More than 32,000 people have died on British roads in the past 10 years

[User]

 

[Cab]

Ahh, but they are other people. And other people dying, you know, people not in your car, are an acceptable risk.

A 'right mind' doesn't come in to it

 

[very-near]

Interactive map of road fatalities on the UK roads in the last 10 years

Interesting road map on the BBC website HERE. From a cursory glance of the area I live in, it appears that the very vast majority of victims (70%) are actually the occupants of the cars themselves, and cyclists didn't even get on to the map last year as a user group in the county of Gloucestershire.

So if you want to live longer, don't use the car!

 

[very-near]

Put it like that, and I don't see how anyone in their right mind can argue against the increase in measures proven to reduce death on the roads

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8415351.stm

What is this expressed as a percentage of the population ?

Edit - 0.05% of the population of the UK have been killed on the roads over the last 10 years by other people operating heavy machinery. This is news ??

 

[dellzeqq]

Puts the Afghan war in perspective doesnt it.

(102 soldiers in 8 years)

a very good point. I get a little bored with all the manufactured grief when most road casualties don't make it past page 11.

 

[Cab]

a very good point. I get a little bored with all the manufactured grief when most road casualties don't make it past page 11.

Perhaps the tragedy is not that we grieve too much or too publicly for our war heroes, but that we do not also grieve more vocally for those killed on our roads.

 

[dellzeqq]

Perhaps the tragedy is not that we grieve too much or too publicly for our war heroes, but that we do not also grieve more vocally for those killed on our roads.

possibly, but a greater tragedy is that, as a country, we lack the political will to do much about it.

 

[very-near]

Yup and because another 30K die using their Black and Deckers (see post above) its somehow acceptable.

Using figures like the OP has does nothing to strengthen the argument when they are put in perspective. Life is risk - now put the bacon buttie down and step away from the frying pan if you want to keep the number of avoidable deaths in the UK down

 

[yenrod]

Deaths on British Roads

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/uk/2009/crash/8414354.stm

 

[very-near]

Is is a conincidence that they have released an interactive accident map at the same time They get the stats down to figures which are IMO amazinly low given there are 30million vehicles on theroad, and they then realise that most people see this as acceptable risk for personal freedom so they move the goal posts and quote over a 10 year period to beef up the numbers again Apart frrom the fact that there has been a 20% drop in the numbers over that time as well.

Who is the cynic, those organising these 'offensives' or the ones seeing them for what they are... Are you suitably scared shitless of getting on your bike now as you have seen these numbers as cycling is a very safe pastime/mode by comparison to drving or any other mode on the roads.

 

[StuartG]

And lets not forget the 10 x number who are seriously injured. The dead don't suffer any more. Many more are having to live the hell created by a thoughtless or misjudged act.

While we can never eliminate either - just the awareness of the consequences might make us all more careful. As a car driver I do get lulled into the protective comfort zone that is Magic Radio, a nice sweetie or two and 'dam why did that cyclist have to do that!!!"

I'm not convinced shock ads will do it. Putting more restrictions in place can just jack-up the aggro - after all I'm a good driver, I've never actually killed anybody - yet.

Attitude change is very difficult. Its moving away from rather than to cycling IMHO.

 

[nosherduke996]

If the proposed speed limit of 20mph is introduced in places then in my village we will be going faster. Just another Nanny state law by the goverment.
The way people are taught to drive is the issue.

 

[Lurker]

Using figures like the OP has does nothing to strengthen the argument when they are put in perspective. Life is risk - now put the bacon buttie down and step away from the frying pan if you want to keep the number of avoidable deaths in the UK down

You're missing the point. This is a cycling forum. The risk we're worried about is the risk of death or injury from *other* road users, who may choose to impose it on us. We choose for ourselves whether to eat a bacon buttie.

 

[upsidedown]

Was looking at the map earlier. Quite interseting to see that in the West Midlands there were no cyclng deaths in 2008, and 1 in 2007. Most of the fatal crashes that i could see happened late at night.
Puts it into perspective really how safe cycling is against the perceived risk, at least outside of London.

 

[Cab]

If the proposed speed limit of 20mph is introduced in places then in my village we will be going faster. Just another Nanny state law by the goverment.
The way people are taught to drive is the issue.

If theres a 20mph limit and its enforced, it could well make roads flow far more freely in areas with some congestion. You've got a lot more road space with shorter stopping distances.

Its an excellent idea for urban areas.