It is with some trepidation I ask, but what are people's views on this documentary on More 4 last night?
I have several views, not least a firm conviction that the title was absurdly tabloid, but also it made for uncomfortable viewing simply because I find it hard to be robotic and objective when people are talking about the loss of loved ones. I think had the programme had a better tiltle, I would have been able to form a more solid opinion.
However, that aside, and regardless of people's opinions on other sites (most notably that the A46 is a clear road that suffers from dullards driving too slowly) all I can say is that itf it stops even one person doing something foolish, then it will have saved someone the grief so harrowingly portrayed. And I don't think anyone put it on for the cameras.
As the mother of a 13yr old killed by a drunk driver said "I know people that drink and drive and I know what I want to say to them but you just don't do you".
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I saw it a while back on C4.
I must say that I found it deeply moving and sad. I thought that it was going to go behind the reasons why the road was so dangerous rather than tell the incredibly sad stories of those affected by it. Maybe it did at the end but I think that I had to turn it over.
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I didn't see the programme but I'm familiar with the majority of the A46 and I can't see what's wrong with it. Which stretch of the road was the programme about?
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L\'escargot.
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Yes, that was my point.... the title is irritatingly emotive. It is very sad that people have died, but apparently the original title was going to be "After the Crash". This would have made far more sense and would have made the style of the documentary work far better, as basically it was talking heads of people describing the horror of losing loved ones. May I stress here that I take NOTHING away from that, I am merely making a criticism of the perceived aim of the programme.
I would imagine the A46 is no different from any other road: it has good bits and bad bits, dodderers and mimsers, and unfortunately drunken drivers and mad cyclists. What this programme DID do for me was make me think about the effect that careless and inappropriate driving can have. However frustrating a congested road can be when you can't get past the caravans and dodderers when you know you could be doing a comfortable 60, don't risk daft overtaking or overt tailgating or whatever else.... it's not worth it. And I speak as someone who can be heard most days shouting to himself (partic at roundabouts) "Oh for heaven's sake, JUST GO!!!".
I know I am preaching to the converted on here, but I hope the odd aggressive sales rep or habitual tester may have watched last night and thought "do you know I don't fancy inadvertently killing someone's kids".
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I watched it on C4, I was drawn by the title (being selective as to what I watch these days) it was a very moving programme and definately more art that anything (making it richer viewing). I almost believe that the title was a delibrate choice to draw viewers in. It had high production values and certainly made one think.
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Drew me for about 15 minutes over the time it was on. A similar (but much better) programme was done about the A59 a couple of years ago. Similar vein with tales of loss of life, but it did at least look at why stretches of the A59 are so dangerous.
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Didn't that detail engineering changes to make the road safer ?
I suppose from a victim's perspective the title "Killer Road" dis seem appropriate.
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Which stretch of the road was the programme about? The A46 incorporates just about every type of road imaginable in an A road.
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L\'escargot.
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"Somewhere" in Lincolnshire, dead straight single carriageway.
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As the mother of a 13yr old killed by a drunk driver said "I know people that drink and drive and I know what I want to say to them but you just don't do you".
That's where us british go wrong! if we said what we felt it may save a life or two, in certain countries it's just not tolerated & why should we tolerate a drunk or drugged driver & look at the light penalties these people recive, its as if too say carry on. The grief portrayed lst night was still nowhere near the real experience & the grief & dispare it causes friend relatives & families.It is about time a severe stance was taken against these people & the youngsters bad driving actions
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i thought the road was unnecessarily maligned.....i don't know it personally and have probably never driven on it, so in that respect ought to reserve some of the opinion.......but apart from maybe one accident at a dodgy looking staggered junction (involving the lorry)........for me, the rest were caused by prats or low lifes.....with awful consequences
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Abolsutely westpig. As I said earlier, the title "After the Crash" would have described this programme far better.
On a lighter note, is it just me or is EVERYONE getting the Dating pop-up?
Desperate times, as they say, call for desperate measures... I am actually quite tempted.
: )
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From the aerial shots of the road it looked straight and very tempting to speed on. It seemed that in many cases of these deaths, it was excessive speed which contributed to the accidents.
Shouldn't roads like this get speed cameras? I know this wouldn't prevent the drunk drivers and the thoughless cyclists, but I expect it would stop the boy racers.
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From the aerial shots of the road it looked straight and very tempting to speed on. It seemed that in many cases of these deaths it was excessive speed which contributed to the accidents. Shouldn't roads like this get speed cameras? I know this wouldn't prevent the drunk drivers and the thoughless cyclists but I expect it would stop the boy racers.
and therein lies the problem with speed cameras.......the lowlife with an unregistered or stolen car will take no notice of a camera will he.....and you can bet your bottom dollar that the camera will be slap bang in the middle of the only decent straight bit for miles........thereby preventing you and i overtaking safely
so the majority of people who in reality would only be over the limit by a relatively small amount, who register and insure our cars and don't drive like clowns..get penalised.......whilst the *&^%$£ who deserve it carry on as normal
that will work???
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I've never subscribed to the view that some roads are more dangerous than others. It's the driving habits of a minority which are dangerous.
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L\'escargot.
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that one in Bolivia........posted on here a while back........might qualify though
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But that road in Bolivia is so obviously frightening that everyone probably pussyfoots along it.
Really dangerous roads are fast-seeming ones with hidden hazards (e.g. dips in the road, as in East Anglia). People used to complain about three-lane single carriageways but I always liked them myself, despite the latitude they give to crass bullying types.
Seems to me that although the real danger comes from drivers, some roads really are more dangerous than others. Accident statistics probably bear this out. Of course making them even more dangerous with speed cameras, crossed-out lanes and stupidly low speed limits may not be the best way to deal with them.
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From the aerial shots of the road it looked straight and very tempting to speed on. It seemed that in many cases of these deaths it was excessive speed which contributed to the accidents. Shouldn't roads like this get speed cameras? I know this wouldn't prevent the drunk drivers and the thoughless cyclists but I expect it would stop the boy racers.
Speed was only a contributing factor in one of the accidents highlighted in this program, and the speeder happened to be a drink driver without a license.
Plus the A46 had more than it's fair share of cameras. How would a speed camera have stopped a fool getting on his pushbike on a dark stormy night? how would a camera stop a lorry pulling accross the lane of traffic at a crossroads?
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The accidents could have happened on any road. I was hoping this program would have been about road design, signage etc. instead of the usual tabloid-style story telling, tragic though the tales are.
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>>It's the driving habits of a minority which are dangerous
IIRC the program closed with the words "Remember, roads don't kill, drivers do".
It was something like that anyway
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I thought it was typical media-student graduate rubbish. A daft title, and just a load of stoty-boarded footage edited together with various effects and spooky music to brainwash the viewer, well not this one. It didn't even live up to the title, it was criminals, drunkards etc.. that were the killers, not the road. Why make excuses for them?
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