Country roads revealed as Britain’s deadliest
Thursday, 22nd October 2015.
New campaign encourages drivers to brake before the bend, not on it
Supported by Suffolk Roadsafe Partnership, THINK! are launching a country roads campaign to highlight potential hazards whilst driving in the countryside.
New figures from the Department for Transport today reveal that country roads are the deadliest, with an average of three people dying on country roads every day last year. In total, 1,040 people were killed and 9,051 seriously injured on country roads in 2014 in the U.K, with a third (348) of fatalities occurring on a bend.
The problem is most acute among young drivers, with a third confessing to braking too late before a bend and more than one in ten admitting to ‘taking the racing line’ by crossing into the opposite side of the road to take a turn faster. Young drivers are also the most likely age group to overtake on a bend without a clear road ahead.
In 2014, there were a total of 425 young adults involved in collisions on Suffolk roads including 4 where a casualty was killed and 43 where there was a serious injury. Between 2010 and 2014, 11% of the young adult resident drivers were involved in collisions which resulted in death or serious injury.
In Suffolk, in 2014, there a total of 25 fatal, 113 serious and 973 slight casualties on single carriage ways in the county.
For rural drivers comparison via districts versus national please see here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/suffolkcountycouncil/albums/72157659772221328
To raise awareness, THINK! has partnered with a farmer to turn potential road hazards into impossible-to-ignore warning signs in the ‘Helpful Hazards’ video here It features animals and vehicles sprayed with helpful signs prompting drivers to slow down, anticipate hazards and brake before the bend, not on it.
Councillor James Finch, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads and Planning said:
“Our country roads and lanes are often beautiful, but they also account for the majority of collisions; there is a need to reduce the number of young drivers who have been killed or have been involved in serious collisions on our roads and that is why this new THINK! Campaign is so important. The national trend of young adults experiencing high levels of road risk is still more pronounced in Suffolk than elsewhere in the country.
“Every injury and death on our roads is a tragedy and I would urge young people in Suffolk to think about signing up to the “Get in Gear” training course we deliver. The course aims to give drivers aged between 17 and 19, the skills to cope with driving independently with practical training and advice on negotiating rural roads and how to assess bend. Even if you think you know a road like the back of your hand, you can never be sure what’s round the corner.”
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner said,
“Our rural roads in Suffolk are both beautiful and hazardous. The fact that 60% of fatal road incidents occur on rural roads means we do need to all we can to make drivers aware of the dangers, particularly our younger drivers.”
He added, “Because we are a rural county our young people are more likely to drive at an earlier age, this combination of youth and inexperience makes our young people particularly vulnerable.
“I fully support this Think! campaign. Statistics show that young drivers in Suffolk are exposed to disproportionately high levels of road risk than elsewhere in the country, so I would encourage all young drivers to take note of the advice and if possible, sign up for the Get in Gear training.”
Chief Inspector Chris Spinks, Head of Roads Policing in Norfolk and Suffolk said:
“Country roads are a major part of travelling in Suffolk. They are often narrow, encompass bends, hedgerows and trees and as a result it is vital that drivers expect the unexpected when using these roads. There could be farm machinery, stationary vehicles or other obstructions round the corner so drivers must never take it for granted that the road is clear beyond their area of vision.
“This campaign highlights the issues involved in driving on country roads. We will continue to work towards the reduction of casualties on the road network of Suffolk through education of drivers and enforcement of legislation where appropriate”
Top advice for driving on country roads include:
·Drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear.
·Stay in control and give yourself time to react by braking before a bend, not on it.
·Respect other users of country roads. Give cyclists, walkers and horse riders plenty of space when overtaking.
·Read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards.
Supported by Suffolk Roadsafe Partnership, THINK! are launching a country roads campaign to highlight potential hazards whilst driving in the countryside.
New figures from the Department for Transport today reveal that country roads are the deadliest, with an average of three people dying on country roads every day last year. In total, 1,040 people were killed and 9,051 seriously injured on country roads in 2014 in the U.K, with a third (348) of fatalities occurring on a bend.
The problem is most acute among young drivers, with a third confessing to braking too late before a bend and more than one in ten admitting to ‘taking the racing line’ by crossing into the opposite side of the road to take a turn faster. Young drivers are also the most likely age group to overtake on a bend without a clear road ahead.
In 2014, there were a total of 425 young adults involved in collisions on Suffolk roads including 4 where a casualty was killed and 43 where there was a serious injury. Between 2010 and 2014, 11% of the young adult resident drivers were involved in collisions which resulted in death or serious injury.
In Suffolk, in 2014, there a total of 25 fatal, 113 serious and 973 slight casualties on single carriage ways in the county.
For rural drivers comparison via districts versus national please see here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/suffolkcountycouncil/albums/72157659772221328
To raise awareness, THINK! has partnered with a farmer to turn potential road hazards into impossible-to-ignore warning signs in the ‘Helpful Hazards’ video here It features animals and vehicles sprayed with helpful signs prompting drivers to slow down, anticipate hazards and brake before the bend, not on it.
Councillor James Finch, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Roads and Planning said:
“Our country roads and lanes are often beautiful, but they also account for the majority of collisions; there is a need to reduce the number of young drivers who have been killed or have been involved in serious collisions on our roads and that is why this new THINK! Campaign is so important. The national trend of young adults experiencing high levels of road risk is still more pronounced in Suffolk than elsewhere in the country.
“Every injury and death on our roads is a tragedy and I would urge young people in Suffolk to think about signing up to the “Get in Gear” training course we deliver. The course aims to give drivers aged between 17 and 19, the skills to cope with driving independently with practical training and advice on negotiating rural roads and how to assess bend. Even if you think you know a road like the back of your hand, you can never be sure what’s round the corner.”
Tim Passmore, Suffolk’s Police and Crime Commissioner said,
“Our rural roads in Suffolk are both beautiful and hazardous. The fact that 60% of fatal road incidents occur on rural roads means we do need to all we can to make drivers aware of the dangers, particularly our younger drivers.”
He added, “Because we are a rural county our young people are more likely to drive at an earlier age, this combination of youth and inexperience makes our young people particularly vulnerable.
“I fully support this Think! campaign. Statistics show that young drivers in Suffolk are exposed to disproportionately high levels of road risk than elsewhere in the country, so I would encourage all young drivers to take note of the advice and if possible, sign up for the Get in Gear training.”
Chief Inspector Chris Spinks, Head of Roads Policing in Norfolk and Suffolk said:
“Country roads are a major part of travelling in Suffolk. They are often narrow, encompass bends, hedgerows and trees and as a result it is vital that drivers expect the unexpected when using these roads. There could be farm machinery, stationary vehicles or other obstructions round the corner so drivers must never take it for granted that the road is clear beyond their area of vision.
“This campaign highlights the issues involved in driving on country roads. We will continue to work towards the reduction of casualties on the road network of Suffolk through education of drivers and enforcement of legislation where appropriate”
Top advice for driving on country roads include:
·Drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear.
·Stay in control and give yourself time to react by braking before a bend, not on it.
·Respect other users of country roads. Give cyclists, walkers and horse riders plenty of space when overtaking.
·Read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards.
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