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One fatality is one too many
Page 10
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Brian Weatherley welcomes the falling number of fatalities each year on Britain's roads. But how can we reduce the numbers even further?
When you look at road accident statistics what do you see? It's a sad but inescapable fact that numbers tend to obscure or mask individual suffering. For example, in 2002 there were 27,487 deaths on European Union roads. Frankly, I simply can't comprehend 27,000 workmates, acquaintances, or loved ones being killed the figures defy comprehension in a world where one fatality is one too many. However, as the head of Volvo Trucks' accident research team recently remarked: "These are not just numbers these are people's lives..." fm not arguing, only I suspect I'm no different to anyonf else when it comes to a traffic report on the radio about "a serious accident on the M6". What I "hear" is personal inconvenience, lost time, disrupted journeys not the obvious tragedy or suffering. It's not a matter of disinterest; it's more a matter of distance.
Over the past 20 years the number of people killed on Britain's roads has fallen steadily. In 2002, it reached 3,431 down 4.6% on 2001. Good news, you'd say. But the truth is we've pretty much "plateaued out". Taking it below the magic 3,000 mark is going to take a hell of an effort and an even bigger change in attitude. As vehicles become safer we've become better at surviving stupid mistakes. With improved crash protection, vehicle deformation zones, airbags, seat belts, ABS and electronic stability control we're in danger of becoming desensitised to the likelihood of an accident, or at worst to the likelihood of our non-survival. We've also become more aggressive in our driving habits -and I'm not just referring to car drivers. I frequently cringe when I see artic drivers bullying their way down the road. You'd think vocational licence holders would know better. Personally, I like the story about the HGV driver who devised a simple, but highly effective way of controlling his anger and frustration on Britain's overcrowded roads. He stuck a picture of his young family on the back of his truck's sun visor. Pulling it down and looking at his kids provided a remarkably calming effect. After all the high-tech kit in a truck, a simple Polaroid picture could well be the next step in reducing road deaths.