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Brake: Hysteria won't save lives
An embargoed press release from Brake makes hysterical and highly misleading claims about young driver road safety.
* The risk to pedestrian claim is extremely misleading. See: Safe Speed PR372:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SafeSpeedPR/message/227
* A very large percentage of the driving population exceeds the speed limit from time to time.
It's over 50% on most road types in free flowing conditions at sample sites according to Department for Transport annual surveys.
But only 5% of injury crashes involve any vehicle exceeding the speed limit.
Neither DfT nor Brake have explained why exceeding the speed limit is so hugely under- represented in the crash statistics.
Paul Smith, founder of SafeSpeed.org.uk, said: "Brake are adding to the hysterical and frankly unbelievable road safety messages that are confusing road safety objectives and are turning people away from road safety in their millions.
It's no wonder that young drivers say that they start to learn to drive after they have passed their test. Too much of the information given to them is of no practical use."
"Road safety depends on what people believe is important and Brake are getting it wrong in spades. It's not about obeyance of regulations, but it is about skills and attitudes.
Skills and attitudes stem from beliefs and beliefs stem from cultural influences.
This information from Brake implies that rules are everything - but that's simply false.
These false beliefs leak into the culture and make matters worse. Human judgement is everything."
"Drivers manage risk in real time and present road safety policy is making us into a nation of poorer risk managers."
"We must start with education. We should teach road safety in schools and fully explain the attitudes, beliefs and the sense of responsibility that are required for safe use of the roads. Without this basic education we're letting young drivers down in their millions. In short we're not giving them a fair chance."
Notes:
Is this awful Brake PR intended to bury bad news?
What's the bad news?
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