Road Deaths 36% Higher On Rural Roads

Bobby Lightcycles · June 2007

The number of BVKs (Billion Vehicle Kilometres) travelled on Urban Roads in 2005 was 194.2, and on Rural Roads it was 208.1 (Source DfT), a difference of 7%. But the number of road deaths on Urban Roads was 1,255, compared to 1,742 on Rural Roads, a difference of 39%, or around 36% allowing for the difference in BVKs.

The question is of course: Why are there some 36% more fatalities on Rural Roads? Is it the generally higher speeds do you think, or could it be the increasing amount of congestion on Urban Roads, or a combination of both?

And it's interesting to note that despite there only being a 7% difference in BVKs, car driver and passenger fatalities are nearly 3 times higher on Rural Roads compared to Urban Roads - ie 1,112 compared to 429 (Source DfT). In actual fact it's 2.6 times as many.

But what is also interesting is that whereas the number of fatalities for car occupants - mile for mile - is around 2« times greater on Rural Roads, it's almost the complete opposite when it comes to minor injuries. On Urban Roads there were 105,774 minor injuries in 2005, whereas on Rural Roads there were 59,573.

I think it's mostly down to the difference in average speeds on Urban and Rural Roads. In other words, Speed Kills. Or to be more precise, the faster the speed the more likely it is that the injuries sustained will be fatal in the event of a serious collision. And the faster the speed the more likely it is that a collision will occur in the first place. The unexpected is bound to happen sooner or later, and the faster you're going.......

ScumOfTheRoad · June 2007

Lads and lasses, boys and girls.
Don't feed the troll.
A two-post wonder, posting something designed to inflame an argument so he can go back sniggering that he has wound up those awful bearded Guardian-reading cyclists.

Don't answer, or if you must follow Ravenbait's advice and take the wee. That's what these self-righteous little atmosphere hoovers can't comprehend.

Jaded · June 2007

It is arguing with itself anyway. It should be left in peace.

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[Warning] This post may contain a baby elephant or traces of one

Bobby Lightcycles · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ScumOfTheRoad

Don't reply to this person, they might expose our simplistic dogma for what it is. Far better to carry on in ignorance.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Worth paying attention to this guy. He knows what's what.

SPEED KILLS -- SLOW DOWN

Bobby Lightcycles · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jaded

It is arguing with itself anyway. It should be left in peace.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I swear on my mother's life that I am only using one username. Can you swear the same thing about yourself?

SPEED KILLS -- SLOW DOWN

Jaded · June 2007

It is arguing with itself in its own posts. It has a mother. Yipee.

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[Warning] This post may contain a baby elephant or traces of one

rothbook · June 2007

Correction. It is a mother. Thismarthafarquahar claims that the only thing a driver need do to remain safe is not speed.

Barking.

Bobby Lightcycles · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jaded

It is arguing with itself in its own posts. It has a mother. Yipee.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
So you're using two or more usernames to make it look as though people agree with you, and having hypocritically and wrongly accused someone else of doing the same thing, you have been made to look feeble and stupid. Some proverb with the words "hole", "stop" and "digging" springs to mind.

rothbook · June 2007

Bless. We've upset him.

Bobby Lightcycles · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by rothbook

Bless. We've upset him.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yeah, you can just see from the words I've used that I'm quivering with rage.

Jaded · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Bobby Lightcycles

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Jaded

It is arguing with itself in its own posts. It has a mother. Yipee.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
So you're using two or more usernames to make it look as though people agree with you, and having hypocritically and wrongly accused someone else of doing the same thing, you have been made to look feeble and stupid. Some proverb with the words "hole", "stop" and "digging" springs to mind.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

[?][?] It is getting very confused!

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[Warning] This post may contain a baby elephant or traces of one

llanberispass · June 2007

Speaking personally i would say that vehicles on my rural commute are travelling faster and less safely than when i started the route 6 years ago. I do not know whether my route is representative or not.

I use the back road between High Legh and Northwich (Cheshire) and people appear to have started using it as a bypass for the notorious A556.

I doubt if this special case is representative of the country as a whole though.

One thought: there are few speed cameras on rural roads - is this where the maniacs are going to 'test' their skills?

paulwood · June 2007

cars these days, crumple zones, active seat belts, airbags not to mention helicopter ambulances. you have got to be a bit unlucky to die as a car occupant in a 30 mph crash these days unless you hit something big that doesn't move

assuming urban traffic can even reach 30 in any event.

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by paulwood

cars these days, crumple zones, active seat belts, airbags not to mention helicopter ambulances. you have got to be a bit unlucky to die as a car occupant in a 30 mph crash these days unless you hit something big that doesn't move

assuming urban traffic can even reach 30 in any event.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The last study I saw revealed that the most congested cities had the fewest serious accidents.

CometGirl · June 2007

I understand that research in California conclusively proved that situating stunning looking naked girls along the highway encouraged people to slow down. The demographic who speed (young men) were the ones who would slow down. Problem solved.

I think we should petition the government to introduce a similar scheme here.

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

I understand that research in California conclusively proved that situating stunning looking naked girls along the highway encouraged people to slow down. The demographic who speed (young men) were the ones who would slow down. Problem solved.

I think we should petition the government to introduce a similar scheme here.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Which road will you be standing by? [:p]

CometGirl · June 2007

The A1, slowly and seductively peeling a banana. [;)]

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by CometGirl

The A1, slowly and seductively peeling a banana. [;)]
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Some baby oil and whipped cream and speeding would be a thing of the past. [:p]

PetrolHeadcp · June 2007

I think it may be wise to email Traffic Master and let them know there will be unusally slow traffic on the A1

dondare · June 2007

http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4827/needpicsqh1.gif

"da sapienti et addetur ei sapientia doce iustum et festinabit accipere."

woody-som · June 2007

people think cars are safer, and yes they are, so they drive faster. Black box technollogy, while I wouldn't want it, it could be used by the car to know where you are, and stop you driving way too fast for the roads, touchy subject i know.

Road Deaths 36% Higher On Rural Roads

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