Error parsing XSLT file: \xslt\FacebookOpenGraph.xslt Mike Waters' Blog: 10 August 2012 - It's always the quiet ones
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Mike Waters' Blog: 10 August 2012 - It's always the quiet ones

Date: 10 August 2012

Mike Waters is senior insight & consultancy manager at Arval, the leading vehicle leasing and fleet management company.

There's no doubt that the Government is under pressure to reduce road casualties.

When the latest accident and injury figures showed a worstening position for the first time in years it came as a surprise, and so the government is being urged to act swiftly and decisively.

In these circumstances, it was not a shock when the DFT announced that the speed limit on some country roads is set to be cut to 40mph from the current 60mph.

This government is not the first to consider a reduction in the rural speed limit but this time change seems likely to materialise.

There have been some really nasty accidents on our motorways, often because of the speed that people are travelling at and the quantity of traffic.

However, some of the most dangerous roads are the quietest; accounting for around three quarters of road deaths in recent years.

This is partly because they are challenging: full of twists and turns, narrow in places with lots of blind bends and always the chance of tree branches and animals in your way.

But they are also quieter, with less traffic and you are less likely to run into a speed camera or police officer which seems to lure some drivers into a false sense of security.

So the government has responded quickly, no one can deny that. But the question still remains as to whether this is a good idea.

Some are sceptical; there is the fear that drivers will be confused by alternating speed limits, and because the the new limit would be largely self-enforcing, others question its credibility.

My view is that it will only work if it is taken seriously. Like many rules of the road, a large group of drivers will only obey them if they feel they may be caught.

Therefore, the key change required to reduce casualties is attitude. If the Government can crack that one then changing speed limits could deliver real benefits.

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