I was reading yesterday that people not looking properly (presumably mainly at junctions) is the commonest cause of fatal accidents (followed by people misjudging the road conditions - traveling too fast, but often not exceeding the speed limit). Is it best to drive a yellow car, as this is said to be the colour that is most easily noticed?

Definitely people pulling out of junctions who don't judge how fast the cars on the road are going. There's a NSL road I use everyday when I go to work where there is one junction that turns into an industrial estate. I've lost count how many times I've had to slam on because of people just pulling out on me

I've lost count how many times I've had to slam on because of people just pulling out on me

So you've learnt from this and now slow down in anticipation of this junction?

Depends on where the death occurred.

Deaths of car passengers will probably mostly occur at higher speeds, driving too fast in the rain/ice/fog taking corners too fast etc.

Deaths of people outside the car will probably happen in urban areas where the car will pull out into the path of cyclists, motorcyclists etc.

It's a bit disingenuous to lump them all together.

I was reading yesterday that people not looking properly (presumably mainly at junctions) is the commonest cause of fatal accidents (followed by people misjudging the road conditions - traveling too fast, but often not exceeding the speed limit). Is it best to drive a yellow car, as this is said to be the colour that is most easily noticed?

My previous car was a yellow smart and I can say quite honestly that people do NOT notice yellow cars more at junctions. The number of times I have arrived home with steam coming out of my ears are to great to count. Cars, lorries,bikes they all pull out on you. I think it is selfish driving by many, they are pulling out no matter what is coming. Just my opinion.

Kathy

I'm at the stage where I keep my headlights on at all times just to avoid people doing this. Black car sometimes is missed. So if i've got my dipped headlights on its going to increase its visibility!

I think its a good thing to do anyway tbh.

Good job I have a yellow Westfield then.

I'm not going to multiquote this, but the idea of "yellow car" and/or "lights on" making you more visible requires the fvckwit in the other vehicle to:-

1) Actually look properly in your direction.

2) Observe your speed.

(1) does not happen far too often; even when (1) happens, there's a good chance of them getting (2) wrong!

I wouldn't drive any unusual coloured car that appears on a snooker table. Yellow is just asking for it! :p

I've had a few 'Made contact with another vehicle' Incidents through my career!

Usually the first thing out of the other driver's mouth is "Sorry, I didn't see you!"

And that's in a Double Decker,

If they can't see a bus, What chance does another car have?

The number of times I have arrived home with steam coming out of my ears are to great to count. Cars, lorries,bikes they all pull out on you. I think it is selfish driving by many, they are pulling out no matter what is coming. Just my opinion.

Kathy

This x100. A lot of it is to do with selfish driving and impatience as well as people not being able to judge the speeds of other vehicles. Don't think it's anything to do with the colour of the vehicle either. My vRS is silver, parents Swift is Blue and the works Nissan Cabstar is big, red and you can't miss it and people still pull out on me regardless of what I'm driving.

Another cause of accidents is inappropriate use of speed. The NSL road I go down to go to work is fine to do 60 down it's just the feckless who can't judge speed. On the road I live, where my house is it's quite narrow and just before an uphill bend. Here's a pic but it's not as crowded as it usually is. Think cars parked in every available space. The house by the Felicia is mine and my vRS is parked across the road but it's normally in the drive which I reverse into. People fly round that bend down the hill and a few times I've thought I'm going to have a head on accident with someone while I'm starting to reverse. Most of it is people speeding down the hill but when it's crowded 30 is risky enough and locals should know better. Local Twocers use our road as a run back up to the council estates where they normally abandon (It's been on cops on cameras).

Martyn, no way would I contemplate that bend at more than about 30mph, particularly if there was parking like that right down both sides.

I've had a few 'Made contact with another vehicle' Incidents through my career!

Usually the first thing out of the other driver's mouth is "Sorry, I didn't see you!"

And that's in a Double Decker,

If they can't see a bus, What chance does another car have?

That makes two of us there Mike.

Bright red, 14ft tall and full of flourescent lights.

Yet still I wasn't seen 7 times in 3 years.

The mind boggles.

Driving to quick (tho often within the speed limit) on residential streets should be a banable offence in imho.

It shows complete disregard for anyone bar themselves and is extremly dangerous.

Also shows what a complete farce the Polices/states/goverments attitude on speeding is. You can loose your license doing 50 on an empty straight road a couple of times, but drive around blind corners and past kids playing at whatever speed you want and its fine.

LOL @ didnt see double decker!!

