149 MPH - 6 month ban

[meeeb]

There are lies, damned lies, and statistics, and I have insufficient information to form an opinion on into which category these data fall.

Where do these statistics come from? By whom is it 'known'? If only 23,000 out of 80,000 'serious' injuries are reported to the police, what is defined as a 'serious' injury? Why are the rest not reported?

In other words, it is estimated that more than one in every thousand of the total population of the UK is a road casualty every year. At first reaction this sounds like nonsense. Who estimates this figure, on the basis of what data? What is the definition of a 'road casualty'?

Tell all.....

"Department for Transport Reported Road Casualties Statistical Release September 2013

Key definitions
(a full list of definitions can be found at the link above)

Accident:
Involves personal injury occurring on the public highway (including footways) in which at least
one road vehicle or a vehicle in collision with a pedestrian is involved and which becomes known to the
police within 30 days of its occurrence. Damage-only accidents, with no human casualties or accidents on
private roads or car parks are not included The data are collected by police at the scene of an accident
or in some cases reported by a member of the public at a police station.

Casualty:
A person killed or injured in an accident. Casualties are sub-divided into killed, seriously injured
and slightly injured

Fatal accident
: An accident in which at least one person is killed; other casualties (if any) may have
serious or slightly injuries.

Killed:
Human casualties who sustained injuries which caused death less than 30 days (before 1954,
about two months) after the accident. Confirmed suicides are excluded.

Serious accident
One in which at least one person is seriously injured but no person (other than a
confirmed suicide) is killed.

Serious injury:
An injury for which a person is detained in hospital as an “in-patient”, or any of the
following injuries whether or not they are detained in hospital: fractures, concussion, internal injuries,
crushings, burns (excluding friction burns), severe cuts, severe general shock requiring medical treatment
and injuries causing death 30 or more days after the accident. An injured casualty is recorded as seriously
or slightly injured by the police on the basis of information available within a short time of the accident. This
generally will not reflect the results of a medical examination, but may be influenced according to whether
the casualty is hospitalised or not. Hospitalisation procedures will vary regionally.

Slight accident
One in which at least one person is slightly injured but no person is killed or seriously
injured.

Slight injury:
An injury of a minor character such as a sprain (including neck whiplash injury), bruise or cut
which are not judged to be severe, or slight shock requiring roadside attention. This definition includes
injuries not requiring medical treatment.


Most of the statistics in the report are based on information about accidents reported to the police. However, other sources such as mortality, national travel survey, coroners’ reports and data from the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, are also used as well as population and traffic data to provide a wider context."

As for the disparity between serious injury accidents reported to the police and serious injury accidents not reported to the police, perhaps the data come from insurance companies. There will be a wide dissimilarity as accidents are perhaps more likely to be reported to an insurance company. Like you I find the disparity surprising.

 

[Deleted member 65149]

There will be a wide dissimilarity as accidents are perhaps more likely to be reported to an insurance company.

I'm fortunate enough never to have been involved in a road traffic incident that has resulted in injury (if you exclude me falling off my push bike as a kid!). But I was under the impression that if you report an injury to your insurance company, the first thing they will ask for is the police reference number (or whatever it's called) - without which they won't do anything. Am I wrong here and in reality thousands of insurance claims for injury go through without police involvement? If so, no wonder every Tina, Richard and Hanif is claiming whiplash every day! (That should have been the short-form of Richard but I'm not allowed to use his name apparently!)

 

[meeeb]

I'm fortunate enough never to have been involved in a road traffic incident that has resulted in injury (if you exclude me falling off my push bike as a kid!). But I was under the impression that if you report an injury to your insurance company, the first thing they will ask for is the police reference number (or whatever it's called) - without which they won't do anything. Am I wrong here and in reality thousands of insurance claims for injury go through without police involvement? If so, no wonder every Tina, Richard and Hanif is claiming whiplash every day! (That should have been the short-form of Richard but I'm not allowed to use his name apparently!)

I think you're confusing road accidents with crimes. In respect of the latter insurance companies insist on a crime number, I believe.

 

[grober]

Being caught for speeding is on the face of it simply an arbitrary set of numbers 55mph in a 30 mph zone leading to another set of numbers £100 fine and 3 penalty points and as such could be dismissed as crude and simplistic. However its actually a process of self selection . The driver getting caught speeding has voluntarily demonstrated his willingness to break the law or his inability to adhere to it. Ultimately how justifiable the particular law is -- isn't that important in this context . I would suggest its the willingness to break it or inability to adhere to it that's more indicative of the risk he poses to other road users rather than the actual act of speeding.

