A simple idea to reduce road deaths?

pburns

daveharnett wrote: »

However, a good (and fairly cheap) first step would be to put some paint on every road. There are more unlined roads in the country than some urban boardsies might realise.

I agree, as I do with OP's suggestion. There's a lot of belly-aching about road-safety but proper markings, cats-eyes and reflective signs would be a great benefit.

drunkdaz

I totally agree. There should not be a focus on any one issue re road deaths, a broad approach will have a far increased impact in the long run.

And in relation to this particular idea, its a total no brainer. Anyone who drives near the boarder in the north will only know too well the differences in road visiblilty on either side. These roads are generally twisty and undulating. In the north there'll be clear road markings, catyeyes, and bends clearly sign posted. Cross back to the south and it as if you've turned your lights off.

The N54/A3 (I think this is is...?, among many other roads), as in winds its way over and back through the boarder, will drive home (no pun intended...) the importance of this. Also regarding the point about the size of our road network and cost. Well if the councils in the north can manage it on these roads then we have no excuse.

gsxr1

ShadowHearth wrote: »

best way: Just ban all supervisional drivers of the road, and make proper driving schools and minimum 20h driving with instructor, before applying to your test.

Roads are not the problem, problem is a gap between seat and steering wheel, which just DONT know how to drive.

driver error may cause some problems but not all. What about spilled diesal, worn shinny surfaces, bad signage. sheep(bah) Bad road building, bad weather ect.. there are hazards out there that could catch any of us out.
I did nearly all of my L training in the city. Driving the other minnor roads was not part of the test 15 years ago. Maybe it should be.

mcwhirter

ned78 wrote: »

I'm seriously considering starting a campaign which will reduce road deaths. It's very simple. Install cats eyes on every road, and reflective signage on every corner.

I'm fully convinced that accidents that happen at night, happen on smaller unlit roads with poor visibility, and people just aren't prepared for sharp corners on familiar roads. Yes, they could slow down, but without all the visual information in front of them, someone who isn't trained to read a road - and someone who's driving beyond their abilitiy - will go too fast, and loose control, leading to a car 'leaving the road'.

Next time you're out at midnight, or at dusk, on a B road, compare the visual reference points on a road with cats eyes to a road without. There's a monumental difference, and I think it could make all the difference in our country where roads linking major cities are these statistically dangerous B roads. This isn't the be all and end all to all our issues with deaths on our roads, but it could fix one aspect of it.

So how about it? Lets take all the money from the RSA's morbid advertising campaigns, and put it into cats eyes on every road. Who's with me?

I know the temptation to go off topic coming up with all sorts of ideas about road safety, and the cause of deaths is huge, but please try to keep this on topic, and discuss the effectiveness of it.

I agree with your suggestion.
Refering back to the Kentstown crash in county meath where a school bus overturned.
After the crash, half of the stretch of the road was re surfaced. The other half was left as it was.
When the part of the road was resurfaced, there were no cats eyes or white lines put downon the road edges. The road is still very hard to drive on during heavy rain and at night.
The costs would be a lot more to do this but it's a disgrace that it wasn't enforced by law.
When you do see a road with cats eyes and clear road markings it is incredible how easier it is to drive on, it is less tiring and stressful.

Fighting Irish

Fook trying to reduce road deaths unless you can reduse the ammount of stupid people who use our roads, why piss away the money?
We need to fix up our roads instead, i'm sick of hitting potholes and bumps and ****

cancan

Why not make all provisional drivers wear helmets.
Then they won't do as much damage to themselves, yet have some incentive to get a full license.

daveharnett

cancan wrote: »

Why not make all provisional drivers wear helmets.
Then they won't do as much damage to themselves, yet have some incentive to get a full license.

Well done sir. Totally OT, but I got a laugh off it.

Rowley Birkin QC

I agree with the idea, simple but the pictures you posted up are very convincing.


I'm working in a local authority at the moment, will try and have a chat to someone in Roads tomorrow about this, cost, timings, current policies etc.

What kind of campaign are you hoping to run to get the idea floated?

