Rural areas can tempt motorists into driving too fast for the conditions they are facing. Long straights and demanding bends, as well as less traffic and fewer pedestrians can make drivers believe it is 'safe' to go faster than they normally would. But the stark reality is actually the opposite - the risk of fatally injuring yourself or your passengers increases three-fold on a rural road. This is backed up by the evidence that there is often only one car involved in rural accidents, making it likely that drivers have been tempted to push themselves or their car beyond their limits.
Road Safety Minister Jim Fitzpatrick said:
"Driving on rural roads can be deceiving. It is important that motorists drive with as much care on a rural road as they would in a more built-up area. The 'national' 60mph speed limit is a maximum, not an expectation, and drivers must match their speed to the road characteristics and weather conditions they are experiencing as well as factoring in unpredictable hazards - like sharp bends, limited visibility or even animals - which can require a quick reaction."
Figures for 2006 show that nationally 325 car users were killed on rural roads when speeding or driving too fast for the conditions. In the East of England there were 165 deaths in 2006.
Mike Evans, Transport Champion at the Government Office for the East of England (GO-East) said:
"The East of England is one of the country's most rural regions - in fact the rural nature of the region is what makes it so attractive to live in and to visit. But it is important people take care when driving on our roads. The statistics show that driving too fast for the conditions is the contributory factor in too many accidents in the countryside and the results can be fatal. Rural roads may look pretty but they can be dangerous if you drive too fast."
All too often it is the Fire and Rescue Services that has to attend these incidents and deal with the consequences of speed related rural accidents. The campaign has the backing of Fire and Rescue Services and Graham Stagg, Chief Fire Officer for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service, said:
"Anything which can be done to stop people driving too fast for the conditions on rural roads should be welcomed. Firefighters in Cambridgeshire are called out to road traffic collisions on the county's roads nearly every day and see close up the devastating consequences that driving too fast can have.
"Rural roads are unpredictable and the faster drivers are travelling, the less time they will have to react to a hazard that could suddenly appear in front of them. I would urge all drivers to take this into account when they are tempted to put their foot down on the accelerator."
The Department for Transport's THINK! campaign is also supported by the East of England Air Ambulance. Simon Gray, Executive Director of the East Anglian Air Ambulance (EAAA), added:
"More than fifty per cent of the missions we attend are road traffic accidents and, in a large region such as ours with a dispersed population, virtually every week our medical crews are called out to attend the victims of accidents on remote or rural roads. We fully support the THINK! Rural Speed Campaign and urge drivers to take more care."
Important messages for rural drivers and passengers:
- Car users are three times more likely to die on a rural road than an urban one
- Don't assume it's safe to break the speed limit on rural roads just because there is less traffic.
- With a clear road ahead you may be tempted to put your foot down. THINK! before you accelerate on rural roads.
- Drive at a speed according to the characteristics of the road and be aware that there are unforeseen and dangerous hazards such as blind bends and animals on the road
- At slower speeds, you would be able to react more quickly
- The national 60mph speed limit should not be seen as a target speed.
- Take special care when driving at night on rural roads as other drivers' headlights could temporarily blind you.
- The table below shows that last year 1,256 people were killed in total on rural roads. 325 of these deaths were directly attributable to speeding or driving too fast for the conditions.
Fatal car user casualties on rural roads by Government office region (2006):
|
Government Office Region |
No. of fatalities |
|
North East |
44 |
|
North West |
97 |
|
Yorkshire/Humberside |
116 |
|
East Midlands |
158 |
|
West Midlands |
112 |
|
Eastern |
165 |
|
South East |
188 |
|
London |
8 |
|
South West |
134 |
|
England |
1022 |
|
Wales |
81 |
|
Scotland |
153 |
|
Total |
1256 |
