Safe Speed Forums

The campaign for genuine road safety
It is currently Fri Mar 29, 2024 12:50

All times are UTC [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 103 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Author Message
 Post subject: Re: 20 mph speed limits
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 00:58 
Offline
Member
Member

Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 18:54
Posts: 4036
Location: Cumbria
dcbwhaley wrote:
Mole wrote:
Just out of interest, IS there some sort of "Tufty" equivalent these days? Is there a formal curriculum item in schools for road safety? I can't honestly remember, but I think when I was in primary school, we had the odd local bobby come round and talk to us all about road safety, Green Cross Code & all that.


Derbyshire have a fairly extensive programme of road safety teaching http://www.derbyshire.gov.uk/transport_roads/road_safety/children_schools/resources/default.asp which is far more sophisticated than Malcolm's belief that it simply consists of saying: "The driver is always wrong"


The headings on that link look great, but most of the ones I clicked on then said "sorry, we are unable to display the page". Whether that's a sad reflection on the importance of this subject, I don't know.

dcbwhaley wrote:
Though it is getting on for ten years since my youngest was at primary school I was quite satisfied with whatb they were taught then. Though they probably learnt a healthier and more robust attitude to road safety on their daily, supervised, walk to school than they would have done had they been driven there.

That's fair enough, but what did you teach them? I bet you didn't say to them "go on son, you wander into the middle of the road if you feel like it - you've every bit as much right to be there as that plutocrat in the car who thinks he's superior to you"! :)


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: 20 mph speed limits
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 22:16 
Offline
Supporter
Supporter
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 13:45
Posts: 4042
Location: Near Buxton, Derbyshire
Mole wrote:
And yet, if we, as a society, want to reap the undoubted benefits that the motor car can bring, surely you can see that the pedestrian's freedom of movement (and the motorist's freedom of movement, come to that) have to be restricted to a certain extent? You could pretty much gridlock the centre of every big town and city pretty much instantly if you introduced an automatic right of way for pedestrians in every situation!


Of course freedom of movement has to be constrained in those circumstances. My complaint is that the pedestrians freedom of movement is far more constrained than that of the motorist. And that comes about not because of any considered decision but simply because the motorist has might on his side. (Getting your own way through the implied threat of violence is called bullying and is deplored in civilised society :( )

I never suggested an automatic right of way for pedestrians; I want rights of way to be shared and negotiable. That is what "shared space" is about and places where it is used are not instantly gridlocked.

_________________
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


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
 Post subject: Re: 20 mph speed limits
PostPosted: Sat Dec 15, 2012 22:19 
Offline
Supporter
Supporter
User avatar

Joined: Thu Oct 16, 2008 13:45
Posts: 4042
Location: Near Buxton, Derbyshire
Mole wrote:
No, I don't see it that way. Taking the "law of the jungle" metaphor, I wouldn't see a poisonous snake or a tiger as "superior" to me, but they could kill me! Of course, the tiger or snake isn't capable of taking responsibility for its actions (which is where this one falls down), but it illustrates that I just can't make the link between the capacity to kill or injure (in itself) and superiority. OK, how about this one... The gang of drunken thugs on streets late at night has the capacity to kill or injure me, but isn't superior to me, yet I still stay out of its way wherever possible, despite having every right to be there.


Falls down for the same reason your tiger/snake analogy falls down :D

_________________
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


Top
 Profile Send private message  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 103 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

All times are UTC [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 15 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You can post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group
[ Time : 0.014s | 13 Queries | GZIP : Off ]