davz571
November 26th, 2006, 04:01 PM
Just wanna share this topic i read..
Idiotic car driving is so prevalent on roads that it causes the vast majority of accidents. Speeding? it's almost irrelevant..
(According to British government latest research)
The primary cause of all road accidents in the UK, by a very long way, is driver error. Speeding, by contrast, was a contributory factor in just 5% of accidents.. (British department of Transport)
"Drivers are getting worse" but why? There appear to be two fundamental reasons.
First, driver are bombarded with more distractions than ever before.
The average driver 20 years ago could choose to fiddle with a lever that opened an air vent or sprain a finger trying to operate a push-button radio. By comparison, modern car dashboards look like a cross between an aircraft deck and a DJ's mixing desk. Even the previously clutter-free area above the dash now increasingly has an aftermath sat-nav on it. And there are mobile phones.
But perhaps the most contentious distraction is outside the car. Ever growing number of signs, cameras and flashing/illuminated displays divert drivers attention from the road, rather than focusing on it. Basically, we're not looking where we're going because there's so much other stuff telling us to watch our speedo, stay awake and look out for low-flying old people.
Inattention, distraction and fatigue massively eclipse speed when it comes to causing accidents. ( an investagator says )
For 15 years, successive governments have argued that speed kills. Ministers and senior civil servants have staked their reputations on the fact that speeding is the root cause of road casualties, and-even when faced with evidence from their own researchers that it is not-cant bring themselves to execute a U-turn.
American psychology expert DR Robert Cialdini was the first to identify this phenomenon, labelling it "consistency". He discovered that once a person has committed to an idea, product, or service, they will look for almost any justification to validate that commitment, often ignoring overwhelming contrary evidence. If you've ever bought a bike and found yourself defending it in the face of insurmountable evidence that its a shonker, you'll have some appreciation of the power of consistency.
Example of this phenomenon at ministerial level are easy to find.JUst days after the Department of transport published the research showing speeding is the cause of just 5% of road crashes, roads minister Stephen Ledman says about 25% of accidents involve breaking the speed limit,and this would be higher if it wasnt for speed cameras.This according to his own departments figures, plainly isn't true but is consistent with what he has said the past.
And its not just consistency preventing ministers from focusing on bigger road-safety issues. The last confirmed number of speed cameras in the UK was 6000 in 2004: estinates put the current figure at around 7500. Public coffers have swelled by millions in the past decade thanks to the grey and yellow boxes ( 120 million euro was paid in speeding fines last year alone).There is now an anti- speeding industry, with all the momentum that imlpies: Im afraid its all crap' says accident investigator( and a police car driver and bike rider ) Gary Baldwin> " But its a bloody good way of Making money"
But what of motorists? Do we have any right to tut at rubbish-driving motorists when, per mile travelled, we suffer 20 times as many accidents? Gary Baldwin sees a yawning chasm, between driving and riding standards. "There is definitely a difference" he says " car drivers pass their test, do no further training and progressively get worse. Many bikers, however, are serious about improving the standards of their riding.They spend their own money on improving their skills. How many drivers do that? Drivers use their car solely as transport, while bikers tend to actually enjoy riding and want to get better at it. Other wise, we wouldnt put up with the bad weather and the silly clothes.
Riders vs Drivers: Why we crash
COntributory factors
1. Failed to look properly
cars 18%, bikes 14%
2. Failed to judge others speed
Cars 10%, bikes 10%
3. Poor turn or maneuvre
Cars 8%, bikes 10%
4. Loss of control
Cars 8%, bikes 14%
5. Going too fast for the conditions
cars 7%, bikes 9%
6. Inexperienced rider/driver
cars 3%, bikes 9%
7. Exceeding speed limit
cars 3%, bikes 4%
Contributory factors ( and % accidents they caused )
1. Failed to look properly- 32%
2. Failed to judge others speed- 18%
3. Careless, reckless or in a hurry- 16%
4. Poor turn or maneuvre- 15%
5. Loss control- 14%
6. Going too fast for conditions- 12%
7. Slippery road- 10%
8. Pedestrian didnt look properly- 9%
9. following too close- 7%
10. Sudden braking- 7%
Source: BIKE ( Britain ) magasine Dcember 06 issue
You can comment on this topic guys.. Dont know if it's true in our country.
