Thank you for opening my blog, my name is Ella and I am trying to raise awareness of the issues of speeding in country lanes and that there should be more ways of preventing this. I also aim to change the attitudes of people speeding, to make them think before they act.
I propose that an increased number of speed bumps, and cameras, in country lanes would be much more affective in reducing speeding than speed limit signs. These are my reasons:
1. When speed cameras were first introduced to West London, a 10% drop in speeding resulted in a 40% drop in serious accidents. This proves that speed cameras do work.
2. People ignorant enough to speed need motive to persuade them not to. Speed
cameras provide the motive of losing money if caught speeding. Furthermore, speed bumps cause a nasty jolt if driven over too fast, this would cause a person to consider slowing down. A simple speed limit sign does not give the motive needed.
3. Country lanes are full of blind bends and high hedges, as shown in my picture, because braking distance gets greater the faster you are travelling if you drive fast around a blind bend and cannot see on coming traffic, you may brake too late to be able to stop.
4. Drivers should remember that they are sharing a high hedged, non paved, narrow lane with; pedestrians, horses and riders, cyclists, wildlife and slow farm vehicles (e.g. Tractors). Horses can be unpredictable and easily spooked by fast moving cars, causing them to buck, rear or bolt, which can be dangerous for the horse, the rider and the driver of the car.
5. Dangerous hazards are regular on country lanes. These include; fallen tree branches, pot holes and blind bends. Hazards like these make speeding even more dangerous.
I would like to thank you once again for reading my blog. If you could please take just a few more minutes of your time to answer the following questions and post a response I would be very grateful.
1. Had you considered the problems with speeding in country lanes previous to reading my blog?
2. Has my blog informed you on the issues of speeding?
3. Has your view on speed bumps and cameras changed in any way? If so how and why?
4. If you ever speed would you now consider driving slower?
Nicely presented view point.
ReplyDeleteanswers to your questions:
1. Yes, as someone who previously rode horses in lanes I was always aware of cars coming at me too fast.
2. Yes, you have reminded me that this continues to be an issue that need to be highlighted as it is easily forgotten and could cost lives.
3. Yes, ways to make our lanes safer for all users are important to maintain country life. Walking, horseriding and cycling should be safe for people to enjoy.
4. Definitely.
4.
I live in the country and I am constantly reminded of the dangers of speeding through narrow lanes when I see/hear someone driving at speed through the village where I live.
ReplyDeleteYou are right, speed limit signs have little affect. Speed bumps and cameras would force people to slow down.
Hi Ella. My name is Steve and I work in a business relating to roads. I also originate from a village so speeding in country lanes is something that is in my thoughts as for years I walked/cycled on them as a child/youth and now drive on them regularly even though I'm a "born-again townie"! To answer your specific questions:
ReplyDelete1. Yes I had but your blog is spot-on.
2. Yes, even though I have an awareness, what you say makes me think again and reinforces my awareness.
3. Yes it has. Because of people's bad and I'd say selfish driving habits, I now think that speed mitigation measures such as those you talk about are a necessity to change peoples' behaviour.
4. I can't pretend that I never speed but if I do it is now by only a small amount above the limit. When I realise that,I feel guilty and slow down as I am aware that I am a danger to others, humans and animals.
1) - yes, but the blog has highlighted more issues than I'd previously considered.
ReplyDelete2) Yes definitely
3) Speed bumps are pretty effective I think
4) I drive fairly slowly anyway as I've met a number of people who seriously regret speeding!
Keep up the good work
Kate Hathway
1) Yes, my wife and two children were in a car hit by another car on a country lane.
ReplyDelete2) To be honest, no.
3) Not in the slightest. These are URBAN 'solutions' not rural ones. Speed Cameras are DEEPLY unpopular, and do not in fact reduce accidents in general...they may just move them elsewhere. They are introduced to be used outside Schools and Hospitals....thats where they should remain. Speed bumps are an utter waste of time on country lanes where the vehicles are predominantly 4X4s with high clearence and barely notice them. To make a speed bump effective against these would render the lane unusable to normal cars, and the huge claims you would pay out to sports car owners would bankrupt the Council.
4) I 'speed'....i.e. drive faster than the advertised speed limit, when I consider it safe to do so. Just as I drive slower than the limit when I consider conditions unsafe to drive that fast. Most speed limits were introduced many years ago for far less advanced vehicles and are therefore unfortunatley liable to ridicule. So the answer to your question, I'm sorry to say, is 'No'.
Nice try though !
1& 2 Yes I have considered the problems with speeding in country lanes, but found your blog very informative.
ReplyDelete3. I think thatspeed bumps generally in our lanes would not be practical. Speed bumps are more practical in urban areas, or in villages. Cameras and increased max. Speed signs are very effective. Also I thinkthat anyone caught speeding should attend Polic HQ re-training sessionswhich are very time consuming and extremely thought provoking.
4.I don't speed, because I am aware that most accidents are caused through speeding, but I think that your blog raises issues which should be considered carefully by people who do speed and is therefore a very useful and informative piece of work.
i think that this is a great blog, and it does give me a lot of information, i am not answering the questions as i do not drive i dont feel that it applies to me,.
ReplyDeleteHi Ella
ReplyDelete1. Not really I live in a town.
2. Slightly but I would have liked to have seen something about the impact of speed cameras now they have been around a long time.
3. No. Country roads are used by farm vehicles which would find speed bumps a problem. The UK has one of the best road safety records and although speed cameras have helped reduce speeding in some areas I haven't seen anything to convince me that it would be cost effective to put them in rural areas. You need greater penalties for those who get caught such as losing your licence. Too many people just pay the fine and carry on speeding.
4. I don't drive but would encourage others not to speed if I was travelling with them.
Hi Ella, intersting blog. My work involves road safety so I have thought about speeding on Country roads before reading your views. I also sometimes go for walks in country lanes so I know how bad speeding cars can be. You haven't changed my mind but you have made me think about speed cameras in the countryside. I don't think they would work because people would know where they were and slow down just where they are located. More random Police checks would probably be better. More cattlegrids might work too so long as they have excaperamps forsmall mammals to get out if they fall in.
ReplyDelete