29 September 2003
Real cause of road accidents
It is impossible not to sympathise with the aims of RoadPeace – a charity that helps the victims of road accidents. Few could argue with its belief that “road danger can only be dealt with by tackling its root causes: condemning irresponsible driving and educating road users about their responsibilities, and promoting a transport policy that gives equal consideration to all road users”.
The campaign by RoadPeace to put up signs in memory of crash victims seems unobjectionable – even praiseworthy. And Norfolk County Council’s disquiet at the possibility that the signs might distract drivers is hard to swallow, given the thousands of other distractions on our roads created by themselves and other organisations.
But distraction, leading to inattention by drivers, is a major problem. It is a much worse problem than speed, for instance. It is a root cause of accidents that is wrongly ignored, because it’s hard to film.
Most drivers will be disturbed that, despite the balanced quotation from the RoadPeace website quoted above, both the RoadPeace members quoted in the EDP about the campaign mentioned only speed as a problem – “speeding over the flyover” and “toe off the accelerator” being the key quotes.
It is also worrying that at least one of them can’t drive and so presumably doesn’t know that under normal circumstances a vehicle under acceleration is much more controlled than one braking or freewheeling.
The causes of road accidents are rarely simple. Those who focus entirely or even primarily on speed are doing road safety a disservice, mainly by convincing bad drivers that anyone driving slowly is driving well. If all that dawdling drivers are doing wrong is provoking rash drivers to overtake them unsafely, they are still contributing to death on our roads – in my view contributing quite significantly.
Still we find non-angels and parish councillors rushing in as soon as a tragedy happens to demand speed reduction measures. Perhaps speed cameras would be better employed to measure the haste of such people’s rhetoric and slapping a swift fine on all those who hurtle in without thinking.
One hundred years ago an Act introduced to regulate speed on the highway stated sensibly that “if any person drives recklessly, or at a speed which is dangerous to the public, having regard to all the circumstances, including the nature, condition and use of the highway and to the amount of traffic which actually is at the time or which might be expected to be on the highway, this person shall be guilty of an offence under this Act”.
Bring back the justice of this basic principle, and we could forget the red herrings and concentrate on the real causes of crashes.
Otter side of the story
The case of the wild otter and the walking boot, recounted on this page last time, has provoked a response from the animal in question, known to its friends as A N Otter.
Apparently the story started when the mammal made the mistake of washing its fur in shampoo, which of course removed all its natural oils. It was therefore in sudden need of a boot to make its way down the stream. He continued: “As you so rightly mention, there are walkers. Lots of them. And they never leave me any crisps. That makes me wild.
“Anyway, I seized one of these walkers with no crisps and took tribute in the form of the boot.”
As some might have predicted, the boot was useless, because it didn’t float – just another of the disappointments caused by poor use of English. The boot ended up tied to a post by the road, which is not surprising in the circumstances.
Book plannned by 'Volcano'
Noted Norfolk explorer Richard “Volcano” Meek has promised me that he is writing a book for Christmas. In this case, it happens to be Christmas 2008, but I am sure it will be worth the wait.
The preliminary title is Walking over Bishy Barnabees, and stems from a yomping tour of Norfolk undertaken by Mr Meek while waiting for a bus. It followed shortly after his invention of inflatable water skis received a bad press. He explained: “The speed limit on the Broads is now 5mph, which made me think that all those water skiers would sink. So I came up with my patented inflatable water skis, enabling the skier to jog along behind the boat – a bit like snow shoes.”
For some reason this brilliant idea did not receive the recognition it deserved. Undeterred, the intrepid explorer is planning an expedition to search for the source of the Wensum. Preliminary research suggests that it may be a dripping tap in Colkirk.
Hanging wheelchairs threat to walkers
I have been hearing exciting reports about the new walkway at Barton Broad. But I am a little concerned about hazards that may be lying in wait. According to a report in another organ – supplied to me by a North Walsham reader – the walkway is not only wooden but “suspended wheelchair-friendly”. This sounds dangerous to me. However enthralling the walk, and however thrilling the view at the end, the risk of developing unconsciousness through an encounter with a suspended wheelchair may be too great. Ordinary wheelchairs are tricky enough. I hope humps have been installed to slow them down.
Safer, no doubt, to have a quiet meal at a nearby Neatishead public house. But this too is fraught with difficulties. A notice outside reads: “Only park here when you are in the pub.” I don’t think I’m even going to try that.
On the tilt
Rumours published here recently that much of the Scottish Highlands is made up of land removed surreptitiously from Norfolk have been given added impetus by an alert Fakenham resident, who has been examining pictures taken by EDP photographers.
He writes: “Have you noticed that some parts of Norfolk have a definite tilt, and this is often shown by various photographs showing quite distinct ground slopes?”
He calls these phenomena “earth leanings”. He concludes: “Whether this is due to earth movements from Norfolk to Scotland or whether Hingham is involved again, I don't know. Could you please investigate?”
The only expert who would speak to me about this kind of thing, Professor V A R Scheinlich of Hingham, was sceptical, because there did not seem to be much Government funding involved. Readers may have other views.