Male drivers more likely to risk lives by overtaking blind and speeding on rural roads

Male drivers more likely to risk lives by overtaking blind and speeding on rural roads:

11 April 2013
Brake, the road safety charity
Tel: 01484 559909, e:news@brake.org.uk 
Male drivers are being urged to use their head and not lose it at the wheel, as a survey out today by Brake and Direct Line reveals almost one in four (24%) risk catastrophic head-on crashes by overtaking blind, while more than four in 10 (44%) admit speeding at 60mph+ on rural roads. Men are much more likely to take these deadly risks than women, and more than twice as likely to have been involved in an overtaking near-miss or incident.
 The Brake and Direct Line survey of 1,000 UK drivers found:

• Almost one in four men (24%) and one in six women (18%) admitted overtaking when they couldn’t be certain nothing was coming, in the past year.
• One in five men (20%) and one in 10 women (9%) have been involved in an overtaking near-miss or incident while driving in the past year.
• More than half of all drivers (54%) have witnessed an overtaking near-miss or incident by another driver in the past year, with one in five (19%) experiencing a vehicle approaching on their side of the road.
• Over half of women (52%) have been afraid when travelling as a passenger when their driver has overtaken another vehicle in the past year, compared to 44% of men
• More than four in 10 men (44%) have broken a 60mph limit on a rural road, compared to one in four women (24%) and men are twice as likely to do this monthly or more (20% compared to 9%).

In 2011 (latest statistics available), six in 10 UK road deaths were on rural roads; that’s 1,197 people violently and tragically losing their lives. Four in 10 serious injuries were on rural roads, meaning 9,952 people suffered serious and often long-lasting or permanent harm [1]. Three in four people (75%) killed on UK roads are male [2].
Brake and Direct Line are urging the minority of male and female drivers who take the deadly risks of speeding and overtaking blind to recognise that driving safely protects themself, the ones they love and people around them. Drivers are urged to make Brake’s Pledge to show their commitment to keeping themselves and others safe.
Brake is also pressing for government and local authority action to lower speed limits on rural roads to 50mph, 40mph or lower and implement measures to deter speeding and overtaking, especially on crash black-spots and road that pass through rural communities. Brake is highlighting that simple, often low-cost engineering measures can significantly reduce casualties [3]. It is also calling for the government to get tough on rural road risk by funding wider traffic enforcement and running publicity campaigns to raise awareness of the dangers involved in driving too fast and overtaking. Read about Brake’s campaign on rural roads.
Ellen Booth, senior campaigns officer at Brake, the road safety charity, said: “Overtaking dangerously or driving too fast on rural roads puts yourself and others in grave danger, risking needless deaths and injuries. Some people kid themselves they can get away with excessive speeds and dangerous manoeuvres, because they know the road. Yet driving on rural roads is highly unpredictable, and the consequences of risk-taking often horrendous. Every mph faster you go, you reduce your chance of being able to react in an emergency. Overtaking is an especially risky manoeuvre, because it’s impossible to be 100% sure you have enough free road ahead. That’s why our advice is avoid overtaking unless essential, stay well within limits, and slow right down for bends, brows, in bad conditions and in communities. Hang back, slow down and chill out.  Prioritising safety above arriving a few minutes faster could spare your family or someone else’s a huge amount of heartache.”
Simon Henrick, spokesperson at Direct Line Car Insurance, said: “More than three people die on rural roads in the UK each and every day and many of these deaths could be prevented. Our own data suggests that young drivers and their passengers are even more likely to die on this type of road. Drivers should remember that patience is a virtue when it comes to deciding to overtake another vehicle, as it could be a life saver.”
The facts
Many drivers mistakenly think rural roads are safer, because they are often quieter. In reality, they are shared by all types of road users and there are many hazards, such as tight bends, blind corners and brows, and narrow roads. This means drivers may have little time to react to hazards, and this is reduced considerably by driving faster. At 60mph, a driver’s stopping distance is 73metres, about three tennis courts’ length. The high speeds with which many people navigate these roads also mean that crashes are more likely to cause serious injuries or death than on slower roads. In fact, per mile travelled, rural roads are the most dangerous for all kinds of road user, and it’s on these roads that the majority of road deaths occur [4].
Overtaking on single carriageways is incredibly dangerous, given that it involves driving on the wrong side of the road at speed. It is impossible for drivers to accurately judge the speed and distance of approaching traffic, and whether they have sufficient clear road to complete the manoeuvre. They also cannot be certain the vehicle they are overtaking will not speed up. Where overtaking is concerned, a small error of judgement can easily be fatal. The gap between you and oncoming traffic can disappear very fast. If you are driving at 60mph and the oncoming vehicle is also travelling at 60mph, the gap between you closes at 120mph, or about 60 metres a second.
There is clear evidence that in general male drivers take more risks [5], are hurt or killed more [6], and cause more deaths on roads than women [7]. Some researchers argue it is down to biology, others say it’s more about societal expectations placed on boys from a young age, rewarding riskier behaviour [8]. Whatever the reasons, it is certain that risk-taking on roads leads to terrible consequences for many men and women every day. That’s why Brake is urging everyone to make its Pledge to use roads safely.

