Safe Speed Forums

A few weeks ago in the Lancashire town of Ormskirk, I had an encounter with this vehicle whilst entering the Morrisons superstore car park.



Now it has been my experience, particularly as a cyclist, that the most hazardous situations arise not from people driving at 35 in a 30 area, for example, but situations where someone is not paying attention to what they are doing. This is supported by the fact that most accidents occur near home, on "familiar" roads, and also by the fact that our fastest roads, the motorways, are also our safest roads.

In this case, I was in my car, entering the superstore car park. At the end of the two lane, one-way entrance, there is an island separating the two files of incoming traffic. The left lane is for cars wanting to turn left, and the right lane is for cars wanting to turn right. This car was in the left lane, and I was in the right lane. So far so good.

But guess what - the driver of the above car got to the end of the left lane, and then without warning or any kind of indication, made an abrupt turn to the right, right across my bows! I'd half expected it, so no harm done.

It irks me that these people drive around with such self righteous stickers as the one above, seemingly condemning anyone who might be tempted to drive at a safe speed that has now been made unlawful in the current era of speed limit reductions, while at the same time creating hazardous situations because of their own inattention. Presumably, when these people have accidents/little shunts, it's passed off as "just one of those things".

I think the Lancashire road safety partnership who printed this sticker should produce one that says "paying attention to what you're doing reduces dents".

Reminds me of the thing on R2 Jeremy Vine a year or two ago, when they were talking about driving: a guy had been on moaning about people who don't indicate, then a woman rang in and effectively said that she didn't need to indicate because she always obeyed the speed limit.

Both these posts highlight one of the problems caused by the authorities' current fixation with speed limits - it encourages numpties like these who think that if they are obeying the speed limit they are therefore automatically "safe drivers".

Frightening.

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