Road safety

[empip]

NCAP vehicle safety ratings began circa 1997 ... 10 yrs ago.
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/automotive/mvwg_meetings/meeting109/index.htm

• 
  Swedish research shows that serious injury risk is reduced by 12% for every Euro NCAP star received
• SARAC - (Safety Rating Advisory Committee funded by the European Commission, a group examining real world crash data). They have found serious injury risk reduced by approx. 12.5% for every Euro NCAP star received

-------------------------------------
http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/statistics/datatablespublications/accidents/casualtiesmr/
The 'all casualty' figures from Road Casualties in Great Britain
Main Results: 2006 give the following figures :-
2001..... 313,309 .... 474.4 billion vehicle Km
2006..... 258,404 .... 501.7 billion vehicle Km
The drop in 5 yrs = 17.5% overall with increased vehicle Km of 5.8%

The year on year compounded rate of decrease is 3.8% !!

Even if we look at vehicle Km per casualty
2001 ..... 1.51 million Vehicle Km per Cas'
2006 ..... 1.94 million Vehicle Km per Cas'
Overall 28.5% increase in Km per casualty.

The year on year compounded rate of increase is 5.13%.

--------------------------------------------------
If the effect of NCAP and road improvements plus road safety awareness is discounted ...
There doesn't seem to be much room for the speed cameras and their claimed 20% reductions, perhaps they actually shuffle the effects of speeding to another place...

Are we merely rearranging the deck chairs on the old Titanic??

 

[megawatt]

There is no evidence at all that has convinced me that speed cameras make roads safer ... I agree that they possibly make the area where they are installed safer but they simply move the problem onto somewhere else ... A bit like building coastal defences ... The erosion just happens further down the coast.

As far as I can see cameras are a cash cow pure and simple.

Put more police on the roads to increase safety IMO, you can't beat the human touch

 

[bongos]

I don't remember a speed camera catching a drunk driver or someone with no insurance.

less cameras. more police.

 

[joe-90]

It's pretty simple physics really. If you hit something at a higher speed there is more kinetic energy to be dispersed - which equals greater injury or death to the occupants of the vehicle.

If we all drove at 10mph then there would be almost zero fatalities.
If we all drove at 100mph there would be quite a few more, don't you think?

 

[bernardgreen]

I don't remember a speed camera catching a drunk driver or someone with no insurance.

less cameras. more police.

Speed cameras are for speed.

Other cameras do other things. Like number plate recognition and immediate automatic check on MOT and insurance status for the vehicle.

And rumour has it that new software will detect erratical driven cars so it may be that drinker cameras will appear soon.

 

[Thermo]

if speed cameras didnt generate money, ie if you were caught speeding and were just given the points would people be so opposed to them?

 

[tim west]

If speed cameras were great big strawberry lollipops would you object to them?

 

[libby lou lou]

if speed cameras didnt generate money, ie if you were caught speeding and were just given the points would people be so opposed to them?

Tell you what, you take my points, i'll pay your fine.

 

[megawatt]

If speed cameras didnt generate money, ie if you were caught speeding and were just given the points would people be so opposed to them?

That really is an excellent point Thermo ... I don't know why I haven't considered it before.

If road safety were the issue the points SHOULD be enough and people probably wouldn't be so opposed to them IMO ... But I think everyone knows it isn't about road safety.

 

[joe-90]

The idea is that those who break the law should pay for the means of enforcing the law rather than drivers like me who stick to the speed limits.

 

[Steve]

The idea is that those who break the law should pay for the means of enforcing the law rather than drivers like me who stick to the speed limits.

Change the record. Your boring everyone. Not just yourself.

 

[joe-90]

The idea is that those who break the law should pay for the means of enforcing the law rather than drivers like me who stick to the speed limits.

Change the record. Your boring everyone. Not just yourself.

Then prove me wrong (he won't)

 

[Steve]

(he won't)

True. Because I cant be arsed frankly. Nor can anyone else.

BTW, prove WHAT wrong???

 

[joe-90]

(he won't)

True. Because I cant be a***d frankly. Nor can anyone else.

BTW, prove WHAT wrong???

Whatever is that you can't prove me wrong over.

 

[megawatt]

Has J90 EVER posted anything sensible?