N/a - Red flag Act?

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 17:55
N/a - Red flag Act? - galileo

I see that "Brake", the so-called road safety charity is now not only against the sensible raising of HGV limits from 40 to 50 on single carriageways but is now demanding that the limit for cars on rural roads should be cut from 60 to 50.

It seems the only thing that will shut these people up is to re-introduce the Red Flag Act of 1896.

Edited by galileo on 25/07/2014 at 17:56

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 18:12
N/a - Red flag Act? - skidpan

I see that "Brake", the so-called road safety charity is now not only against the sensible raising of HGV limits from 40 to 50 on single carriageways but is now demanding that the limit for cars on rural roads should be cut from 60 to 50.

It seems the only thing that will shut these people up is to re-introduce the Red Flag Act of 1896.

I would love to ask the H & S people at companies like Tesco how restricting their HGV's to "40 mph for your safety and convenience" makes my life safer and more convenient. Travelling in a snake of traffic on the A9 between Inverness and Perth when 90% of the car drivers are either incapable of overtaking or simply happy to do 40 mph beggars belief.

At least the lorries are happy to let you past when you get the opportunity whereas some car drivers act in a totally irresponsible manner honking and closing the gap preventing you from pulling back in when there is oncoming traffic closing by the second. Its like "I don't want to overtake so why should you".

Speed does not kill. Muppet drivers kill. Hitting oncoming traffic kills.

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 19:32
N/a - Red flag Act? - Manatee

I quite agree that the problem is usually the car(s) behind the lorry, not the lorry. I know what you mean about the A9 - over 100 miles IIRC, and you want to knock on, safely. It's notorious for overtaking accidents.

I assume Tesco will not stick to the 40mph policy when the limit goes up to 50? Where did that come from?

It's certainly the case at the moment that nearly all supermarket lorries, and many others, will be doing 40 or less on two-way A-roads, because that's the limit and their drivers will be disciplined for breaking it.

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 20:15
N/a - Red flag Act? - Wackyracer
It's certainly the case at the moment that nearly all supermarket lorries, and many others, will be doing 40 or less on two-way A-roads, because that's the limit and their drivers will be disciplined for breaking it.

Maybe also that HGV drivers need a licence to work and maybe like me, They don't want to pay out their days wages on speeding fines and have points put on their licence.

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 20:42
N/a - Red flag Act? - gordonbennet

Very seldom have i ever driven normal open A roads at 40, whenever there's a 40 or less mph snake you get suicidal overtakes by those often not competent to do so but driven to do daft things to get by.

Travel at a genuine 50 or so witll be an indicated 53/55 on many cars speedo's, you still get overtaken of course but usually by those who know what they are doing.

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 21:11
N/a - Red flag Act? - Smileyman

Speed does not kill. Muppet drivers kill. Hitting oncoming traffic kills.

Hear hear - drivers forced to overtake because the muppet in front is driving too slowly for the conditons.

Try the A251 in Kent ... between the M2 and M20, many drivers gently meander along at 40, tail behind, no doubt tut tutting when someone does manage to find a section long and straight enough to see to overtake. there is bound to be a head on collision one day .... and the driver responsible will probably blame the overtaking car

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 22:55
N/a - Red flag Act? - scot22

Many years ago there was a TV programme Highway Patrol. At the end, I think it was a character called Dan Troop, said, ' Remember. Its not the car that kills : its the driver' This is true.

No drivers are 'forced to overtake'. They make a free decision and sometimes get it wrong and are not saved by the action of others.

It seems impossible to have a rational discussion on speed and driving standards. People seem to think that they are perfect and everyone else should drive according to what they think.

Let's have evidence and a carefully thought out national strategy to include the state of roads and their design. I have also often written that the police should become a model for drivers to aspire to. No not high speed chases ! There are different classes of police driver and there, in my opinion, be a national scheme for driver development. Success in proving high standards of driving should rewarded by insurance discounts.

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 11:53
N/a - Red flag Act? - Ordovices

drivers forced to overtake because the muppet in front is driving too slowly for the conditons

OK let's re-write that as it actually is:

Instead of forced lets say; whose time management and self administration is so poor they're running late or who can't be patient enough to wait for a safe place...

