Road safety.

ecdl07

What do you think is the best road safety messure to be introduced was?

jhegarty

ecdl07 wrote: »

What do you think is the best road safety messure to be introduced was?

The break , cars were deadly before them.

AugustusMaximus

- Cats eyes
- Breath testing
- ABS
- Crumple zones

Although seatbelts prob tops the lot.

Berty

The AA was originally designed for members to warn them of the police.

The badge on your grille let the guy know to wave you down if the police were around the corner.

Everybody else was just left whizz by to be caught by pc plod.




Also the 1865 Locomotive act(Ireland and UK) said that a man must walk in front of a car at no more than 50m with a lantern to warn horseriders and carriages a vehicle was behind him forcing the first type of speed limit.

Two months later a speed limit of 4mph in the country and 2 mph in the towns was enfored.

colm_mcm

I dunno, could be roundabouts, dual carraigeways, driving tests, hard to know really!

Capt'n Midnight

The harpoon in the centre of the steering wheel

McSpud

AugustusMaximus wrote: »

Although seatbelts prob tops the lot.

Gets my vote.

F-Stop

Driver Testing (well good start, driver education would be a world better)

Seth Brundle

+1 on seatbelts

Esel

..is...was???

Gatso, radar/laser gun, breathalyser (hic!).... I dunno, really. What do you think, OP?

Capt'n Midnight

Seriously , in a lot of cases improvements in driver safety have been matched with more risk taking by drivers. The also impacts other road users.


GPS linked insurance
curfew on young drivers at weekends
high cost of motoring
provision of public transport (only applies to other countries)

TiptoeMushroom

GPS linked insurance!? Sounds great!!

Del2005

ecdl07 wrote: »

What do you think is the best road safety messure to be introduced was?

Gridlock, if you can't move you can't do much damage.

The-Ry-Man06

The strict enforcement of seatbelts and brethalyzers for drink driving have to be up there (although i think its a bit hard on drivers in rural areas with no proper public transport or taxi system. But one law must cover everyone i suppose).
However the laws about curfews for Young/Provisional drivers and the various other laws theyve brought in against first time drivers seem so discriminatory. Especially against people from backrounds where neither parent or guardian drives and they must still drive for 6 months with someone who has held their full license for 2 years before even applying for their test!

It seems our govenrment has to go overboard when introducing new laws.

Mr Benevolent

I wouldn't think ABS has had that much of an impact - most people don't even depress the brake enough for it to fire off in an emergency.

Personally, I think crumple zones and airbags are the biggest factor.

Zube

The-Ry-Man06 wrote: »

Especially against people from backrounds where neither parent or guardian drives and they must still drive for 6 months with someone who has held their full license for 2 years before even applying for their test!

It seems our govenrment has to go overboard when introducing new laws.

This is technically a new law, but it was always the law that you had to be accompanied on your first provisional, so unless you were able to pass your test in under 6 months from scratch, there's no new restriction there, since it used to take 6 months or more to get a test appointment.

L1011

seatbelts, and decent dual carriageways

Mr. Presentable

Mirrors and indicators.

Anan1

The-Ry-Man06 wrote: »

The strict enforcement of seatbelts and brethalyzers for drink driving have to be up there (although i think its a bit hard on drivers in rural areas with no proper public transport or taxi system. But one law must cover everyone i suppose.

I'm lost. Do you mean it's a bit hard on drink drivers in rural areas?

The-Ry-Man06

Zube wrote: »

This is technically a new law, but it was always the law that you had to be accompanied on your first provisional, so unless you were able to pass your test in under 6 months from scratch, there's no new restriction there, since it used to take 6 months or more to get a test appointment.

True, but as you know the law was never ever enforced and the 6 months wait just seems to be trying to inconvience people. If we have a strict testing system ( which we most definately have) then what is the point in making people wait an extra 6 months? I passed my test (first time round thankfully) the day my 6 months waiting were up but i had been driving work vehicles for years and knew perfectly well how to drive there was no point in the 6 months wait.

The-Ry-Man06

Anan1 wrote: »

I'm lost. Do you mean it's a bit hard on drink drivers in rural areas?

Well yes. Its killing the pubs in rural areas as theres just no way of getting there and back. and while i think the enforcement of the law is a very good thing i think you have to remember its only 10 years since Bertie Ahern claimed he could drink 8 pints o BASS before being unfit to drive!:D:p

Anan1

The-Ry-Man06 wrote: »

Well yes. Its killing the pubs in rural areas as theres just no way of getting there and back. and while i think the enforcement of the law is a very good thing i think you have to remember its only 10 years since Bertie Ahern claimed he could drink 8 pints o BASS before being unfit to drive!:D:p

I don't think i've ever heard anyone accuse Bertie Ahern of being prinicpled.;)

gofaster_s13

Confab wrote: »

Personally, I think crumple zones and airbags are the biggest factor.

Give me a heavy solid car over crumple zones any day of the week,

green-blood

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

Give me a heavy solid car over crumple zones any day of the week,

solid car / sudden stop will kill you quicker...note how NASCAR drivers die... broken necks after impact of fast moving solid object with non moveable solid wall!!