 

[Simon_M]

6 months? Poor old *** got almost 2 years and wasn't going that fast. The law is inconsistent.

S

 

[Dryce]

The law is inconsistent.

The legal system is actually a bit different in Scotland.

 

[Deleted member 37751]

Really? A majority? Are you sure?

And even for those who think they might be doing a given speed is that the actual speed is it posssibly overstated on their instrumentation.

I once sat at 70mph on a motorway and I was overtaken by almost everyone and everything.

 

[NDFR]

I once sat at 70mph on a motorway and I was overtaken by almost everyone and everything.

Oh it was you, should have got a move on, things to do you know.

 

[V12]

The national express coaches overtake you if you're driving at 70mph on a quiet motorway...
Happens to me regularly.

 

[Zu11y]

The motorway speed limit is in need of a reform, they should compare vehicles from now to when they introduced the limit, cars are alot more stable and safer at higher speeds. Most people i see on the motorway are doing 80+ anyway.

 

[Scott_F]

The motorway speed limit is in need of a reform, they should compare vehicles from now to when they introduced the limit, cars are alot more stable and safer at higher speeds. Most people i see on the motorway are doing 80+ anyway.

And when they've finished comparing the vehicles they should compare the general standard of driving and leave things as they are.

 

[Zu11y]

And when they've finished comparing the vehicles they should compare the general standard of driving and leave things as they are.

And whats the general standard of driving? With the more difficult testing you would assume the standard has improved

 

[Scott_F]

And whats the general standard of driving? With the more difficult testing you would assume the standard has improved

I can't comment on the standard of driving when the 70mph limit was introduced in 1966 but the standard of too many peoples' driving now really isn't great.

 

[meeeb]

The motorway speed limit is in need of a reform, they should compare vehicles from now to when they introduced the limit, cars are alot more stable and safer at higher speeds. Most people i see on the motorway are doing 80+ anyway.

I think the 85th percentile on motorways is currently around 79mph, so an 80mph maximum permitted speed would be relevant if the percentile were to be the principal criterion for setting speed limits.

But the government will also, rightly, or wrongly, consider the increase in fuel consumption and air pollution that an increase would bring. If the 85th percentile is 79mph when the maximum permitted speed is 70mph, what would it change to if the limit were to be increased to 80mph??

And what effect would an increase have on accident figures? Regrettably, whilst cars may be "a lot more stable and safer at higher speeds", in my experience drivers aren't.

 

[Jovie]

The real problem with speed is that anyone can do it, hence it needs to be curbed.
Not all people can react correctly to hazards and I'm sure we all know how 'other' people drive.

 

[Stratman]

Cars may have improved and become safer since the 70 mph limit was introduced, unfortunately the same can't be said of the meatbag between the seat and steering wheel.

 

[bertie1249]

The maximum you are allowed to drive on a motorway is 70mph. If you exceed that speed you run the risk of being prosecuted end of. If you want to drive at silly speeds then go over to Germany.

 

[LTD]

But the government will also, rightly, or wrongly, consider the increase in fuel consumption and air pollution that an increase would bring. If the 85th percentile is 79mph when the maximum permitted speed is 70mph, what would it change to if the limit were to be increased to 80mph??

The majority of us would then be driving at 90mph.

 

[Stratman]

The increase in speed from 79 to 90 is less than 14 percent, but the increase in braking distance is over 33 percent.

Braking distance increases with the square of the speed. Double the speed, quadruple the braking distance.

 

[6cyl]

1. It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament
2. It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside-down
3. In Liverpool, it is illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a tropical fish store
4. Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day
5. In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you must let them enter
6. In the UK a pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet
7. The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the King, and the tail of the Queen
8. It is illegal not to tell the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you do not mind him knowing
9. It is illegal to enter the Houses of Parliament in a suit of armour
10. In the city of York it is legal to murder a Scotsman within the ancient city walls, but only if he is carrying a bow and arrow
11. 70mph UK national speed limit, introduced the same year England won the (football) World Cup, as a temporary measure. "70 M.P.H. Limit For Four Months". The Times. Made permanent in 1978.

1-10 borrowed from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1568475/Ten-stupidest-laws-are-named.html