Country Roads – take me home!

Lyn Morris FAIRSO

Carmarthenshire County Council

Road Safety Unit

The romantic view!• romantic image, reminiscing, poetry, music and appear in the lyrics of

so many songs

• winding, open roads, glorious scenery, racing along, open-topped cars, wind in the hair, sun on your face!

Cool breeze on a country roadI feel ten feet high

Welcome to Carmarthenshire

• Predominantly rural

• Very picturesque

• Loads to see – beaches, castles, (even castles on beaches!) rivers, forests, mountains and…………………

• Lovely country roads to travel along – few traffic jams

• Roads that attract people, as driving/riding becomes a pleasure rather than a bind (I know!)

The reality!Rural Road Safety (RoSPA 2016)Rural roads have the highest incidence of ‘accidents’ resulting in KSIs

• More deaths occur on rural roads than on urban ones. In 2016, there were 1,015 fatal accidents on rural roads compared to 593 on urban roads

• The number of serious and slight injury collisions is higher in urban areas; in 2016, there were 87,130 on urban roads and 42,466 on rural roads

• These figures show that whilst the number of collisions is higher in urban areas there is a greater chance of dying on rural roads, with 59.8% of the fatal accidents occurring on these roads

Vulnerable Rural Road UsersIn 2016:

• 142 pedestrians were killed on rural roads, 734 were seriously injured and 2,172 were slightly injured

• 58 cyclists were killed on rural roads, compared to 43 on urban roads, and 981 were seriously injured

• 211 motorcyclist fatalities occurred on rural roads, compared to 101 deaths in urban areas

• The British Horse Society estimates that there are around 3,000 road accidents involving horses each year, about half of which occur on minor/rural roads

And in our County………..• A MAST report was produced for Carmarthenshire County Council • Rural roads were highlighted as an area of concern as were residents in rural

communities who are involved in collisions

• 120 people killed or seriously injured on our rural roads between 2014 and 2016, with around a quarter of them being young drivers

• 24 fatalities during this period with 75% occurring on rural roads

• Main contributory factors in the collisions: Loss of control; road layout; failed to look; failed to judge speed/position; slippery road; exceeding the speed limit; driving too fast for the conditions; following too close; sudden braking; careless/reckless/in a hurry

Dangerous roads?• Winding roads often combined with steep inclines

• Blind bends, blind summits, hidden dips

• Narrow and single track roads

• Sheer drops, rocky ‘cliffs’

• Stone bridge walls with no ‘escape’ for vulnerable road users

• Prone to slippery roads (wet &/or icy)

• BUT…….. Shouldn’t we all be driving according to the conditions?

Dangerous vehicles then?• Slow tractors, and other agricultural vehicles

• Towing large & heavy loads eg big bale sileage, massive mobile homes in transit

• Older vehicles

• Motorcyclists, bicycles, horses, using the roads for leisure

• Pedestrians where there are no pavements

• Well, it is the country – what do you expect?

Must be dangerous speeds then!• National Speed Limit Applies – on many rural roads

• Generally higher speed limits than urban roads

• Limited amount of traffic calming features

• Freedom of the open roads, easy to make progress, no-one much around, few perceptible hazards, and great fun with all the ups and downs and winding roads! Motorcyclists come from all over to ride our roads – they are awesome!

• Leads to a tendency for inappropriate speed even if within legal limit!

Or dangerous road users perhaps?• Highway Code – who looks at it beyond passing their test! But breaking rules is

taking risk

• Responsibility of driving a potentially lethal weapon through a complex and unpredictable environment

• Most of us road users are self-taught, whether drivers, riders (motorbikes), cyclists, horse-riders, pedestrians – our education and training is pretty lacking considering the responsibility we’re taking

• Local people tend to become a bit complacent about their local roads

• Visitors often don’t ‘expect the unexpected’ especially if they come from a more urban environment

The Blame Culture!• Older drivers blame the young for driving too fast, showing off and being reckless

• Young drivers blame the old - too slow, hesitant, can’t see

• Professional drivers blame the non-professionals for being rubbish

• Cyclists blame the lorries for not looking out for them

• Pedestrians and horse-riders blame the drivers for not looking out for them and not giving them enough room

• Motorcyclists blame the drivers

• Drivers blame everyone else and anything they can – we all seem to have our pet hates – yet what makes us so perfect?

It’s a Real World!• We can’t all be brilliant drivers/cyclists/horse riders/pedestrians

• We can all aspire to being safe road users and make every effort to achieve that!

• Upskilling, taking refresher courses, reading the most recent updates to the Highway Code, being tolerant (and wary) of other road users, applying our common sense (and COAST!)

• BUT……..How can we reach the road-using public to even discuss this?

Our Rural Roads ProjectWe get lots of complaints about state of roads, behaviour of road users, speeding etc – an ‘accident waiting to happen’ and several have!

Chose a length of rural road:

• passes through villages

• climbs and twists

• high level of KSIs

• plenty of reported and anecdotal incidents and near hits

The A485 – Peniel to CwmannPlenty of complaints from residents and community councils - we have dealt with them continuously over the years:

• ironed out speed limits so flow better;

• lengths of road ‘no overtaking’;

• measured speeds and enforced speed limits;

• improved the road surface - anti-slip on bends and junctions;

• red tarmac and hatching in the centre of the road; white-lined the edges; added cats-eyes;

Engagement – the problemsTime to engage in a meaningful way with the complainants!

