Safe Speed Forums

I was away last week on a cycling trip around the Yorkshire Dales. One evening, I was flicking through the TV channels at my accommodation, and settled on PCA - not with Alastair Stewart, but a new presenter. I think someone has commented before on this board on what I was about to see. The camera shows the presenter in close-up, advising us that the biggest killer on our country roads is this: <Camera zooms out to show a sign>

The commentary continues, by adding that we are THREE TIMES more likely to be killed on one of Britain's killer country lanes than in a town or on a motorway.

I find this very hard to believe. Does this statement have any basis in FACT, or is it more DfT bullshit, akin to "one third of all accidents speed related"?

I've been driving since 1971, so perhaps I have an old fashioned outlook. But to me, the sign, seen when leaving a village which has a limit simply means that the 30 limit no longer applies, and you can go over 30 - as fast as it's safe, up to 60. It does NOT mean "You MUST drive at 60mph".

In the Dales, 90% of my cycling route was along "yellow roads" as shown on the OS Landranger map. The vast majority had a limit, the exception being villages. And yet I didn't see any cars doing more than about 40.

I hope the Police Camera Action claims about these "killer country lanes" are not the prelude to a wave of new speed limits, with more roadside clutter. But this government has shown time and time again that it does not understand life in rural Britain, so we'll have to wait and see.

Which is why enforcement targets quiet country lanes!

Oh, hang on...

The review of speed limits on NSL lanes is already underway. The "review" is an euphemism for "reduction" as you can't revise NSL upwards.

Even if the limits (at great expense) are reduced to 40mph it will make not one jot of difference to the speeds that people actually drive at because, as implied above, there is not the wherewithall to enforce - until tracking of all cars comes in, that is.

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

This show winds me up immensely. Among the things I have seen / heard that have made me

- Would you walk in front people firing at an archery range? No, but is it really any more dangerous than turning right at a rural junction?

- This crazed driver (or similar) pays no attention to the rules of the road. He doesn't even stop at this give way sign. (NOTHING WAS COMING SO HE DIDN'T HAVE TO! His driving was awful due to the fact he was fleeing the police, but this wasn't)

- (After the quote about rural road being dangerous) This lunatic (or similar) flees along rural roads at speeds of up to 100mph. (The rural road in question being a dual-carriageway. Admittedly through the countryside, but is it really a "rural road"?)

I think that some of these programmes are aimed at the 'young driver audience' IMHO and are sadly lacking in real fact on the commentary. Certainly they are very PC which is very troubling. I am contemplating making complaints to the ITC etc ...
I know that Paul was just starting to gain the info. on lengths of all the different types of roads in the County to do the appropriate comparisons re speed. I will have to do investigations to further this research. I know there was an FOI out about it too ...

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