Seatbelts have saved more lives than any other "safety" item

after that its tyre technology... anyone fancy 4 inch wide cross plies under their 1.5 tonne family hatch back

gofaster_s13

green-blood wrote: »

solid car / sudden stop will kill you quicker...note how NASCAR drivers die... broken necks after impact of fast moving solid object with non moveable solid wall!!

Heavy solid car vs modern crumple zone car I know which I'd rather be in, Nascar's are travelling far faster than anything on the public road.

Drummerboy08

Volvo V70 FTW

Anan1

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

Give me a heavy solid car over crumple zones any day of the week,

Do you want to die?:D

Mr Benevolent

Give me a heavy solid car over crumple zones any day of the week

I'll put it another way. Which would you prefer, falling 30 feet onto solid concrete or 30 feet into a swimming pool full of Coke cans?

robtri

Best safety invention was the three point safety belt.....

gofaster_s13

My own experience of solid heavy cars vs crumple zones. About 4 years ago I drove into a Ford Mondeo that came through a stop sign on the Kildare rd in Crumlin I was driving a Toyota Celica GT4 I was doing around 30mph and hit the Mondeo obliquely with my l/h front wing. I bent the Mondeos chassis leg around to 90 degrees to the car its l/h crumple zone folded back to nearly the base of the windscreen cue airbags etc going off all over the place. The driver was brought to hospital with neck and back injuries and a broken shin(made a full recovery after a while in Tallaght hospital). The girlfriend and myself were unmarked and unhurt I drove the Celica to the girlfriends house in Rathmines and home to Naas the next morning all it needed was a wing, headlight and associated panels, a bumper and a bottom wishbone if it had been a modern soft car I would not like to have seen what would have happened to herself in the passenger seat.

Sempronia

We need speed bumps to slow down the speeder, more explicit warning signs that there are people, cyclists, pets, horses, wildlife, and children crossing the roads. There are far too many incidents on the Kenmare-Sneem straightaway, which should actually qualify as a residential area requiring lower speed limits. And we need the Gardai on the job to write those tickets.

I don't know why the government doesn't implement enormous fines for speeders and all traffic violaters. It seems to me that such a practice would bring in much needed monies to the exchequer.

Slán,

Sempronia

Drummerboy08

Sempronia wrote: »

We need speed bumps to slow down the speeder, more explicit warning signs that there are people, cyclists, pets, horses, wildlife, and children crossing the roads. There are far too many incidents on the Kenmare-Sneem straightaway, which should actually qualify as a residential area requiring lower speed limits. And we need the Gardai on the job to write those tickets.

I don't know why the government doesn't implement enormous fines for speeders and all traffic violaters. It seems to me that such a practice would bring in much needed monies to the exchequer.

Slán,

Sempronia

This isnt Joe Duffy Sempronia..;)

Mr Benevolent

The girlfriend and myself were unmarked and unhurt I drove the Celica to the girlfriends house in Rathmines and home to Naas the next morning all it needed was a wing, headlight and associated panels, a bumper and a bottom wishbone if it had been a modern soft car I would not like to have seen what would have happened to herself in the passenger seat.

The Mondeo also acted as YOUR crumple zone. If you'd driven into another Celica you'd both be in a world of hurt.

gofaster_s13

My point exactly better to be driving a heavy strong car when all the other cars on the road are made from tayto bags and tin foil. The same thing could also be said if I was driving another Mondeo everybody involved woul have been in a world of hurt.

Mr Benevolent

Nope, you would've then had two crumple zones and both cars would have absorbed the impact energy, instead of the Mondeo taking the energy of your more rigidly designed car. If we all drove around in old Celicas then crashes would be far, far more deadly.

Del2005

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

My point exactly better to be driving a heavy strong car when all the other cars on the road are made from tayto bags and tin foil. The same thing could also be said if I was driving another Mondeo everybody involved woul have been in a world of hurt.

Do a search on YouTube for Fifth Gear crash tests.

Mr Benevolent

Fifth Gear crash tests.

Wasn't that the test with the older and newer Renaults? Great video, quite shocking.

(Can't get Youtube in work)

Stark

Sempronia wrote: »

We need speed bumps to slow down the speeder

Sure don't the potholes have the same effect?

Dasilva94

Confab wrote: »

I wouldn't think ABS has had that much of an impact - most people don't even depress the brake enough for it to fire off in an emergency.

Personally, I think crumple zones and airbags are the biggest factor.

I could be completely wrong here, but I thought airbag deployment was a factor of the number of deceleration g's incurred by a crash into a wall or oncoming car.
But NOT by the number of g's caused by slamming on the brakes.

Personally, I think daytime running lights (i.e dipped full beams) as are standard on Volvos and Saabs, and will become compulsory across the EU after 2011, make a real difference to getting you noticed by other road users.

The brainless epidemic of fog light usage is another matter.

