Fatal Road Acccident Statistics Revealed

[Frances]

The North Yorks road system has some 6000 miles - the population is about 550,000 but not sure this is useful here as many users of the roads will be from adjacent areas - the IoM is I think credited with around 600miles (I'd like a ref if anyone has one - this a remembered quote from some presentation) of driveable roads (main strategic roads probably about 100m) there were 68 deaths on N Yorks roads in 2006 so maybe somewhat lower per mile than the IoM but the police are targeting motorcycles as a significant and reduceable component of these fatalities

[Albert Tatlock]

Just what point is it you are trying to concoct from your badly researched 'facts'?

That it is not directly comparable with the Isle of Man, and you cannot do a one-to-one comparison, without taking into account a variety of issues such as: it's relief (highest point 800ft versus over 2000ft on the Isle of Man, the weather, the types of visitors, the population, and road types etc. etc. And by the way, I have been to the IOW several times as I have a very good friend that lives there, plus I have sailed around it on a couple of occasions too, and it's not like the Isle of Man.

 

Other than it is smaller - what have you actually added that we didn't already know? The population of Douglas decreases by a few thousand each night too, as people dissapear off to where they live from where they work - what has that got to do with the price of fish?

 

If you are trying to say the two places are directly comparable for road accident stats and analysis, then sorry but you are simply wrong.

[Wake Up Call]

I wonder if we can compare the Island to anywhere in the UK? Maybe another country where there is no national speed limit, no speed cameras, dodgy roads and a general couldn't care less attitude by many drivers . Then add the fact that there is a 37 and 3/4 mile road circuit of death where the majority of bad accidents are hosted.

I think I saw something similar in a Mad Max film in the early eighties.

[Frances]

I wonder if we can compare the Island to anywhere in the UK? Maybe another country where there is no national speed limit, no speed cameras, dodgy roads and a general couldn't care less attitude by many drivers . Then add the fact that there is a 37 and 3/4 mile road circuit of death where the majority of bad accidents are hosted.

I think I saw something similar in a Mad Max film in the early eighties.

Nepal ? think one of the only 3 without national speed limit

[Inspector Derek Flint]

It is an interesting debate. Our drink drive figures were a lot higher than in years gone by this year, but Honestly think the cops were just better placed to catch offenders this year because of the way we are now structured.

 

Our stops are under Road Traffic Act powers, and not random. If however, we had stopped someone for a document check, and they smell of ale, then power to test emerges. There is a power to test after a bump, or a due care or dangerous driving. Drink driving is levelling out, after fairly substantial drops over the last few years.

 

 

With regard to fatalities, for this calendar year (07) we finished at nine, as opposed to eight for the year before, and prior to that, we averaged twelve for a number of years. our KSI (killed and seriously injured) figure per milliion thingumybobs per billion of population, is from figures I worked out a while ago, is about twice that of the UK - comparable to Portugal it seemed to come out as. Fairly dirty figures though. our collsion figures for 17-25 age group pans out about 25 %, which is favourable to the UK, where about 33% of all collisions involve that age group.

 

All the figures relate to open road fatalities. Racing stats from any sport, on closed roads, are never included.

 

If I was comparing this place to anywhere, it would probably be a cross between Derbyshire and the Lune Valley. Similar roads, weather, and a big draw for bikers. However, they have an upper speed limit, which is a substantial stick to beat offenders with, and a lot more resources to throw at the problems.

 

Always room for improvement.

 

Derek

[Max Power]

I wonder if we can compare the Island to anywhere in the UK? Maybe another country where there is no national speed limit, no speed cameras, dodgy roads and a general couldn't care less attitude by many drivers . Then add the fact that there is a 37 and 3/4 mile road circuit of death where the majority of bad accidents are hosted.

I think I saw something similar in a Mad Max film in the early eighties.

Nepal ? think one of the only 3 without national speed limit

 

Looking at recent fatal accident statistics I think that most occured away from the TT course and those that were on the circuit happened because the roads that make up the circuit are actually the Islands main arterial routes. During the past two TT's there have been 2 fatal accidents. one at the end of the 2006 event, a freak accident, and one in 2007 off the course a seemingly low speed misjudgement!

 

There seems to be a lot of hysteria about accident and drink driving statistics, I realise that this is a serious issue but I believe it has more to do with the culture which has developed here due to our remote location. There can't be many places with an 80,000 population cast adrift with little passive entertainment other than driving around the place or visiting pubs.

People on the Isle of Wight for example have easy access to the mainland and larger cities and beyond for entertainment etc. Plus a larger population makes facilities there more viable.

 

The problem here is more than just people speeding and drink driving, there is an underlying cause, how to tackle it is unlikely to be easy.