Read more about speed and overtaking on rural roads.

Advice for drivers

Country roads often have speed limits that are far too high, dangerous sharp bends, and unexpected hazards. You never know when a cyclist, horse rider or jogger will be round the corner or over the next brow. When passing people on foot, bikes and horses, slow right down and give them plenty of space. Never risk overtaking on rural roads unless you are overtaking a very slow moving vehicle such as a tractor, the road is clear and straight, and you won’t have to drive at excessive speeds or above the limit to do it. Otherwise, just hang back from the vehicle in front and enjoy the journey.

The consequences

Richard and Gill Clutterbuck, from Great Bowden, near Market Harborough, were riding their horses along a rural road, on a bright Tuesday morning in August 2010. They had stopped at the side of the road to allow a passing vehicle on the other side of the road to go by without scaring the horses.
Suddenly a sports vehicle overtook the car, passing onto the wrong side of the road and crashing   head on into Richard and his horse.
Richard’s horse went over the bonnet of the vehicle and was killed by the impact. Richard was thrown and broke vertebrae in his lower back and three ribs when he hit the road. Gill’s horse collapsed on top of her, rupturing a ligament in Gill’s knee.
Richard had to undergo surgery and it was feared he would be paralysed because of damage to his vertebrae. Surgeons managed to stabilise his back by injecting cement into the damaged bones before pinning them with titanium rods.
Richard said: “It is sheer luck that I wasn’t killed that day, and I put this down to the size of my horse Linford – who sadly lost his life – and the excellent work of medical professionals. It was an awful, terrifying experience that I would not wish on anyone, and it’s taken me a long time to recover physically. It has had a terrible emotional impact on both me and my wife. It’s vital that drivers understand that rural roads are shared roads, so they must drive cautiously, and never overtake unless it’s absolutely essential and 100% safe. A lot of the time overtaking makes very little difference anyway – and it could have appalling consequences for you or another innocent person.”
Brake
Brake is an independent road safety charity. Brake exists to stop the five deaths and 66 serious injuries that happen on UK roads every day and to care for families bereaved and seriously injured in road crashes. Brake runs awareness-raising campaigns, community education programmes, events such as Road Safety Week (18-24 November 2013), and a Fleet Safety Forum, providing advice to companies. Brake’s support division cares for road crash victims through a helpline and other services.

Road crashes are not accidents; they are devastating and preventable events, not chance mishaps. Calling them accidents undermines work to make roads safer, and can cause insult to families whose lives have been torn apart by needless casualties.

Direct Line

Started in 1985, Direct Line became the first UK insurance company to use the telephone as its main channel of communication. It provides motor, home, travel and pet insurance cover direct to customers by phone or on-line.
Direct Line general insurance policies are underwritten by U K Insurance Limited, Registered office: The Wharf, Neville Street, Leeds LS1 4AZ. Registered in England and Wales no 1179980. U K Insurance Limited are authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority.
Direct Line and UK Insurance limited are both part of Direct Line Insurance Group plc.
Customers can find out more about Direct Line products or get a quote by calling 0845 246 3761 or visiting www.directline.com.
End notes:
[1] Reported road casualties Great Britain annual reports 2011, Department for Transport, 2012 and Police recorded injury road traffic collisions and casualties Northern Ireland annual report 2011, Police Service of Northern Ireland, 2012
[2] Reported road casualties Great Britain annual reports 2011, Department for Transport, 2012 and Police recorded injury road traffic collisions and casualties Northern Ireland annual report 2011, Police Service of Northern Ireland, 2012
[3] Engineering a safer future report, Road Safety Foundation, 2012
[4] Reported road casualties Great Britain annual reports 2011, Department for Transport, 2012
[5] Sex differences in driving and insurance risk, Social Issues Research Centre, 2004
[6] Reported road casualties Great Britain annual reports 2011, Department for Transport, 2012
[7] Criminal justice statistics motoring tables 2011, Ministry of Justice, 2012
[8] Sex differences in driving and insurance risk, Social Issues Research Centre, 2004