L1011

gofaster_s13 wrote: »

My point exactly better to be driving a heavy strong car when all the other cars on the road are made from tayto bags and tin foil. The same thing could also be said if I was driving another Mondeo everybody involved woul have been in a world of hurt.

I invite you to watch any of the German ADAC crash tests where they crash old, "heavy strong" cars in to modern, crumple zone fitted NCAP 5* car.

The old car always comes off worse; as do its occupants.

Del2005

Confab wrote: »

Wasn't that the test with the older and newer Renaults? Great video, quite shocking.

(Can't get Youtube in work)

Yeah they did a a big old Volvo v's Modius and also an old Espace v's new Espace. They are a real eye opener.

Del2005

Dasilva94 wrote: »

Personally, I think daytime running lights (i.e dipped full beams) as are standard on Volvos and Saabs, and will become compulsory across the EU after 2011, make a real difference to getting you noticed by other road users.

DRL's aren't as good as people thought. Austria has recinded their DRL law and others are following. They make car drivers fell safe at the cost of the most vunerable road users

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/17/daytime-running-lights-might-not-only-be-a-waste-of-energy-but-a/

zilog_jones

Dasilva94 wrote: »

I could be completely wrong here, but I thought airbag deployment was a factor of the number of deceleration g's incurred by a crash into a wall or oncoming car.
But NOT by the number of g's caused by slamming on the brakes.

Confab said ABS not airbags

-1 for anyone who thinks a heavy old barge is better than crumple zones. The energy created from the force of a collision has to go somewhere, and I'd much rather it be absorbed by the car before getting to me or other occupants.

Dasilva94

zilog_jones wrote: »

Confab said ABS not airbags

Mea culpa. I misread that one totally.
-1 for me.

Mr Benevolent

Just watched the Modus vs 940 video again - holy sh!t. The tank-faced Volvo really came out second best.

Capt'n Midnight

nipplenuts wrote: »

Mirrors and indicators.

that's them pretty orange lights isn't it ?

how do they help , what are they for ?

Stark

Del2005 wrote: »

DRL's aren't as good as people thought. Austria has recinded their DRL law and others are following. They make car drivers fell safe at the cost of the most vunerable road users

http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/09/17/daytime-running-lights-might-not-only-be-a-waste-of-energy-but-a/

I can imagine that you get less of a safety benefit when everyone else is using them as well. People probably see a reduction in accident rates at the moment because they stand out against other traffic with their lights on.

Esel

Confab wrote: »

I wouldn't think ABS has had that much of an impact - most people don't even depress the brake enough for it to fire off in an emergency.

I would think that most people brake hard in an emergency, maybe too hard sometimes! The main benefit of ABS is that it allows you to steer while braking at the limit. Often you only escape route is to steer round the obstacle.

Tech3

1. Tractors to be totally banned off motorway. None of this 50km/hr madness which is currently in the rules of the road. No tractors on motoways full stop.

2. I like to see new laws enforced where trucks mainly artics are kept off regional and local roads as much as possible.

3. Traffic light systems put in place for some hazardous junctions. The parkway roundabout in Limerick is a disaster and traffic lights are going to be installed shortly to prevent near accidents after exiting the shopping centre.

4. Change all roundabouts in galway city to something easier for them to understand :pac:

cargrouch

ecdl07 wrote: »

What do you think is the best road safety messure to be introduced was?

Common sense and a basic understanding of physics/mechanics.

Initially only "motorists" drove cars etc, rather than the vegetables left loose in the driving seat in increasing numbers ever since.

The best safety measure they could implement is a test of basic cop on, and responsibility and attitude towards other people.

This is the reason why our current government ministers have other people to drive them around, because they would fail any of the above tests.

ecdl07 wrote: »

What do you think is the worst road safety messure to be introduced was?

misquote ^

A significant influence on collisions/accidents whatever you want to call them: incompetent civil engineers.
As alluded to by tech2 above, the parkway roundabout in Limerick is an example of road setup where anyone with basic cop on would say this makes no sense in terms the rules of the road etc. In fact most roundabouts in limerick have no relation to the rules of the road.


It's rapidly approaching a situation where traffic lights and rising/retractable bollards will have to be used to shepherd the special ones around roundabouts.

Del2005

tech2 wrote: »

1. Tractors to be totally banned off motorway. None of this 50km/hr madness which is currently in the rules of the road. No tractors on motoways full stop.

Some tractors can do 80km/h, thats the speed at which HGV's and coaches are restricted to. Enforcing the the lower limit would be better.

2. I like to see new laws enforced where trucks mainly artics are kept off regional and local roads as much as possible.

And how is stuff supposed to be delivered? If artics can't do it then you'd need 3 extra rigid trucks to make the same delivery. Are you willing to pay extra for everything?

3. Traffic light systems put in place for some hazardous junctions. The parkway roundabout in Limerick is a disaster and traffic lights are going to be installed shortly to prevent near accidents after exiting the shopping centre.

4. Change all roundabouts in galway city to something easier for them to understand :pac:

Drivers ed would be better then traffic lights on roundabouts. And if traffic volumes warrent traffic lights on a roundabout then get rid of the roundabout and just use lights.