I had my daugters teacher tell me first onto a roundabout has right of way the other day (after i nearly drove into her).... tis scary stuff.

J

That makes two of us there Mike.

Bright red, 14ft tall and full of flourescent lights.

Yet still I wasn't seen 7 times in 3 years.

The mind boggles.

Make that 3 of us. Yellow bus, a million LED's on the front but they still miss me.

Matt

Make that 3 of us. Yellow bus, a million LED's on the front but they still miss me.

Matt

Well, my work's internal forum calls them "SMIDILs" (Sorry Mate; I DIdn't Look).

Swmbo is currently going through a claim with a 70 odd year old coffin dodger that pulled straight out on her. bearing in mind that swmbo was driving a bus! This is the second time in 3 years too, both cases were old biddies not seeing something, big and lit up like a frigging christmas tree!

By the way 'gotta beat the bus' syndrome is becoming more common. One of these days someone will be too late!

Edited 25 August, 201114 yr by FellyMagic

I was reading yesterday that people not looking properly (presumably mainly at junctions) is the commonest cause of fatal accidents (followed by people misjudging the road conditions - traveling too fast, but often not exceeding the speed limit). Is it best to drive a yellow car, as this is said to be the colour that is most easily noticed?

No you still get hit in a yellow car (personal experiences of people I know with yellow cars)

I was reading yesterday that people not looking properly (presumably mainly at junctions) is the commonest cause of fatal accidents (followed by people misjudging the road conditions - traveling too fast, but often not exceeding the speed limit). Is it best to drive a yellow car, as this is said to be the colour that is most easily noticed?

I am afraid this is something motorcyclist know all too well.

I heard 3/4s of "accidents" involving motorbikes is of this type with the bike on the main road and the car pulling out in front of him/her.

The States made headlamps on mandatory many years ago and accidents dropped quite a bit but then went back up to a level in between previous and just after headlamps introduced. Conclusion that drivers subcontious was not warning countiousness of danger ie only a bike, OK to pull out.

Big bikes get pulled out on less than small ones gutter hugging. Bike I bought last month has permanent on headilights, two of them, and two DLR so heres hoping.

Assume you are wearing Harry Porter's cloak of invisibility or other road users eyesight is very bad, and their p*ssed and you will not go far wrong. Kept me alive after several million miles of driving over the last thirty odd years.

Edited 25 August, 201114 yr by lol

I am afraid this is something motorcyclist know all too well.

I heard 3/4s of "accidents" involving motorbikes is of this type with the bike on the main road and the car pulling out in front of him/her.

It depends on where you are. Here in Cornwall the typical motorcycle fatality is a rider in their 40's, it happens on a bend and there is only one vehicle involved (i.e. too fast for the combination of bend, machine and rider's ability). We are a bit unusual in that respect, though. Mind you, where other vehicles pull out in front of motorcycles might it not be less due to not seeing them as to not appreciating how fast the bike is travelling? There are very few bikers who take any notice of speed limits, so they can be going far faster than might be expected.

I have to say that whilst there are some very good aware motorcyclists out there, there are too many who ride in a very high risk manner that relies on other road users getting it right to keep them safe. Understanding that the Highway Code applies to people on two wheels just as much as other road users would be a good starting point for them.

Going back a bit further in this thread........

Back in about 1977 they reintroduuced trams in San Diego, they were Du Weg U2's (two section articulated cars about 55' long painted pillar box red) and they had huge problems with people driving into the side of them because they hadn't seen them! They had even had a Police Cruiser into the side of one, and they had used the same excuse.

Rob.

Biker fatalities round here are very much the same. 'Midlife crisis' men, on crotch rockets, no other vehicle involved, dry road conditions, just simply showing off and running out of talent. One not that long ago slammed into a concrete pillar on a dual carriageway, at an estimated speed well into 3 figures.

Education is the only way round it, and perhaps being gruesome is what is needed?

Biker fatalities round here are very much the same. 'Midlife crisis' men, on crotch rockets, no other vehicle involved, dry road conditions, just simply showing off and running out of talent. One not that long ago slammed into a concrete pillar on a dual carriageway, at an estimated speed well into 3 figures.

Education is the only way round it, and perhaps being gruesome is what is needed?

==============================================================================

Just so you have your facts straight rather than stereotypical hearsay.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/rmd/project.asp?intProjectID=10146 .....

Summary of results

A total of 717 fatal accidents involving motorcycles were examined. Firstly, a general analysis of the factors involved in two-wheeled motor vehicle accidents was undertaken, including analysis of contributory factors data. The second stage consisted of a more in-depth analysis of the most common motorcycle accident types.

