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24 per cent of drivers say they would be more patient to improve road safetyRoad Safety Week 2015.jpg

24 per cent of drivers say they would be more patient to improve road safety

75 per cent said they would occasionally leave their car at home to cut pollution
by Alex Bowden
Fri, Nov 27, 2015 15:12
8

When asked what they would do to improve road safety, almost a quarter of drivers say they would drive more patiently, while a fifth would give themselves more time to complete their journeys. Giving cyclists more room when overtaking attracted just one per cent of the vote.

The findings come from a survey carried out by Gorkana for Venson Automotive Solutions to mark BRAKE Road Safety Week.

Driving slower in bad weather was third highest answer (15 per cent), while sticking to the speed limit came in fourth (13 per cent).

Brighton becomes first council outside London to back Space for Cycling campaign

Other possible answers included staying further back from other vehicles and paying more attention to other road users – each of which received 12 per cent of motorists’ votes.

The survey also found that 75 per cent of people would occasionally leave their car at home to cut pollution.

Set up in 1997, Road Safety Week aims to encourage grassroots action on road safety and raise awareness of the part we can all play to make roads safer.

This year’s BRAKE Road Safety Week has been asking people to ‘drive less, live more’ with the aim of encouraging people to walk, cycle or use public transport instead of always jumping in the car. “Work out how much money you'll save, calories you'll burn, and pollution you won't create, and build it into your routine,” says BRAKE.

Samantha Roff, Managing Director for Venson Automotive Solutions, said:

“BRAKE Road Safety Week offers motorists and other road users a time to reflect on the small changes they can make to boost safety for everyone. It’s clear that people are willing to make some changes to help make the roads safer and cut pollution. Sometimes it’s the little things we do that make the biggest difference.”

During last year’s Road Safety Week, BRAKE urged motorists to cut their speed. Highlighting statistics which showed that nearly a million drivers received fixed penalty notices (FPNs) for either speeding or careless driving during 2013, the organsiation emphasised that such behaviour not only results in vulnerable road users being killed or seriously injured, but also deters many from travelling by foot or bike.

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Alex Bowden

Alex has written for more cricket publications than the rest of the road.cc team combined. Despite the apparent evidence of this picture, he doesn't especially like cake.

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8 comments

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... | 8 years ago
2 likes

They "would do that...if they wanted to improve road safety"

But as they aren't, in fact, doing that, and there appears to be nothing stopping them from doing so, surely the unvaoidable logical inferrence is that they don't, in fact, want to improve road safety?

Surely that's basic logic? "The contrapositive of the conditional" (as a quick google reveals its called!). A implies B, B is false, therefore A is false.

Avatar
WolfieSmith | 8 years ago
3 likes

A quarter sounds about right when I compare it with those obeying the 20 mph limits in my town. 

All ages. Both genders. No patience - yet no real reason to speed. I had a silver haired old lady trying to over take me on a narrow residential road with parked cars last week.  

Optimistically, it has reached such a ridiculous level of selfish and dangerous driving that it can only get better. 

Avatar
Simon E | 8 years ago
3 likes

0 % of the people asked have ANY intention of making life safer for someone else by being fractionally more patient in their car.

Phrase any question appropriately and you'll get the answer you want. What a complete waste of time 2

Ask those 75 % to say WHEN they will leave their car at home or WHICH car journeys they will not make. The vast majority of drivers think their own journey is important, it's everyone else who is causing congestion; just as they think their own driving standard is high, it's other drivers that behave inappropriately.

CXR94Di2 wrote:

"Giving cyclists more room when overtaking attracted just one per cent of the vote."

1 % !!!!

In what way does that cause inconvenience?

Exasperated driver's response: "Look, it just does. OK?! If I give you more room then next you'll be saying you have a right to be there. Stay in the gutter where you belong, cyclist scum. Or better still, work harder and get a car."

Avatar
frogg | 8 years ago
2 likes

"The survey also found that 75 per cent of people would occasionally leave their car at home to cut pollution."

Ha, occasionally !!!  the planet and white bears can wait . Next year maybe ... Yes, just after the New Year, with all the good resolutions, and all the kisses and the congratulations.

Avatar
rasalati | 8 years ago
0 likes

CXR94Di2 wrote:

"Giving cyclists more room when overtaking attracted just one per cent of the vote." 1 % !!!! In what way does that cause inconvenience?

What's not made clear by this article is that the question asked in this case was:

Quote:

what one thing they would do to help with road safety while driving

You could argue giving cyclists more room would be an effect of both being more patient (24%) and giving more time for journeys (20%).

Therefore, 45% of drivers "would" give cyclists more room when overtaking. Or so I'd like to believe. 

Avatar
CXR94Di2 | 8 years ago
3 likes

"Giving cyclists more room when overtaking attracted just one per cent of the vote."

1 % !!!!

In what way does that cause inconvenience?

Avatar
mrmo | 8 years ago
2 likes

Confused? If they think that these actions would improve safety why don't they do them????

Avatar
brooksby | 8 years ago
4 likes

24 per cent of drivers say they would think that other drivers should be more patient to improve road safety  yes

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