BUT the rural community is notoriously difficult to engage with:

• mainly farming and associated land-based occupations or people commute to the towns

• predominantly elderly community who prefer not to travel far or drive out after dark

• very disparate community other than the villages – farmsteads and small-holdings way out it in the middle of nowhere.

• Very few times of year when the farming community is available – lambing, hay-making, sheering, sileage-making, county and livestock shows, fencing and hedging, and the year has gone by!

• And anyway, none of this involves them – it’s the others who are to blame!

• SOLUTION: We go to them!

Carmarthenshire Rural Roads Project

Gyrru ar EIN Ffyrdd –Ffyrdd Pawb

Driving on OUR Roads – Everybody’s Roads

• Selected a length of road with known ‘problems’ – approx. 20 miles of the A485 (Peniel to Cwmann)

• Public Engagement Events – held in the local community at various venues along the selected route

• Presentation; Q&A session to panel of partners

• Open forum with agency partners / information stands

• Open forum with agency partners / information stands.

Publicity Carmarthenshire County Council and its Partners are arranging community events along the A485

These events are your and our chance to: • Discuss local road safety priorities along the A485 • Raise awareness of local road safety issues • Highlight any on-going road safety activities in the area • Showcase community road safety groups and networks

that are in the area • Ask Questions

Warm welcome to all!

Working with Partners

Carmarthenshire Casualties 2014-2016

1692

Who?

72% local residents

17% people from neighbouring counties

11% from other counties

Causation Factors• Losing control of vehicle including speed• Driving too close• Lack of observation• Complacency

FATAL FIVE:• Don’t drink/drug drive .• Kill your Speed• Don’t get Careless• Belt Up• Switch it Off

Country Driving Skills

Country Driving Skills

What can YOU do?• Be a role model – for other road users and your family

• Ensure your speed is always APPROPRIATE as well as within the limit

• NEVER tailgate

• Take up the refresher session – Signpost a friend!

• Promote & participate in road safety campaigns – such as the BHS ‘Dead Slow’ Campaign

• Encourage your local school/ community council to run initiatives

www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/roadsafety

What can YOU do?• Join or start a community speed watch initiative

https://gosafe.org/community-speed-watch

• Operation SNAP for dash cam evidence of poor driving

https://gosafesnap.wales

• Report any highway problems (potholes; kerbs; overhanging trees; flooding; missing or damaged signs)

www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales

What can YOU do?• Pass Plus Cymru (17-25yo) - £20

• Older Drivers Refresher Course (70+) FREE

• Dragon Rider Cymru Post-test enhanced riding for motorcyclists –FREE

• Ride Safe BHS Equestrian road safety for all ages - £95

• Advanced Driving/Riding membership [RoSPA &IAM]

• Child Car Seat Checking FREE

Benefits• ENHANCED SKILLS

• IMPROVED CONFIDENCE

• MORE RESPECT FROM OTHERS

• REDUCED INSURANCE COSTS (?)

• BETTER SENSE OF COMMUNITY and a SAFER COMMUNITY

• PRIDE TO HAVE HELPED REDUCE ROAD CASUALTIES

Initial Evaluation• Approx 70% lived within a mile; 88% within 3 miles

• Over 70% were women; just over 20% men

• Majority age range 65 – 74, then 35 – 44; a few older than 74; none under 25

• Fair split between Welsh and English first language (43% : 50%)

• How many road casualties were there in Carmarthenshire between 2014 and 2016? (There were more than 1600)

• 29% were correct before the presentation with most saying 800

• 100% put 1600 or more than 1600 after the presentation

Initial Evaluation

• Who do you think (mostly) causes the casualties on your local roads? (tourists; people who live in towns; people from neighbouring counties; people from other counties; locals)

• They ticked mainly locals (over 60%) with a fair split between all the others

• After the presentation no-one put tourists and over 90% put locals

Initial Evaluation• What do you think causes RTCs?

• Before the presentation losing control, driving too close, speeding, poor observation came out on top with phones, overtaking, distractions, impatience and complacency appearing in the ‘other’ and comments boxes

• Afterwards, drivers not heeding the signs and lines and incorrect positioning, especially on bends were added to the mix

Initial Evaluation• For triggers to causes:

Increase in people citing careless and distracted driving after the presentation

AND A SLIGHT ATTITUDE CHANGE:

• Valid or acceptable excuses:

Distractions, being late and not concentrating were no longer considered to be

acceptable excuses for unsafe driving by the majority after the presentation

• Justifications for driving unsafely:

Believing you’re a good, safe driver, that “it won’t happen to me” or “I can handle

it” were no longer considered to be justifications after the presentation

Positive outcome so far!• learned a good deal about RTCs and safe driving and that the whole event had

been worthwhile

• appreciated all the partners coming together to run the event and discuss the issues with them

• now appreciate what the various organisations are and have been doing to try to solve the problems

• positive feedback on people pledging to be role models, modify their behaviour, especially their speed and to participate in or refer others to the various courses etc offered.

We now need to see if they follow through!

IF YOU NEED FURTHER ADVICE

PLEASE CONTACT:

Lyn Morris – Swyddog Diogelwch Ffyrdd / Road Safety Officer

Ffon / Tel: 01267 228288

E-bost : diogelwchffyrdd@sirgar.co.uk E-mail: roadsafety@carmarthenshire.gov.uk