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Front Page
Editors Ramblings
Focus On
The Stages of a Bill
Behind the Lines
Foreword
Intelligent Speed Adaption
Theft Survey 2003
Motorcycle Safety Questionnaire
Young Pillions
Searching for Parking Bays in London
Motorcycle Single Vehicle Approval Delayed
Research on A-Pillars
Hard Shoulders
Rural Speed Issues
Mode Hierarchy Powered Two Wheelers
Affiliated Clubs
Introduction from New National Officer
Websites of the Month
Useful Links
Stolen Bike
MAG Events
Previous Issues
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RURAL SPEED ISSUES
A motion to have an amendment/clause to develop a Rural Road Speed Hierarchy through the Railways and
Transport Safety Bill in the Standing Committee stage of the bill in the House of Commons has been withdrawn.
After being alerted by MAG Activists to the situation MAG wrote to the nineteen
member committee, using a template supplied by a MAG member, pointing out the concerns of the proposed amendment.
What happened in the committee debate showed that lobbying and visiting your MP
can work
.
Linda Perham MP for Ilford North mentioned MAG writing to the committee and also meeting with MAG members who had previously visited her in her constituency a while ago.
She
went on to mention that although there were many supporters of the clause there were constituents who did not support the clause and outlined MAG's concerns that the new clause would have a
detrimental effect on road safety.
That the proposed 40 mph limits would not be appropriate for such occasions on rural roads and that they would be artificially low at other times. Reducing the
speed limit on rural roads to 40 mph would run counter to expert road safety advice given in the Department for Transports road circular 1/93. The circulars argue that speed limits are not an effective
way to reduce speed.
One constituent of Linda Perham, who is concerned about the rural roads agency, claimed that rural roads have less than 0.5 per cent. of all road incidents and less than 1
per cent. of the 0.5 per cent. are speed-related. With reference to the new clause, he said, in typically robust Essex person fashion, ''Get this sorted and removed.''
Tom Brake
MP for Carshalton & Wallington although not agreeing with MAG's view, pointed out that there is not universal support for such a proposal that MAG had contacted the committee and expressed their
worry about the clause. It (MAG) is worried that reducing rural road limits to 40 mph would introduce an artificial speed limit. It believes that, in certain parts of the country, drivers could drive
considerably faster, thus making them less likely to observe speed limits.
He also mentioned that the Motorcycle Action Group has also expressed concern about the need for enforcement of such
speed limits and the visual impact that cameras may have in a rural area. That is a worry, but it can be resolved by the use of mobile cameras to stop the visual impact. Its (MAG) worries could be
addressed.
He added that even if the Government are not minded to accept joint new clause 21, at least it should serve the purpose of drawing their attention to a matter on which more focus could
be applied.
A valid point, inappropriate speed should be dealt with and the government are working on the development of a framework to assess what speeds are appropriate together with what
speeds are actually being driven on rural roads. The government expect the first results of that work to be available some time in the middle of this year. That work will feed into plans to revise the
guidance on setting local speed limits more appropriately. They also plan to publish advice on village entry signing later in 2003 to assist local authorities in introducing more 30 mph speed limits in
rural villages.
Anne McIntosh MP for Vale of York, proposer of the amendment, in response to the adverse reaction from the Motorcyclist Action Group stated that she supported the motor cyclists
as road users and hope that they will use the roads as sensibly as they possibly can. Aggressive motor cyclists occasionally use roads in rural areas such as North Yorkshire and Cumbria and impair the
enjoyment of other road users such as horse riders, cyclists and pedestrians.
In previous discussions horse riders have said that motorcyclists are the most considerate road users when
approaching and passing.
From a motorcycle perspective MAG supports the education of riders through post test rider assessment schemes such as Bikesafe, ROSPA, IAM and educational safety schemes
as a beneficial route to riders safety and awareness to speeding problems in rural and urban areas.
All road users should use the roads with equal regard for others.
Thanks to the Association
of British Drivers (ABD) member who steered MAG in the right direction. ABD can be found at www.abd.org.uk
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