The Project Pictogram team is urging motorists to follow ‘three simple habits’ to avoid the perils of ‘the fatal four’ this summer.
With the school summer holidays starting next week, Project Pictogram is asking drivers to ‘take a bit of speed out’, ‘put a bit of space in’ and ‘ditch the distractions’. The campaign says the summer holidays are a busy travel period often marred by ‘avoidable’ collisions.
Officially launched in March 2016 but in use since September 2015, Project Pictogram encourages UK fleets and organisations to use an industry standard set of vehicle stickers to communicate the dangers associated with the ‘fatal four’: inappropriate speed, using a mobile phone, not wearing a seatbelt and drink/drug driving.
With inappropriate speed for the road, weather or traffic conditions a contributing factor in many fatal collisions, Project Pictogram is urging drivers to give plenty of time for journeys, recognising that roads will be busy at this time of year.
The campaign says rear-end-shunts due to unsafe following distances are the most common type of collision, and is reminding drivers to leave a minimum two second following distance from the car in front, extending this time gap further on open roads. In wet conditions when tyre grip is reduced, Project Pictogram says this gap should be doubled.
On the subject of distraction, Project Pictogram’s advice is as follows: “If we were all able to concentrate on our driving 100% we would be unlikely to bump into each other, however the human mind is prone to distraction.
“Mobile phones, in-car entertainment for drivers and their passengers, passengers’ behaviour (e.g. children arguing), eating and drinking at the wheel, etc, can all distract your eyes and mind from the road at a crucial moment.
“Before setting off, create an in-car environment which minimises driver distractions, and plan in two hourly breaks in your journey to guard against fatigue and loss of concentration.”
When it comes to space unfortunately many drivers are unaware of the fact that they are driving far to close. They would and could argue that they have done it that way for years and have never ever been involved in a collision,. Which no doubt is true. When the HC is pointed out to them they would argue that its to great a distance and anyway who knows or can remember so many different distances. The HC says one thing about distances and the DRIVING STANDARDS AGENCY the driving skills manual says something entirely different. Its also possible that someone somewhere said, or it was read in a book, that told them that under certain situations like heavy trafic one can drive closer than the stopping distances but must always and at all times be a safe distance away from the car in front. Where does that lead one. Into confusion?
its no wonmder that people are confused and decide there own distances based on experience round town ehen they can anticipate startings and stoppings, junctions, bus stops delivery vehicles etc. and drive accordingly to what they consider is safe.
R.Craven Blackpool
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> why not ask some drivers who are guilty of the above mentioned failings
Here’s an idea – why don’t drivers who are a legitimate threat to other road users experience something horrible, like an accident?
There was a television programme on ITV a year or so ago, where they tried to reform drivers. One of the methods of reforming wasn’t a boring period in a class room listening to an instructor blather on about positions of wheels at a junction, but more, getting them driving virtually.
A driving simulator was set up to control a remote-controlled car, and the camera from the front of the aforementioned car was projected in front of the human “driver”. And so this driver was driving around for a fair bit, doing things, being human. And all of a sudden, there would be a physical blowout – and this car would just be randomly launched into a group of parked cars.
Boom!
They weren’t expecting this to happen, like you and I wouldn’t expect a blowout to happen.
David Weston, Corby
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I don’t know if it’s ever been tried, but why not ask some drivers who are guilty of the above mentioned failings (or any other which are occasionally the subject of a road safety campaign) and simply ask them if it (the ad) works for them and if not, what will? The above campaign as described, is a respectful but rather light-weight reminder of what not to do behind the wheel – unfortunately however, those who most need to heed it seem to be immune to such messages. I think for some motorists, their reluctance to do things responsibly is ingrained and can’t be easily modified. I’ve met motorists on 9, 10 and 11 points i.e. one offence away from a ban, but who will not change their ways.
Hugh Jones, cheshire
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