Interactive Accident Map

Interesting piece on the BBC web site showing where fatal accidents have happened between 1999 and 2008.


BBC News - Crash: Death on Britain's roads

Indeed. And Government recommendations for [effectively] blanket 50mph limits in rural areas, and 20mph limits in urban areas. Very considered, I'm sure. Just keep slowing 'em down so when they crash it doesn't hurt so much...

Except for the minor fact that recent figures show that travelling in excess of the posted speed limit is only responsible for around 6% of fatal and KSI figures.

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Are you a man or a mouse?

I don't think the internet is any place for reason, do you? Nor, it appears, is Government transport policy.

Indeed.

I also wonder if anyone ever asks whether any of the deaths would have been prevented had the speed limit been any lower.

and the stats clearly show that 14% more fatalities are pedestrian related than PTW, so obviously pavement limits of 1 or 2 mph are to be introduced nationwide, with pcso's implementing fines and approriate speed awareness courses.
actually shocked to see that ped fatalities in londON are the largest group, considering the ave speed is 11mph.

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Now that food has replaced sex in my life, I can't even get into my own pants.

I would imagine most of them are tourists, used to looking the other way first when crossing.....

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non quod, sed quomodo

Yes they do.

The map is wonderful nothing that County Councils don't already have but just knowing where the fatalities have occured means nothing.

There's a whole course of events that have led up to the actual fatality. All of those incidents will have been thorougly investigated both at the time and later by other people if there are other accidents at the same place. The speed limit will be something that is considered as is whether a lower limit would have prevented the incident.

Well they will if they are doing their job properly. I have personally investigated quite a few of the incidents on that map (as one of the other people).

Locally that disparity is quite the opposite and pedestrian fatalities are not that common compared to bikes. However, when they do occur they don't tend to be mown down on the pavement, it's generally on the highway.

In terms of speed the issue is considered every time but a lower speed limit is not necessarily the correct solution to a localised problem. That said, there are cases where a lower speed limit will be implemented as a result of pressure from the local community even if the crash problem is not speed related (or non-existant).

Two different issues, perhaps: whether speed affects the quantity and quality of crashes?

Think about how a 10 mph increase in speed actually affects things; doubling of braking distance or impact force . . .

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Argue with me: http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/

In terms of quality do we get to rate them?

"That crash was rubbish daahling, as you flew through the air you should have extended your hands a little further, your movements just aren't graceful enough. When you get out of hospital I'd expect to see improvements..."

Triple-salco toe loop and faceplant?

Attached Images

flying rider.jpg (64.8 KB, 17 views)

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Argue with me: http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/

You make valid points, although the effect of speed on accidents wasn't my point..

My point really is how many of the fatal accidents occurred at speeds in excess of the speed limit? Would a lower speed limit have made a difference, or would the vehicle(s) still have been travelling at the same speed, given that they were exceeding the limit anyway?

I am sure that reducing the speed limit has the effect of reducing the average speed and the speed of many accidents, but don't believe that it would make a huge difference to the number or the results of accidents that occur at speeds well above the existing limits, which must be a fair proportion of those resulting in a fatality.

The problem is that without full details of all the individual incidents it's pure speculation.

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Ah, OK.

As accident investigators often point out, many riders manage to crash at speeds their bikes could have coped with.

Also effectively criminalising previously law-abiding, 'safe' drivers just because they don't slow an arbitary amount.

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Argue with me: http://the-ride-info.blogspot.com/

I would think that the majority of crashes fall in to this catagory as not many people are going to have the skill to outshine their bike or daft enough to clealry ride beyond the physical abilities of their bikes.

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Are you a man or a mouse?