Driving: it's dangerous out there

For years I've been pleading with Government and local councils to massively improve Britain's road network, if only to reduce collisions, injuries and deaths.

Now safety organisations and companies are joining me in my call for more spending and less carnage on the roads. For example, RoadSafe claim that while Britain proudly possessed the safest highways in 2001 it now ranks behind the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Switzerland, countries that have to endure far harsher road conditions than us.

The sad truth is that Brits are eight times more likely to die on the roads than any other daily activity they take part in, so need to do more to highlight issues to the relevant authorities.

We can and should alert the Government, Department for Transport, Highways Agency, Police and local councils to EVERY danger we identify, whether it's a pothole caused by wear and tear or a man-made error such as a badly positioned sign.

But as concerned drivers we should also chip in with our own ideas that could help reduce carnage on on the road. So here, in no particular order of priority, are a few of my proposals. Feel free to add your own using the comments box at the bottom.

1) More basic rest areas on major motorways and dual carriageways so drivers don't have to wait until they find a full-blown service area. Tiredness is one of the greatest killers on the road.

2) A detailed, nationwide Speed Review has to be undertaken so that posted limits that are too high need to be brought down and those that are too low can be upped. Vehicles should be banned from motorways if they're too knackered or their drivers are too scared to do a minimum of 56 mph; too slow is dangerous as well.

3) Give Britain's road surfaces a lick of paint, eg if faded white lines at all T-junctions were refreshed, then drivers and pedestrians would all be better informed, more confident and considerably safer.

4) Let's experiment with more yellow, orange or even pink road signs. They're used widely in other parts of theWorld and are often more easy to spot than the white/black/red signs we use.

5) Talking of signs, if vegetation is allowed to get out of control and cover up life-saving STOP or SLOW DOWN notices, those responsible should face heavy personal fines and in the case of fatal accidents, manslaughter charges.

6) Entry and exit slip roads need to be longer to allow drivers more time to build up speed when joining motorways and dual carriageways, and reduce speed when leaving them.

7) Street 'furniture' (bollards, traffic calming measures etc) and roadside lights are often abysmally designed, poorly located, dirty and broken. Sort them out, clean them up and/or replace them and watch the accident figures tumble. Drivers are penalised for using inadequately illuminated vehicles, so relevant authorities and contractors should be forcerd to ensure street lights etc are lit.

8) Separate cars from pedestrians (and vice versa) when ever possible. It's ludicrous that when a vehicle flies off the road it often ploughs into an entirely innocent pedestrian. Put vehicles and walkers on different levels and such tragedies won't occur.

9) Talking of positive apartheid, all legal bicycles, trucks and cars have a right to be on the road, but let's be honest - they don't mix well. More use of different lanes for different vehicles needs to be adopted.

10) It's time we bit the bullet and and switched to European time so that we travel less in the dark. If Scotland, for example, doesn't like this idea, that's fine. Its Parliament could adopt a time zone that best suits its five million inhabitants. But the Scots shouldn't hold back the remaining 55m UK citizens beyond their border.

Mike Rutherford is a freelance writer, broadcaster and pro-car activist. Currently writing weekly columns for The Daily Telegraph and Auto Express, and monthly columns for The Independent and Motoring & Leisure, he presented Pulling Power on ITV and is a member of the World Car of the Year jury.

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