But at least we can use this as reference..
Idiotic car driving is so prevalent on roads that it causes the vast majority of accidents. Speeding? it's almost irrelevant..
(According to British government latest research)
The primary cause of all road accidents in the UK, by a very long way, is driver error. Speeding, by contrast, was a contributory factor in just 5% of accidents.. (British department of Transport)
"Drivers are getting worse" but why? There appear to be two fundamental reasons.
First, driver are bombarded with more distractions than ever before.
The average driver 20 years ago could choose to fiddle with a lever that opened an air vent or sprain a finger trying to operate a push-button radio. By comparison, modern car dashboards look like a cross between an aircraft deck and a DJ's mixing desk. Even the previously clutter-free area above the dash now increasingly has an aftermath sat-nav on it. And there are mobile phones.
But perhaps the most contentious distraction is outside the car. Ever growing number of signs, cameras and flashing/illuminated displays divert drivers attention from the road, rather than focusing on it. Basically, we're not looking where we're going because there's so much other stuff telling us to watch our speedo, stay awake and look out for low-flying old people.
Inattention, distraction and fatigue massively eclipse speed when it comes to causing accidents. ( an investagator says )
For 15 years, successive governments have argued that speed kills. Ministers and senior civil servants have staked their reputations on the fact that speeding is the root cause of road casualties, and-even when faced with evidence from their own researchers that it is not-cant bring themselves to execute a U-turn.
American psychology expert DR Robert Cialdini was the first to identify this phenomenon, labelling it "consistency". He discovered that once a person has committed to an idea, product, or service, they will look for almost any justification to validate that commitment, often ignoring overwhelming contrary evidence. If you've ever bought a bike and found yourself defending it in the face of insurmountable evidence that its a shonker, you'll have some appreciation of the power of consistency.
Example of this phenomenon at ministerial level are easy to find.JUst days after the Department of transport published the research showing speeding is the cause of just 5% of road crashes, roads minister Stephen Ledman says about 25% of accidents involve breaking the speed limit,and this would be higher if it wasnt for speed cameras.This according to his own departments figures, plainly isn't true but is consistent with what he has said the past.
And its not just consistency preventing ministers from focusing on bigger road-safety issues. The last confirmed number of speed cameras in the UK was 6000 in 2004: estinates put the current figure at around 7500. Public coffers have swelled by millions in the past decade thanks to the grey and yellow boxes ( 120 million euro was paid in speeding fines last year alone).There is now an anti- speeding industry, with all the momentum that imlpies: Im afraid its all crap' says accident investigator( and a police car driver and bike rider ) Gary Baldwin> " But its a bloody good way of Making money"
But what of motorists? Do we have any right to tut at rubbish-driving motorists when, per mile travelled, we suffer 20 times as many accidents? Gary Baldwin sees a yawning chasm, between driving and riding standards. "There is definitely a difference" he says " car drivers pass their test, do no further training and progressively get worse. Many bikers, however, are serious about improving the standards of their riding.They spend their own money on improving their skills. How many drivers do that? Drivers use their car solely as transport, while bikers tend to actually enjoy riding and want to get better at it. Other wise, we wouldnt put up with the bad weather and the silly clothes.
Riders vs Drivers: Why we crash
COntributory factors
1. Failed to look properly
cars 18%, bikes 14%
2. Failed to judge others speed
Cars 10%, bikes 10%
3. Poor turn or maneuvre
Cars 8%, bikes 10%
4. Loss of control
Cars 8%, bikes 14%
5. Going too fast for the conditions
cars 7%, bikes 9%
6. Inexperienced rider/driver
cars 3%, bikes 9%
7. Exceeding speed limit
cars 3%, bikes 4%
Contributory factors ( and % accidents they caused )
1. Failed to look properly- 32%
2. Failed to judge others speed- 18%
3. Careless, reckless or in a hurry- 16%
4. Poor turn or maneuvre- 15%
5. Loss control- 14%
6. Going too fast for conditions- 12%
7. Slippery road- 10%
8. Pedestrian didnt look properly- 9%
9. following too close- 7%
10. Sudden braking- 7%
Source: BIKE ( Britain ) magasine Dcember 06 issue
You can comment on this topic guys.. Dont know if it's true in our country.
But at least we can use this as reference..