Road safety in the UK: How far have we come?
Sunday, 14 February 2010
The UK government is trying to make Britain's roads the safest in the world - something that would no doubt be beneficial for car insurance customers. Last year, the then road safety minister Jim Fitzpatrick announced proposals to achieve just such an aim by the year 2020, hoping to cut road deaths by a third. But how far has the country come?
A recent Road Safety Foundation report gave some insight into the quality of the nation's transport infrastructure. The research evaluated 95 per cent of the 7,000 km Highways Agency network in England.
For its analysis, the foundation used the European Road Assessment Programme (EuroRAP) Road Protection Score - a scale for rating roads on the degree to which the design protects users from death or disabling injury when a crash happens.
Two-thirds of single carriageway trunk roads in England only received a two-star rating, while more than three-quarters (78 per cent) of the dual carriageway network was given a rating of three stars. Meanwhile, half of motorways achieved the expected four-star level, the highest rating in the scale.
John Dawson, chairman of EuroRAP, commented: "If a driver is belted, sober and obeying the speed limit, then the risk of death and injury in a four-star car on a four-star road is small.
Most rural roads in Europe are not safe at the posted speed limit, Mr Dawson explained, and the majority of deaths happen on busy one or two-star main single carriageway roads. Those looking to ensure road safety will therefore want to be particularly wary of these.
He claimed that crashes cost the British economy 1.5 per cent of gross domestic product, which is the equivalent of around £18 billion every year. Accidents can end up costing car insurance customers significant sums of money as well.
So what is the government doing to improve the safety of the transport network in the country? In recent days, the Department for Transport announced new law to keep disqualified drivers off UK and Irish roads.
It means that UK drivers disqualified for serious motoring offences in Ireland will not be able to avoid punishment on returning home. By the same token, driving bans earned by Irish motorists while in the UK will be recognised and enforced when they go back to Ireland.
Motorists would be wise to brush up on their driving skills to avoid being punished by laws such as these.
Indeed, while the state of Britain's roads is out of the hands of most motorists, they can adopt safe driving techniques to help them avoid crashes. The Association of British Drivers (ABD) has plenty of recommendations, one being to stay on the lookout for inattentive drivers as they may be unpredictable.
The organisation also advised looking out for motorbikes which may be making their way between lanes of traffic. When on the motorway, drivers should also look to ensure they do not drive alongside other vehicles for longer than necessary, especially large trucks, the ABD said. If motorists do so, they will be in the other driver's blind spot, which is dangerous for both of them.
Of course, different conditions require different skills when it comes to safe driving. The Institute of Advanced Motorists recently pointed to problems with potholes, more of which have appeared as a result of thawing ice recently.
The body recommended that drivers leave adequate room between themselves and the vehicle in front so they can see the road surface before them. It also suggested that motorists should try and remember where they saw a pothole, as they often reappear in the same place.
There are plenty of other ways for drivers to stay safe while behind the wheel and avoid claims on their car insurance. They will no doubt be hoping, however, that the UK government does its best to enhance the state of the country's road network in the future.
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