Main conclusions:

- 41 per cent of the accidents involved a collision between one or more cars and a motorcyclist, and 29 per cent were single vehicle accidents.

- About half of the motorcyclists involved were aged 20-29.

- Two thirds of pedestrians involved in accidents with motorcyclists were aged 60 or over; in comparison about half the pedestrians involved in all fatal accidents are in this age range.

- One third of single vehicle accidents were associated with excessive speed.

- 60 per cent of the accidents involving cars or larger vehicles were considered to be principally the responsibility of the motorcyclist, in 44 per cent of the cases due to excessive speed.

- The main problems with drivers were carelessness and thoughtlessness, or failure to judge the actions of the motorcyclist. Even in some accidents where motorcyclists were considered primarily responsible due to excessive speed, drivers contributed through lack of care.

One of the statistics:

PC Tony Wright, on Duty on his police motorcycle killed on hitting a car in Kiddeminster on August 9th. Thought with family.

We sometimes forget that the motorcycle is often used for effective delivery of medical emergency supplies, organs and law enforcement.

Your reply proves that you do not read what people put in messages & just cut & paste. I was pointing out EXACTLY what happens around this area, and stated a very recent incident, which closed the A12 for several hours, whilst they scooped what was left of the 40-odd year old man into a body bag. I'm amazed it doesn't happen more, as brain dead idiots on bikes, who think they are immortal and think the A12 is Snetterton! I live very close to the A12, and hear these oafs giving it the beans between the 4 roundabouts On the A12 Martlesham/Woodbridge bypass. Especially on Sunday afternoons, when they seem to be out in force. And most 'crotch rocket' owners around here are in the 40's, simply because they are the only ones who can afford to run them as weekend playthings.

There is now talk that the A12 for the whole length between the M25 and Martlesham will get a blanket 50 mph limit with average speed cams, as in the past year alone the clean up of accidents on the A12 has totalled £17 million pounds. The worst accident recently involved a car full of Eastern Europeans, and the driver lost it at speeds again estimated into 3 figures. 3 killed as it slammed into a tree sideways! Said car was often seen travelling at speeds of around 70 in Ipswich (30 zones).

And something that you fail to mention LOL, the age 40+? Hmmmmm. Will they be a big chunk of the other 50% perchance? And the 29% that are SVA? With 33% of them being excessive speed? And 60% of accidents involving larger vehicles, the biker was at fault, and 44% of these accidents involved excessive speed. so that is 60 % of bikers in those accidents going for gaps that aren't there? and 44% of them riding way too fast for the road conditions? That is quite a large percentage in both cases there. As a driver of large vehicles day in, day out, I get fed up to the back teeth of bikers trying to illegally undertake, or trying to weave between traffic islands, when there clearly isn't room to.

As I said before, education is the only way to cut accident rates. Us large vehicle drivers have to be regularly assessed, and I think the same should apply to everyone else on the road. If everyone had their driving standards kept up to scratch every 5 years, accident rates would fall, and even our premiums could fall too.

There is now talk that the A12 for the whole length between the M25 and Martlesham will get a blanket 50 mph limit with average speed cams, as in the past year alone the clean up of accidents on the A12 has totalled £17 million pounds. The worst accident recently involved a car full of Eastern Europeans, and the driver lost it at speeds again estimated into 3 figures. 3 killed as it slammed into a tree sideways! Said car was often seen travelling at speeds of around 70 in Ipswich (30 zones).

From what you've said, exactly how is an average speed camera supposed to help deal with someone like this, who clearly has no regard for the law, or anyone whatsoever, including themself?

As I said before, education is the only way to cut accident rates. Us large vehicle drivers have to be regularly assessed, and I think the same should apply to everyone else on the road. If everyone had their driving standards kept up to scratch every 5 years, accident rates would fall, and even our premiums could fall too.

How is this done? By making you reapply for your licence every 5 years from 40 onwards? Since that only involves a medical, and no assessment of driving standards, I don't think that can be it.

By the DriverCPC? You know as well as I do that the DCPC can be wholely classroom based, need not teach anything of relevance to your job, has no automatic assessment of any skill other than your abiliy to find your way to the trainers' "premises" and stay there all day (it's accepted that some modules may be of use, and have a pass/fail standard, but these are things like operating on-board loaders that have nothing to do with how well you drive), and can be achieved by taking the same module every year.