Safe Speed Forums

http://www.traffictechnologytoday.com/n ... wsID=20736


not sure what this means on a real action level, seems to have a developing world target too... from what we know and have learnt in the west about road safety and enforcement... how would we reccomend the developing countries proceed ?

(also noticed the campaign slogan is "The campaign for global road safety" seem somehow familiar)

The problem which will stop any real progress on this in developing countries is one of enforcing standards of driver training and restrictions on a non-compliant population. Who will police a driving licence system in Somalia or the Sudan? You just get in a pick-up and drive as soon as you can reach the pedals. You won't be stopped by anyone as you have a Kalashnikov.

As developing countries get more affluent, the number of vehicles on the roads increase and so will the accidents until proper controls can be effected.

Remember that the number of deaths on the road in the UK has been steadily falling since early in the 20th century but this has been achieved in a benign policed environment which simply does not exist in most places.

_________________
Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

THAT's where I've been going wrong all these years!

Well, quite obviously, what all these developing countries need to do is invest heavily in scameras! (and if the arguments aren't convincing, wait 'til the authorities see the earning potential)! After all, many of these regimes are corrupt and think first of income and safety comes a very poor second. Over here, it's all about safety of course. The income is irrelevant. In fact, I think they give it all to charity or something...

The problem is that in developing countries, roadworthiness and the state of the roads are, I guess, as big an issue as anything else. Also, in context, where millions of people will die of AIDS / hunger / fighting / etc, each year, surely any authority (that cared about it's citizens) would target the biggest causes first? I mean, if you had a developed nation which had a few thousand road deaths a year and tens of thousands of deaths from preventable illness, they'd tackle the biggest problem first!

I think that the Islamic fatalism - if Allah wants you to die then you can do nothing about it - must have a profound effect on road safety .

_________________
When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

We discussed this a while back.

If I were an adherent of fatalism then I could overtake on blind bends, over brows etc. without worrying. If God wants me to die then I will. If not then all will be OK. Everything is pre-ordained and the will of God.

Seemples!

_________________
Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Road safety in poorer countries would be helped by the getting richer. If your options are starve or take your chances on a dodgy old moped on a lawless road, you take your chances. The wealthier people get, the more they have to loose. Road deaths hardly register on the list of ways to die here and other rich western nations. People jump up and down about 3500 people getting killed on our roads, but it is nothing compared to heart disease or diabetes. How many of those deaths are self inflicted?

Heart disease - 20.2%
Cerebrovascular diseases - 7.9%
Lung cancer - 6.9%
Chronic lower respiratory disease - 5.6%
Flu/pneumonia - 5%
Prostate cancer - 3.7%
Colon cancer - 3.1%
Lymph cancers - 2.3%
Alzheimer's disease/dementia - 2.1%
Aortic aneurysm - 2%


I think road accidents are below the lower figure.....but don't let that stop the UN from starting another well-subsidised campaign to lower the road-death figures....after protracted well-funded research no doubt (similar to global warming)
I have always wondered what will happen when they manage to stop all deaths.....will we be left with several billion drooling idiots when everything except brain-cell-decomposition has been eliminated ?

_________________
The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing