Just how bad are drivers, in general?

[Profpointy]

You are almost making my point for me.

I see GDL as a distraction and as we do already in effect have that, legislators would be better spending their time researching other measures - which I would speculate as being more effective.

GDL is tinkering around the edges, whilst maintaining the status quo and placating the motoring lobby.

What we need, is the road safety review that was promised by Government an age ago.

That is a reasonable point and I am inclined to agree

 

[Alex321]

You are almost making my point for me.

I see GDL as a distraction and as we do already in effect have that, legislators would be better spending their time researching other measures - which I would speculate as being more effective.

GDL is tinkering around the edges, whilst maintaining the status quo and placating the motoring lobby.

What we need, is the road safety review that was promised by Government an age ago.

They aren't alternatives, where one precludes the other.

Yes, GDL may be a little "tinkering round the edges", and if it were the only change might not have a huge effect (though I'm sure it would have some). But that is no reason to say "don't do it", just to say "we also need ... ".

 

[Bristolian]

You are almost making my point for me.

I see GDL as a distraction and as we do already in effect have that, legislators would be better spending their time researching other measures - which I would speculate as being more effective.

GDL is tinkering around the edges, whilst maintaining the status quo and placating the motoring lobby.

What we need, is the road safety review that was promised by Government an age ago.

I'm not really arguing with your viewpoint, and accept that GDL is not a panacea but I look upon it as a measure that can be enacted quickly (maybe within 6 months if Government get onboard with the idea), whereas a road safety review or restructuring of training/testing methods and standards will take years - maybe even decades - to be undertaken, analysed, discussed ad nauseum in Parliament and finally enacted in some watered down version. In the meantime GDL would save lives and there can be regulations tied to it around driving modified cars, engine power, carrying passengers, driving times, etc.. The risk of new drivers breaking those rules will be the same as that for breaking existing regulations.

The upside of introducing GDL may not be great but it's better than the downside of not doing it, IMHO.

BTW, I agree that we need a review of road safety and training/testing but I don't see this (or any other Government) taking it on and seeing it through to actual, meaningful changes.

 

[raleighnut]

Is this a sensible basis for law-making? I mean, if Mossad choose to hunt everyone on this thread down and kill us in our sleep with AK47s/semtex, that's hard to stop with simple legislation; but I still think we should have laws against carrying weapons, and against shooting/stabbing people.

Say that after some numpty has cut you up just before traffic lights then wants to turn right (back street 'experts') or overtaken the bike then turned left right in front........................I'd use a Bazooka if I had one.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

My worry is that I think GDL is more about optics - it would be Government giving people the impression they are doing something about road safety, when they really aren't.

There is plenty of research out there already to draw on, in terms of improving road safety. It need not take multiple years to enact changes.

In in reality, road traffic/motoring/public highways legislation should be under constant review, with constant incremental improvements until we get to a situation where the safety record of private road transport matches or exceeds that of other modes of transportation.

 

[Bristolian]

My worry is that I think GDL is more about optics - it would be Government giving people the impression they are doing something about road safety, when they really aren't.

There is plenty of research out there already to draw on, in terms of improving road safety. It need not take multiple years to enact changes.

In in reality, road traffic/motoring/public highways legislation should be under constant review, with constant incremental improvements until we get to a situation where the safety record of private road transport matches or exceeds that of other modes of transportation.

I agree that it shouldn't take much time to enact changes but after a decade of working in road safety I know from experience that it does. No-one wants to "rock the boat" or be the one to put their head over the parapet with an idea. From that same experience, most innovative ideas come from the private sector and getting those ideas adopted by DfT, NH & TfL takes time. All three organisations will undertake their own research and come up with results that favour their standpoint.

An example: Certain sections of the A30 across Bodmin Moor get more than its fair share of hail when the rest of the road just gets rain and National Highways wanted to run a trial to see if they could provide localised warnings for drivers. They asked if the company I worked for could detect and measure hail falling. We could and I provided them with our test results to show that we could not only detect hail but categorise the stones by size, volume of melted water and ice layer on the road surface. I also said I could have six instruments ready for them, free of charge, in two months for their trial. Two and a half years later they were still debating internally where to install the instruments and signage - I left the company before the trial started.

 

[Oldhippy]

There lies one of the main issues, lack of political will and everyone wanting their little piece of the pie and not working together for the result requirements.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

 

[matticus]

View attachment 747045

Yup. Happens every time there are closures along my bit of the Thames
Doesn't apply to ME, I can get through fine!

 

[mjr]

Yup. Happens every time there are closures along my bit of the Thames
Doesn't apply to ME, I can get through fine!

Even worse, part of the A1101 is flooded and closed every winter, with a diversion signed miles before and big metal gates closed across the road, but not locked in case local emergency vehicles need to get in, so every year, some drivers of Audis and commercial lorries open the gate instead of take the 15ish extra miles on the A1122, can't find the road under the deepest bit and have to wade back to a walkway. https://www.cambsnews.co.uk/news/hi...ns-his-audi-on-flooded-a1101-at-welney/19593/

 

[presta]

Head line: Scooter rider causes vehicle pile up
Actual story: Cars travelling too close behind the one in front attempt to overtake a bike whilst it's signalling to turn right.

 

[DRM]

On Thursday whilst sat at a red light in the van, a private hire car pulls up alongside in the 2nd lane, this was when I spotted that the driver was watching a Bollywood movie on the cars infotainment screen, which last time I looked was an offence, absolutely unbelievable

 

[Dogtrousers]

On Thursday whilst sat at a red light in the van, a private hire car pulls up alongside in the 2nd lane, this was when I spotted that the driver was watching a Bollywood movie on the cars infotainment screen, which last time I looked was an offence, absolutely unbelievable

I remember that. It was the Road Traffic Act Bollywood Amendment wasn't it.