County road on the danger list
Monday 3rd December 2007, 11:39AM GMT.
Motoring experts have highlighted a stretch of road in Shropshire as one of the most dangerous in the country.
A short part of the A442, south of the Brockton roundabout, near Sutton Maddock, has been given just “one star” in the research. The report, by the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) motoring trust and the Highways Agency, is the first comprehensive assessment of road safety.
The study looked at the engineering of individual roads and their ability to protect motorists and passengers in the event of a collision.
Experienced motorists in the area have backed up findings. Paul Myler, chairman of the Telford-based Bugsplatz Motorcycle Club, said the stretch of the A442 in question had particularly sharp bends and there was a danger of rock-falls from overhanging faces.
He said the problem extended to the A442 both sides of Bridgnorth.
“It is always a slow road and there is always overtaking going on.”
Researchers drove along the roads observing and filming stretches. They looked for trees and walls close to the side of roads which would make crashes more serious.
Overall, the report found more than two in five A-roads in the UK were inadequate. More than 40 per cent of A-roads are no better than two star – and only 11 per cent of A-roads and just half the length of UK motorways make the top four-star grade.
Dual-carriageways, widely presumed to be the safest A-roads, rated poorer than expected. Most vary between three and four-star along a route, with just two sections, totalling less than 20 miles, making four stars over their entire length – the A66 Middlesbrough ring road north and the A720 Edinburgh city bypass.
Neil Greig, IAM motoring trust director, said: “Good driving and driver behaviour are key to avoiding accidents.”
Shropshire County Council, which is responsible for the stretch of road, was unavailable for comment.
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Driving is all about adjusting to the road and the conditions. Anyone can drive at 70mph on a motorway in dry weather. It takes a skilled and alert driver to take into account bends, snow, ice, rain and other vehicles. There are very few bad roads but tens of thousands of bad drivers.
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Steve, we’ve all heard your point about bad drivers a thousand times.
So what would you do about it?
Should all these bad drivers go on an advanced drivers course?
Should the road be revised to make it safer?
Which one do you think is the more sensible idea?
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I think the most sensible idea would be to make the driving test harder, so only truly competent drivers were allowed to drive. This would reduce the congestion on our roads by removing those who are not properly in control of their vehicles. Accident figures would plumet. It is impossible to ‘revise’ all our roads to make them totally safe all of the time, we are not in control of weather for one thing, so surely it is obvious which is the more sensible idea – stop the bad drivers driving !
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I’m not sure what the answer is danno, I really don’t. What I suspect, though, is that “dumbing down” of drivers is becoming more prevalent in this country.
By this, I mean the constant barrage of mindless, obvious, patronising messages being given to motorists and the continuing ease of driving the car itself.
Examples?
“Speed Kills! Think” is an obvious one; “Drive like an idiot at or below the speed limit, and you’re a safe driver” is the corollary to it. “Think! Wear a seatbelt” is commonly displayed on huge matrix signs in and around Telford. “Fog” warning signs on the M54 when it’s already foggy. Unnecessary signage and roadside clutter – IMO – is removing the ability of drivers to make informed decisions for themselves.
Similarly, modern cars have gadgets and systems that – again – remove the need for drivers to think for themselves. Auto wipers, auto lights, auto dimming rear view mirrors, lane departure assist, soft brake assist etc etc etc. Actions carried out automatically, when the sensible driver could have done it just as quickly and efficiently anyway. I’m no luddite, BTW. I believe that ABS, traction control, and stability control have been great innovations and should be standard fitment on all cars.
But my main concern with “bad drivers” (and I think Steve is being complimentary in citing tens of thousands of them; I think in terms of millions) is that they a) have no idea that they are driving 1.5 tonnes of metal and b) they consider the act of “driving” a chore much in the same way that ironing or mowing the lawn is a chore.
Few people take pride in a household chore, so why would they take pride in their driving skills?
Maybe improving the driving test would be a start? All it does, currently, is prove you can operate the controls of a vehicle and demonstrate rudimentary manoevering and observational skills.
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i think you all raise good points that the average driving skills are inadequate.
It would seem there is no argument about having a more Australian style learning scheme. As I understand it, Aussies have a series of licenses that take a number of years to accrue a full license comparable to our ‘full license’.
I don’t know why this isn’t done?
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The driving test should only pass people who are truly competent. The main problem I see on my extensive travels is a lack of observation, situational awareness and consideration for other vehicles. You know the ‘safe’ driver who does 40mph on a wide open road in fine weather (because ‘Speed Kills’). I’ve also seen people (who have presumably passed their test) who cannot reverse in a straight line more than 3 feet! Reducing the number of passes should also please the ‘greens’ as less people passing their test means less cars.
Incidentally, travelling fast never killed anyone (astronauts travel at 20,000 mph) it’s the inability to stop in time when faced by an immovable obstruction that does the damage.
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