seem to be optional as well!

Wing mirrors also seem to be optional as well!

Seem to be a large number of people, often Hondas, who I see driving around with the mirrors folded in still. Why?! I couldn't be without my mirrors, esp around town where I tend to see these people!

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