Diesel

We hear so much about the noble mantra of safety on the roads, but I am really starting to worry about driving standards and the frequency of accidents - and all at a time where the big killer we are told 'speed' probably hasnt been any lower on the roads.

If the political will, attention to detail and truth be told I just think so much more could be done by those who's responsibility it is.

I regularly see hazzards on roads I travel, and they never seem to get addressed. Here are just a few from around Bristol/Cardiff, and I've seen near misses due to most of them :

• Massive standing water often on outside lane about 1/3 mile after exiting Severn Second Crossing on rainy days.
• Lack of lane markings exiting SSC - 12 lanes into 3 and no legible marks.
• M4 by Newport, esp on the twisty downhill eastbound sections should have a 60 limit; the 40 on the A48 eastbound by Cardiff Heath hospital is nonsense though.
• Pool of unexpected water often on entrance to Newport Brynglas tunnel in offside lane just after entry Eastbound - have seen many a car have an unexpected moment there.
• Hugely limited visibility looking to right on entry to roundabout near Bristol Meads [Sainsburys/Skoda Garage] heading towards Bath in South West Bristol due to foliage/growth
• First traffic lights on Manor Way, Cardiff, inbound sometimes fail to light green right filter, leaving cars stranded in middle of road as they go back to red. [I actually called cops on this to be told filter 'lucky dip' depends on time of day, and no I wont get done by the traffic light cam for my hesitation!!!]
• What REALLY gets me is having a green light 50yds from a roundabout, but that the green in no way means your path is free to enter on certain roundabouts as you still have to give way.
• There's a large roundabout near Brackley [some IT company's HQ based there] where you would have thought that being in lane 2 of 3 on the entry, heading for the M4, would mean you can take the second exit - but you cant! Its a single lane on the exit and the lane marks allow the vehicle on your inside the prvilidge! [Actually this seems so daft, have I forgotten any highway code here??]
• A general point is the inconsitency about white lines showing the edge of roads and often defunct/non-existent cat's eyes.

I guess I should make time to contact the authorities on these things if I feel strongly that I'm right about some of them, but frankly that is someone else's job - esp those that the taxpayer salaries to ensure and manage road safety.

Any others out there? A list compiled by region could be then be forwarded I guess...?

D

haroldhettaturbo

iTrader: (2)

Massivly bumpy pott holed road, thats been patched and patched and patched.

Then they put speed hums on it, do they fix the road noooooooo.

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

that would be any UK road then

haroldhettaturbo

iTrader: (2)

could be any road in country.

This road is so fubared you cant go more than 20 on it anyways.

But instead of fixing it they waste money on stupid speed humps.

corradoboy

If safety was really the justification on road spending then they'd use porous Tarmac as they do in Germany. Water dissipates through it improving wet weather grip substantially, but it is twice as expensive as normal stuff.

500 a year die due to drink driving, but we have less traffic officers than ever, and cameras can't smell your breath. A further 800 pedestrians a year are killed with over 80% of them stepping voluntarily into moving traffic, and yet The Highway Code and Green Cross Code are no longer taught in schools. 16000 cyclists are injured on the roads each year with 200 or so being killed, but The Cycling Proficiency Test is not mandatory, or taught in schools except voluntarily as an extracurricular choice. The Police seem blissfully unaware that cyclists cause any danger on the roads whatsoever, yet their disregard for traffic law, lack of physical protection and often their total lack of training or experience (children) makes them a real danger to themselves and all around them on the road. Factor in mechanical failure, extreme weather, poor road design and the single biggest cause, human judgement and the roads are a frightening place to be. Instead of focussing on education and awareness to begin a progressive and overall improvement of standards and safety, the policy-makers decided that a single-pronged punitive assault on the most easily detectable driving offense would be the most profi.... err productive. Hence, after 12 years of overzealous speed enforcement, road deaths remain at 3200 or so every single year. Well done, how do I vote for someone else ? Oh, that's right, there isn't anyone else, just another group of lying prats with different coloured ties

Diesel

Go Corrado! So true what you say - not teaching Green Cross Bl00dy code - it was drummed into me, as was the cycle tests in the school playground...!!

Prasius

iTrader: (1)

On the A47 in Norfolk there is a particularly dangerous off-set cross road that is at the bottom of two hills and obstructed by a bend, where a couple of people have been killed in the last few years. While the danger could simply be engineered out, they fail to do anything about it at all.

Diesel

I believe this really helps braking when a kid jumps out - all the indentations and unsettled suspension helps the car stop much quicker

corradoboy

One thing I am seeing more often now is cyclists using mobiles or listening to MP3 players whilst on the road. This needs stamping out good and proper. I also have witnessed many pedestrians stepping out to cross roads without looking and blissfully devoid of any concept of potential danger with wires protruding from their ears. Add to that the middle-aged shift worker cycling to work in complete darkness with no lights, no helmet and often no reflector or hi-vis clothing, just asking to be squashed. I no longer move out wide for any cyclist who hasn't got lights, if I were to hit them I'd sue them (or their estate) as they are in contravention of the RTA and thus are responsible.

Fuzz

What gets my goat most is that there is no consistency with lane directions at traffic lights.
Is the left lane left only or straight on and left.. what about the right hand lane is that straight on and right or right turn only.
All fine and dandy if you know the area..
But FFS if you don't

All Torque

The flyover leaving Cardiff when you want to go to the Valleys and you have cars wanting to go to Llanishen/Caerphilly Mountain.

r32

Corradoboy, you have made some excellent points, but you generalise about cyclists, dont agree with that. I'm in a cycling club and we take the rules of the road very seriously. You could tag all car drivers in a similar way.

corradoboy

I generalize about cyclists because in general they are very bad road users. I am on the road 12 hours a day as a driving instructor and thus observing both my client and the road and users they encounter, and am obviously a professional and qualified driver. I find it a rare and surprising exception to the rule when I see a cyclist behaving in a proper, legal and considerate manner. I am sure you and your club members ride well, but in my experience you are a very rare breed.

CrisPDuk

I'm currently living and working about 25km from the centre of Bangkok, the stuff I see on the roads everyday would make your hair stand on end

I agree with Corrado 100% though about the UK's roads




Just out of interest R32, are you a member of one of these cycling clubs that causes chaos on the roads by organising races on them

matchmaker

It was the Kerb Drill when I was at school - it was even embossed on our pencils!