JcDubz4life

I think people have a distorted view of the road deaths in this country. I think the media is mainly to blmae for this. The way they go on you'd swear thousands died here every year. Obviusly the hundreds of people killed every year are a tragedy but I think that it is completly blown out of context how bad the problem is.

People were never designed to travel at 50mph and put quite simply; when they do that theyre are always going to be fatalities. If you take the numbers for every country and allow for different populations, Ireland has a comparitivly low death rate. Obviusly this in no way takes away from the pain and grief suffered by the families of the deceased

Rowley Birkin QC

JcDubz4life wrote: »

Obviusly this in no way takes away from the pain and grief suffered by the families of the deceased

You're right, it doesn't. So any initiative that reduces that rate even lower is a good thing.

Zube

JcDubz4life wrote: »

If you take the numbers for every country and allow for different populations, Ireland has a comparitivly low death rate.

Unless you compare it to a civilized country like the UK or Sweden, where the roads are good, the signage and road markings are visible, and people know how to drive.

craichoe

Zube wrote: »

Unless you compare it to a civilized country like the UK or Sweden, where the roads are good, the signage and road markings are visible, and people know how to drive.

Swedens fine but the UK is a disaster, if you think the roads there are better than Ireland you are most definetly on crack. Drive from Harwich to Suffolk and you'll see what I mean

I was driving on a road there and everyone was passing me out, first i thought, jaysus .. their all booting it, whats going on. Then I realised it was a motorway, i couldn't believe it !!

RE: Road signage, its a good idea but i think they should focus on getting decent public transport in place as soon as possible, the road infrastructure is overloaded as it is. Cats-Eyes are great, but they have a limited life and increase congestion when they are being replaced, don't get me wrong but I can remember years ago when they were everywhere, I think it just wasn't feasable to go replacing all of them when they reach end of life.

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

Swedens fine but the UK is a disaster, if you think the roads there are better than Ireland you are most definetly on crack. Drive from Harwich to Suffolk and you'll see what I mean

I was driving on a road there and everyone was passing me out, first i thought, jaysus .. their all booting it, whats going on. Then I realised it was a motorway, i couldn't believe it !!

There's not a single mile of motorway in the whole of Suffolk.

craichoe

Alun wrote: »

There's not a single mile of motorway in the whole of Suffolk.

There bloody is if your trying to get to Henham Park in Beccles and your sat nav brings you to Henham in Hertfordshire, believe me, i almost killed the bloke who i asked "What do i put into the Sat Nav to get there" lol

Ah well .. the trip was worth it anyway

It was a bit of a roundabout way to get there!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=harwich,+united+kingdom&daddr=Henham,+Bishop%27s+Stortford,+Hertfordshire,+United+Kingdom+to:Henham,+Beccles,+Suffolk,+NR34+8AN,+United+Kingdom+(The+Stables+At+Henham+Park)&hl=en&geocode=12446230479609406540,52.348503,1.595648&mra=pe&mrcr=1&sll=52.129621,0.907503&sspn=1.208886,2.471924&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9

L1011

Could the 'motorway' have been the A12, which would be 70mph, with junction numbers, and is reknownedly utterly terrible?

Alun

craichoe wrote: »

There bloody is if your trying to get to Henham Park in Beccles and your sat nav brings you to Henham in Hertfordshire, believe me, i almost killed the bloke who i asked "What do i put into the Sat Nav to get there" lol

Ah well .. the trip was worth it anyway

It was a bit of a roundabout way to get there!

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&saddr=harwich,+united+kingdom&daddr=Henham,+Bishop%27s+Stortford,+Hertfordshire,+United+Kingdom+to:Henham,+Beccles,+Suffolk,+NR34+8AN,+United+Kingdom+(The+Stables+At+Henham+Park)&hl=en&geocode=12446230479609406540,52.348503,1.595648&mra=pe&mrcr=1&sll=52.129621,0.907503&sspn=1.208886,2.471924&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9

Just a little bit, yes

craichoe

MYOB wrote: »

Could the 'motorway' have been the A12, which would be 70mph, with junction numbers, and is reknownedly utterly terrible?

Drove that on the way back ... fecking brutal as well, saw a nasty accident with a Motorcycle and a roundabout too :eek: