[smallholder in the city]

Just discovered this map of all the deaths on British roads 1999- 2010. Really brings it home how easily  accidents can happen. I was suprised to see 2 on our road (completely straight you can see for miles). Hovering over the spots gives details of road conditions at the time of the accident and who was injured.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15975720

I'll be sharing this with my younger brothers who at times think they are invincible.

[Fleecewife]

My OH was looking at this today, although I haven't looked yet.  One of the high risk categories is apparently car loads of pensioners........

We get a lot of accidents around here as we are on one of the ned routes ie young folk with nothing better to do than race around the back roads in their pimped rides, seeing who can be killed first 

Way back when I learned to drive, there was no special training for after dark, wet roads, snow conditions etc - is that still the case?

[CameronS]

just looked at the ones around me, scarey s*** !!

makes you think, i'm in the 17-22 catagory, it's made me think twice about taking ANY risks whilst out 

[smallholder in the city]

Yes it is scary. Just been talking to some work colleagues who are planning on sitting their teenage children to have a look at it and a think about their driving

[MikeM]

just compared where we live now (NW devon) to where we used to live (S Herts). There are somewhat fewer accidents here. So glad we moved.

[Fleecewife]

Yes it is scary. Just been talking to some work colleagues who are planning on sitting their teenage children to have a look at it and a think about their driving

Our particular stretch of back road has seen more than its fair share of accidents in the 16 years we have been here, and of those we have witnessed about half have been young drivers, both male and female, who have passed their test within the past month.  There is a move afoot to prevent newly qualified drivers from carrying passengers for the first year after passing their tests - sounds good to me, as having your chums aboard just ups the chances of an accident caused by showing off.

[doganjo]

I agree with this wholeheartedly, having done it myself and also been the victim of a newly passed driver.  Luckily with no harm to people!  The weekend after I passed my test my Uncle gave me the office car to take out for a drive - my three school pals came with me - all of us 17 or 18.,  Out to the country we went, in for lunch to a lovely country hotel, and on the way home I took a bend too fast and ended up with both back wheels in the ditch.  Fortunately for us a lorry went past soon after with four big hunks in it who pulled the car out - not a scratch, not a dent - but we all realised how lucky we had been.  Never told Uncle Charlie, either - far too embarrassed! 

Second incident was when I was coming home from the office earlier than usual one afternoon, about a week before my wedding, and a mini came shooting out of a side road at speed and straight into my car - girl had just passed her test an hour previously and her Mum and Aunt were with her.  And who got the dressing down from them - me!  But the police were called by my neighbours and she as charged right away!  My car was a write off and luckily none of us was hurt.

[Sylvia]

Perhaps this should be broadcast nationwide. It certainly made us think.  We knew three of those in our area, two were folk in the village, one the O.H.s lodger.

[doganjo]

I copied and pasted the link onto my Facebook page

[CameronS]

i put it up on my facebook aswell, the more people that see it the better

[waterhouse]

Can't read the map for the red blobs around us.  The main road running alongside our holding has the speed delimit sign so people give it some welly.  Trouble is there's a staggered cross roads half a mile up with poor sight lines so people pull out at 10mph and the chaps approaching at 80mph have a problem.  It is amazing how hard a modern car can hit a telegraph pole and let the occupants walk away.  Or, on a couple of occasions, run away.

[VSS]

The map shows three fatalities within a mile and a half of here - at least one more this year, possibly two, and I can think of another three if you go back as far as 1992.

Getting in the car is the most dangerous thing we do - but we rarely think twice about it.

[waterhouse]

The car is the safest bit, particularly those with more airbags than a bouncy castle.  But pedestrians and motorcyclists do badly out of car safety.  And horse riding is pretty daunting around here but it is truly astonishing how many riders still don't wear reflective clothing as well as the blokes who choose not to wear hard hats.

OH bought a Point Two airbag jacket a while back and then didn't use wear it.  Some sixth sense (or cold weather) persuaded her to give it an inaugural ride a couple of weeks ago.  Tom spooked, spun and threw her off.  It worked: no bruises.

[Fleecewife]

As a motorcyclist myself I had a good look at the stats for them and was surprised at how few fatalities there are, especially compared with cars. Of course there are a whole lot more cars than bikes on the roads.   Another group which has a high death incidence is the white van man.  I am also surprised by how many pedestrians are killed.  I daren't walk on the road around here as it's narrow, no footpath and the traffic is very fast.

[Anke]

As a motorcyclist myself I had a good look at the stats for them and was surprised at how few fatalities there are, especially compared with cars. Of course there are a whole lot more cars than bikes on the roads.   Another group which has a high death incidence is the white van man.  I am also surpirised by how many pedestrians are killed.  I daren't walk on the road around here as it's narrow, no footpath and the traffic is very fast.

I haven't looked at the statistics for motorcycles in particular, but I guess if you took it in % ownership figures it may give you quite a different result...

My then 7 year old daughter got hit by a car last year outside the school gate, typical she was racing round the our car as she got out to beat her sister into the playground... Fortunately the car was going only at about 20 miles, but seeing her somersaulting through the air is still a vivid pictures in my head... she walked away with only a few bruises and a big shock... she got a ride in the ambulance though! Hopefully NEVER again!