Law Enforcement
Introduction
We all have an interest in whether traffic law is appropriate, and whether it is appropriately enforced. Everyone uses the roads, and most
of us use them in a variety of ways - as drivers, passengers, pedestrians or cyclists. We need a legal framework which allows
all road users to coexist safely and efficiently, and gives appropriate weight to the desire of users of motorised transport to reach their
destination quickly and efficiently, while safeguarding the interests of other road users.
Bad driving is not victimless. Over 3,000 people die on our roads each year, and almost 30,000 more are seriously injured. Pedestrians and
cyclists are deterred from using streets which are dominated by cars travelling at unsafe speeds. Children have their freedom curtailed,
and bad driving makes life more difficult for motorists themselves. Regardless of the risks of injury, there is ample evidence that traffic
would flow more freely if speed limits and road regulations were generally observed.
Casualty figures for the year 2007 on the roads of this country were:
- Killed - 2,946
- Killed or Seriously Injured - 30,720
- All Severities - 247,780
From these figures, the following table applies to bus, coach and commercial vehicles:
| Operational Area | Killed | Killed or Seriously Injured | All Severities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus-coach drivers and passengers | 12 | 455 | 7,079 |
| Light goods vehicles (LGV): Goods vehicles, mainly vans (including car derived vans), not over 3.5 tonnes maximum permissible gross vehicle weight (gvw). | 58 | 494 | 5,340 |
| Heavy goods vehicles (HGV) Goods vehicles over 3.5 tonnes maximum permissible gross vehicle weight (gvw). | 52 | 363 | 2,476 |
| Totals | 122 | 1,312 | 14,895 |
There is no doubt, these figures are horrifying. However, they only take into account the drivers and passengers of these vehicles, if it were possible to extrapolate the numbers of those others who were involved in many of the accidents involving our industry vehicles, it would likely defy belief. One death is unacceptable; multiple deaths and injuries border on insanity.
To view the full statistics for 2006, please click on the link below:
The worst years for recorded accidents and casualties were 1965 and 1966. The fact that casualty figures (some 40 years later) show a marked reduction may be viewed as an improvement, especially considering that the distance travelled by all vehicles today is 4 times greater. However, consider also the reasons why less people are injured in RTA's than they were 40 years ago, and it has little to do with improvements in driving standards.
Road casualties have fallen for several reasons, most notably due to:
- vehicles being far safer and inflict less damage on the human body due to manufacturers improvements in internal safety features and external design, which often result in vehicles that are considered total write offs in RTA's seeing their occupant(s) walk away unscathed;
- technical advancements within our hospitals, the medical skills of doctors, nurses and paramedics
- the faster response times to RTA's and the on the scene skills of the fire, police, ambulance personnel and volunteer doctors have far reaching potential benefits to survival rates today.
This section of the site has been designed to assist Operators and Drivers alike. It is hoped that the information contained within these pages gives a better understanding of Law Enforcement and the logical reasoning behind it. By observing common sense practices, the table above can be reduced in terms of its content. Alternatively, we can continue witnessing the unecessary carnage on our roads as is depicted in the images below.
Road Traffic Accidents
The images below have been set into a 'Light-Box'. Click on any image and it will load a larger image in the center of your screen. Once the image has loaded (depending on which image you chose), by moving your mouse cursor inside either edge (left or right) it will reveal a 'Next' or 'Previous' button, clicking either button will load the next or previous image.
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