As we don't know why the driver in front is going slowly let's drop muppet and put person (alternatively, we could just classify the majority of mobile crane drivers and road sweepers as muppets, they often drive more slowly than the speed limit)

Instead of for the conditions insert: ...for the idiot who has an opinion of themselves that is not matched by their skill, judgement and car's capability

And we get:

drivers whose time management and self administration is so poor they're running late or who can't be patient enough to wait for a safe place to overtake because the person in front is driving too slowly for the idiot who has an opinion of themselves that is not matched by their skill, judgement and car's capability

Admittedly a few generalisations and assumptions, but that seems to be the norm.

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 12:21
N/a - Red flag Act? - Manatee

No one is forced to overtake.

However people do have the option of overtaking legally.

If somebody else wants to drive well below the speed limit, that is their prerogative. In some cases they must, as with LGVs which have a lower limit.

What they should do is allow themselves to be overtaken. Too many, if not the majority, leave no space ahead.

What turns a LGV into a rolling road block is the 'muppet' 30 feet behind it. That is what makes overtaking impossible, difficult, or more dangerous than it should be.

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Fri 25 Jul 2014 23:11
N/a - Red flag Act? - focussed

I see that "Brake", the so-called road safety charity is now not only against the sensible raising of HGV limits from 40 to 50 on single carriageways but is now demanding that the limit for cars on rural roads should be cut from 60 to 50.

It seems the only thing that will shut these people up is to re-introduce the Red Flag Act of 1896.

Brake and organisations like them have always been part of the problem not part of the solution-they have a negative mindset towards vehicles and drivers.

If Brake were to get the Red Flag act reinstated they would subsequently campaign to get the size of the flag doubled on the basis that pedestrians were having difficulties seeing the flag.

Edited by focussed on 25/07/2014 at 23:12

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 01:09
N/a - Red flag Act? - Avant

The name 'Brake' says it all about how little this organisation understands about road safety.

Mindless braking - coupled with equally mindless following too close to the car in front - is responsible for far more accidents than speed on its own.

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 09:03
N/a - Red flag Act? - wrangler_rover

I had a classic example yesterday.

Left the M180 at Junction 4 travelling south towards Lincoln along the A15, for those who don't know the road, it is a dead straight single carriageway for 10 miles until Caenby Corner roundabout, but the road undulates like a roller coaster. About 3 miles north of the Caneby Corner roundabout, there was a slow moving tractor & trailer doing 25 mph with the inevitable tailback of lorries, a caravan and several cars. Despite passing an empty layby, the tractor driver refused to pull over to let anything pass (it was about 4pm so he was probably in a hurry to gt back to the farm to clock off) I followed it for 2.1/2 miles bedore being able to overtake it.

The frustration of 25mph on an unduating road led to several risky overtakes which wouldn't have happened if traffic had been travelling faster.

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 09:43
N/a - Red flag Act? - scot22

Avant - if there is to be a proper national discussion then evidence is needed. What statistics ( yes I am aware they can be manipulated ) do you base your statement regarding proportion of accidents ?

It appears to me too much effort is being directed at people, whose thoughts may be wrong or right I don't know, who are at least trying to improve things. Where are the positive suggestions to improve driving ?

Yesterday I was talking to a physio. He had just come from treating a 17 year boy. At 15 he had been hit by a car, paralysed from the neck down and lost his speech. This is the reality of road errors. I am not trying to be over emotional but there is a cost to people's lives.

Let's concentrate on how to improve not just cheap jibes about red flags. We all know things have moved on.

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Sat 26 Jul 2014 10:50
N/a - Red flag Act? - veryoldbear

I have nothing against speed limits as such. What really tiddles me off is the erratic and inconsistent application of them. If speed limits were posted sensibly and consistently life would be a lot easier for everybody. You can cross a county boundary and get a sudden and arbitrary change of speed limit. You can turn off a major A road posted 50 onto a minor cart track and find it's NSL. You will suddenly find an odd bit of 30 in the middle of nowhere.

Grrrr

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