Brake: towns and villages ‘blighted by speed’

10.37 | 12 May 2010 | | 1 comment

The majority of drivers admit to ‘killer speeds’ in towns and villages, according to research launched today (13 May) by the road safety charity Brake.
 
72% of drivers surveyed admitted driving at 35mph or faster in a 30mph zone, and 36% admitted doing this daily or at least once a week.
 
Mary Williams OBE, Brake chief executive, said: “There appears to be widespread complacency among drivers who may think they will be able to stop in time if they are just going ‘a few’ miles over 30 – but the physics of speed tells us they won’t, and the casualty figures tell us they don’t.

“Many of these drivers wouldn’t dream of drink or drug driving, but are prepared to risk lives by speeding. There need to be more campaigns that explain to otherwise law-abiding citizens the exponentially damaging effects of increases in speed.

 “Anyone who can understand that it isn’t safe for a child to fall out the window of a three storey house can also understand that 30mph is too fast for communities.

“There is an urgent need for the default 30mph limit to be changed to 20mph, and we also want this research to act as a rallying cry to all drivers to take personal responsibility to stop the carnage on our streets by dropping their speed to 20mph or lower in towns and villages.”

For more information contact Ellen Booth on 01484 550067.

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    The message needs to be driven out that these speeds are potentially dangerous, antisocial and unacceptable. How is the message most effectively delivered? The answer is education and the ripple effect. There is a need for more community concern sites where mobile safety camera units can be located. The threshold speed for referral to a speed awareness workshop needs to be lowered. Many more drivers and riders need the kind of education and development that these workshops successfully deliver.

    Road users whose speeds are such that they warrant a fixed penalty and points should be required to attend a workshop in addition to any penalties they might receive.

    We need to get even more committed to education and road user development. The ideas detailed above could be implemented very cost effectively as the systems required for delivery are already up and running; they are also self financing. There is potential here for the promotion of a massive positive road safety ripple at no extra cost to the taxpayer. Any excess funds generated can be ploughed back in to road safety iniatives.


    Mark – Wiltshire
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