Panorama report on drivers speeds

Saw a preview of this on BBC breakfast and it’s really scary to watch. There’s a report out that says despite cars getting safer due to technology, UK roads are becoming more dangerous - less traffic police on the roads as well as a number of other factors. Should make for interesting viewing if your nerves can stand it !!

According to BBC News (online) Britain has one of the worst child pedestrian death records in Europe with more than 5,000 child pedestrians killed or seriously injured every year.

Those are the statistics- imagine what the reality is for those thousands of parents whose child has been killed or seriously injured.

I live on a main thoroughfare through a small town in The Cotswolds. It is a very narrow road with cars parked on either side. At those times when it's clear of traffic, quite a few drivers roar along at speeds well above the limit (30) on this residential street and there are a couple of drivers who regularly drive at around 50 virtually every day - we recognise the sound of their souped-up engines. They are well-known, and known to the police - have been cautioned, too - but they persist as if they have some God-given right to flout the rules that are there for a very good reason.

When I mentioned this on our local 'noticeboard' on Facebook, I was told by some other members of the group to "get a life" and called a "sad sack" who needed to "get real". With attitudes like that, the statistics are hardly surprising. I fervently hope they end up in a ditch one day with their cars written off, though I don't wish them serious injury - just sufficient to shock them out of their selfish, arrogant idiocy.

I doubt I will watch the programme, I have too vivid an imagination and the thought of that 'knock on the door' that is every parent's worst nightmare is too traumatic to think about. And the attitude of some drivers who seem to think their skill at the wheel justifies them speeding - to knock 3 minutes off their journey time, makes my blood boil.

I live by a through road with a 30 mph limit, which is often ignored especially by drivers of cars with souped up engines. It is a wonder there are not more accidents, as there are lots of pedestrians, bus stops, an Aldi, and people walking to school.

Driving in a bit of fog recently on a road I know well, I was doing 40 mph which was right for the conditions, when I was overtaken by a fast car at around 70 mph. He was just in front of me at the next set of traffic lights, so he gained nothing and put lives at risk.

Our town has a huge number of new houses and the large roundabouts that go with them. This has created various race tracks for the boy racers. This goes on at all hours and there is much complaining on Facebook from residents. The police seem to target an area then move on to the next, meanwhile the racers move back to the first.
I used to drive a lot before I retired, and there was always a lot of stupid driving. The school run was always a scarry experience!

I only found out in the last few days that from July this year all new cars will be fitted with speed limiters. They will automatically restrict the speed of the car to the speed limit on the road using GPS.
Hopefully this will make the roads safer. (It does occur that it may actually cause accidents as older cars may run into the back of new cars automatically slowing down?)
At the moment you are allowed to disable them, so I imagine the next step will be to make that illegal.
www.vertumotors.com/news/uk-cars-to-include-mandatory-speed-limiters-from-2022/#:~:text=Limiters%20From%202022-,In%20a%20bid%20to%20boost%20road%20safety%2C%20all%20new%20vehicles,rules%20as%20our%20European%20neighbours.

I have experience with Speed Limiters.

If you have a Speed Limiter on a big truck, as we have now, that's acceptable because if you are in a dangerous situation and can't accelerate away, then that's not such a big issue for big trucks.

If you are in a Fiat 500 and you can't get out of the way of a 32 tonne artic bearing down on you, not quite the same situation. If you are a lone woman driver who can't get away from somebody following behind them, not such a good idea either.

Those are good points well made Alegrias. I’ll watch the programme this evening and perhaps come back tomorrow to comment.

Terrible. I live in Nottingham, where apparently there are more speed cameras than anywhere else in the country (I'm sure I read that somewhere). I can go 1/4 mile in one direction before I get to a speed camera and only 300 yards in the other direction.

I read somewhere today that about half of the speed cameras in the UK don't work.

I agree, very good points Alegrias.