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How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

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Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#151

Post by master_crab »

tialaramex wrote: post #93
berryg wrote: post #82

Driving in the UK can be quite a shock when you're used to the roads in the Netherlands. The speed at which people navigate roundabouts can feel terrifying, and the maximum speed in the countryside is something else. Going *60 mph* on narrow roads with limited visibility is just crazy. The locals just speed by. I guess it's just what you're used to.

You're not supposed to drive 60mph on those tiny roads. Why are they 60mph? Well, the symbol they display doesn't say 60mph, it's basically just a slash symbol - it should be read "National Limit Applies" or perhaps "Derestricted" and it so happens that the law in the UK says that if there's no other rule in place that limit is 60mph and on these tiny roads nobody has put in place a more specific limit so that's the…

Having just come back from visiting the in-laws in Gloucestershire (American raised on American roads), it took me a minute to comprehend the national speed limit rule. Nonetheless, I don’t think the rule matters much.

What matters more is the far stricter driver licensing and “Scarlet L” (my words) that the learners have to display.

That and the fact that it is bloody impossible to conduct 2 way traffic down country roads thanks to all the hedgerows and so everyone is extra careful and courteous (usually).

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#152

Post by habosa »

Peanuts99 wrote: post #86
iainmerrick wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes, I really have a hard time understanding that trend. More than just the overall sizes of the cars (and they are big) it's those very high, flat fronts. That surely must be bad for visibility and bad for fuel efficiency at speed. I can only imagine people like that style because it looks more like a car and less like a minivan, which is what those enormous SUVs really are.

Perversely they're higher partially because of pedestrian safety. More space between the engine and the bonnet and hinges that extend that space when a force is applied to the front of the car to cushion the impact. Euro NCAP has a whole category for pedestrian safety to test exactly these features.

I’m confused. I read (see below) that these very tall fronts are significantly more deadly to pedestrians. Which is true?

https://www.iihs.org/news/detail/vehicles-with-higher-more-v...

Not to mention how much bigger the blind spot is now:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna52109

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#153

Post by zumu »

philjohn wrote: post #48

Our driving test standards are also high, having spoken with US colleagues, much higher than state-side (although I imagine that varies from state to state). The theory test you must pass before taking your practical also now includes a hazard perception test - you are shown multiple videos and must click when you first perceive a hazard - the earlier you click after the hazard presents the higher your score - but if…

> having spoken with US colleagues, much higher than state-side (although I imagine that varies from state to state).

You know, it does vary but relative to any other developed country it's pitiful in every state. The reality is we just hand out driver's licenses to whomever.

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#154

Post by mytailorisrich »

tbossanova wrote: post #150
dboreham wrote: post #142

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's the speed you're supposed to drive at.

Yep. I remember being driven around roads like this with a friend with a high performance car who knew what he was doing, so could go what seemed like a terrifyingly high speed to me, but was perfectly safe for him. Then we hit some other cars going slower and he just followed at the same speed, infinitely patient for someone with a thirst for speed. Just completely happy to adjust to the appropriate speed for the si…

People who know those roads drive fast, indeed, but it is not safe.

Visibility is poor and you cannot safely go through a bend at 50+ mph when you cannot see what's beyond it. There might be a stationary vehicle, a horse, a cyclists, even a pedestrian and you wouldn't know or be able to stop in time. This is how lethal collisions happen in those roads.

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#155

Post by mytailorisrich »

hazzamanic wrote: post #17

I wonder if there will be a reversal in pedestrian deaths with the rise in larger cars. I live in a large UK city and it is mad the number of SUVs you see driving around.

The issue is bad drivers and, sometimes, reckless pedestrians.

Obviously, in an UK town pedestrians and cars should never come in contact, there are pavements, pedestrian crossings, etc.

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#156

Post by mytailorisrich »

rkomorn wrote: post #36
PaulRobinson wrote: post #22

As somebody who has driven in a few places around the World, I would say that overall the standard of driving and safety is remarkably high in the UK given that the road layouts are often quite confusing (we have roads in use today from Roman, Saxon, Norman, Medieval, Tudor and more modern phases of development, so it can get confusing), and the level of signage around some confusing layouts is much lower than, say,…

Getting my driver's license in France required 20 hours of instruction by an accredited driving school. Getting my license in the US (CA and NJ) required... showing up with my own car. And in New Jersey, they even forgot to make me take the actual driving test.

As usual the UK is much more flexible, but perhaps also more pragmatic than France: there is no requirement to take any lessons to take the driving test. They don't care. What they care about is your driving.

Now, in practice this means you probably need more than 20 hours with an instructor plus practicing with family to pass the test.

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#158

Post by throwaway290 »

masfuerte wrote: post #63
throwaway290 wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

because sometimes you unplug it and leave it around. unless you live like a king sometimes there is 2 sockets and you have 5 devices to plug at different times. european and other ones will be on the side so stepping on it is no problem but uk ones will be the pointy end up

Live like a king! Are these prices beyond your means? https://www.argos.co.uk/search/extension-lead/

I have one too! 3 out of 6 plugs stopped working! I have 2 plugs outside of mini kitchen area and I have laptop, phone charger, camera charger, 2 ikea lamps, .......

there are no uk plugs here so I'm not complaining:)

if keeping everything plugged works for you, awesome!

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#159

Post by bigfudge »

dotwaffle wrote: post #103
philjohn wrote: post #48

Our driving test standards are also high, having spoken with US colleagues, much higher than state-side (although I imagine that varies from state to state). The theory test you must pass before taking your practical also now includes a hazard perception test - you are shown multiple videos and must click when you first perceive a hazard - the earlier you click after the hazard presents the higher your score - but if…

> also now includes a hazard perception test I took my test nearly 25 years ago, and this was present then -- for the avoidance of doubt, the UK test has always been very thorough, though not quite as thorough as those in places like Finland where apparently they have skid pans and similar!

Interestingly, I saw data from a road safety programme for young people that showed skid pan training actually made young men less safe not more, because they became even more overconfident about their ability to “react quickly” if bad things happened. Turns out that a bit of humility and slowing down are the main skills needed to avoid accidents!

Re: How Britain built some of the world’s safest roads

#160

Post by hnlmorg »

bigfudge wrote: post #159
dotwaffle wrote: post #103

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> also now includes a hazard perception test I took my test nearly 25 years ago, and this was present then -- for the avoidance of doubt, the UK test has always been very thorough, though not quite as thorough as those in places like Finland where apparently they have skid pans and similar!

Interestingly, I saw data from a road safety programme for young people that showed skid pan training actually made young men less safe not more, because they became even more overconfident about their ability to “react quickly” if bad things happened. Turns out that a bit of humility and slowing down are the main skills needed to avoid accidents!

I’d imagine that differs from county to country. For example the risks of skidding might be higher in Finland due to the colder climate.

Whereas in the UK, black ice isn’t as common so days when it’s icy, the best advice is just to take it slow and stick to salted routes.

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