How safe are we on our roads?

kjmpde

I often see drivers of lorries and HGV with the phones in their hands . Not hands free

One of my sons used to be a police officer, and recalls pulling someone over for this - but very embarrassingly it turned out to be a left-hand-drive vehicle, and it was the passenger who was on the phone 😁

Etoile2701

Thank goodness I don't drive!

If you did you might see that it’s nowhere near as bad as posters want you to believe.

there have always been bad drivers. Despite many more cars and lorries on the road.Road casualties in this country are really low compared with other countries - and even lower than they were in the 1930s.

Stop catastrophising and instead dwell on the millions and millions of safe journeys take place every day and be in awe.

I write as someone whose sister was killed in a road accident and whose DD was seriously injured in one.

Thank goodness I don't drive!

FranP that's spot on the roads around that area are appalling. Whittlesey towards Pondersbridge is like a very uneven roller coaster

Timely conversation. I was sitting in a side road waiting for a lorry to pass this morning. He was moving a bit too slowly, but not slow enough for me to pull out. As he passed I could see he had a pastie stuck in his mouth and tapping on his mobile.

On Thursday, the usual gridlock past the school was at a total standstill for about 15 minutes, while a box van parked up on the zigzags and went into a house opposite and loaded up some crates. Several staff members and a large number of pupils late for school

rosie1959

What really should be an offence around here is the state of the roads. You could be forgiven for thinking the driver in front of you is drunk as he weaves his way around the enormous dips in the roads. We have to MOT our cars to ensure they are roadworthy pity the same cannot be said for the appalling state of the highways.

I live in the fens - often see cars in the fields because they have hit a dip going too fast and bounced off the road. We can now call our local highways, and they will come out with a little triangle uneven road sign to put on the roadside.

I travelled from Peterborough to Ramsey, Hunts. This is actually a main commuter route. Three angled dips deep enough to tip a lorry sideways, followed by a whole section of road that would disgrace a farm track.

I often see drivers of lorries and HGV with the phones in their hands . Not hands free

Drivers who either don’t signal, or who do it so late that it’s of little benefit, really make me angry. I’m threatening to talk to the next stationary driving instructor that I see about this. I’m not blaming only newly qualified drivers, as so many drivers are guilty of this, but I’d like to ask instructors to really push the importance of signalling, as not doing so is really dangerous. It’s also quite ignorant, maybe even arrogant.

I am amazed at the number of new/newish cars (as well as the bangers) that appear to have been made with NO SIGNALS!! So often, when driving, the car in front of me suddenly makes a turn with no indication at all - luckily I don't drive 'up their backsides'; or at roundabouts you have no idea when and where they intend to go. I have just returned from a fairly long drive where these non indications were really bad - and one lorry overturned and a car over a fence, down a steep bank into the woods!!

Constantly see young females drinking from takeaway cups, insulated mug type containers in the mornings. Would guess done school run, stopped for a coffee to drink whilst driving to work. And, speeding in the 20, 30 mph zones.

My dad said that too!

Just googled seatbelts are OK, inappropriate footwear isn’t!

I think it was random but it didn’t specify that in the paper. I don’t really know how they go about these operations.
I wonder if not wearing a seatbelt also nullifies their insurance?
I’m pretty sure that wearing unsuitable shoes does. I ran a business that involved pedicures and I used to lend flip flops to those who forgot their ‘pedicure sandals ’,I stopped when I heard that snippet of information. Ill google it.

Motor cycle deaths up, not surprising when you see how many of them drive.

Indeed, Monica, it may not feel like it but that is what the statistics show. In Lincolnshire they put the totals up on the road side of the current roadside deaths. I remember when they started there used to be over a 100 a year, now, with all the safety measures they have put in place including speed cameras, they are usually around 50. (Still too many, I know).

Interesting stats, deaths up by 1% I notice. Recent figures for the last two years.

Actually the number of accidents, injuries and deaths is stable to falling. www.gov.uk/government/statistics/reported-road-casualties-great-britain-provisional-results-2024/reported-road-casualties-in-great-britain-provisional-estimates-2024

I think the answer to the OP is less safe than we have ever been.
In the case of the people who drive without insurance or anything else, it can affect you badly if you’re hurt or your car is a write off and it’s getting more and more common to do especially, according to insurance companies and police from foreign nationals living here.
Other things like no MOT car tax as well.Cars that aren’t roadworthy are an extra hazard.
Add to that mix, drugs and/or alcohol in the system, constant distraction from mobile phones and you have a recipe for deaths.

kjmpde

Was there a typing error? only 5 using their mobile phones? from what I see it is more like 55 !

I think it means 5 had their mobile phones in their hand? Most people use hands free connection when they are driving, it’s a lot easier and safer.

Was there a typing error? only 5 using their mobile phones? from what I see it is more like 55 !

Mt61

Woman doing her mascara at the lights yesterday 😳had to pip her to tell her to go

perhaps a prolonged loud blast would have made her smudge her mascara!

Yes the roads are scary. It doesn't put me off driving through. And I'm used the narrow lanes of Devon . I do try to be a sensible driver and stick to the rules.

Why do most cars have cupholders? Surely that encourages people to drive while they drive.

It always amazes me that so many of the drivers you see on
programmes like Police Interceptors is that so many of the drivers they stop for having no insurance turn out to have no licence and a car full of drugs or stolen goods. If you are dealing in drugs or carrying out robberies why draw attention to yourself by having no insurance? Don't they realise how easily these things can be checked?