Road Safety
Frequently Asked Questions
What is meant by Traffic Management Schemes?
Traffic Management Schemes are such things as physical speed
reduction measures, mini-roundabouts, or pedestrian crossings built
to reduce traffic speed and improve traffic flow in order to make
Cheshire's roads safer for everyone.
Can we have traffic calming?
The term 'traffic calming' refers to the use of traffic
engineering and other physical measures, which are designed to
control traffic speeds and encourage sensible driving. The key
objective is road safety, not only in terms of accidents but also
the degree of danger perceived by road users, especially
pedestrians and cyclists. Schemes seek to adapt the volume, speed
and behaviour of motor vehicles to the primary functions of the
street along which they pass, rather than adapt the street to the
unbridled demands of these vehicles. Value for money is also an
important objective, underlining the importance of effective design
and sound assessment when dealing with the high demand for traffic
calming schemes. Traffic calming is a
very contentious way to bring about compliance with the speed limit
and improve road safety, also other management solutions will
normally be investigated first.
Can we have a reduced speed
limit?
Speed limits make a valuable
contribution to road safety but there is a tendency to see them as
a panacea. They are most effective when they are seen by drivers to
be a reasonable restriction in the particular circumstances. This
is because, knowing that full-time enforcement is not possible, we
are to a large extent relying on the willing co-operation of
drivers in honouring signs. A limit that is not realistically
matched to the environment will be ignored. When this occurs the
limits are not providing any significant increased protection to
either the frontages or other road users. Speed limits are normally
unnecessary where the character of the road itself limits the
speeds of most vehicles. They are not used to try to solve problems
at isolated hazards, such as a bend or a road junction. It is often
found that the drivers of vehicles proceeding at speed are either
young, inexperienced drivers or regular users who believe that they
'know' the road. It is expected that vehicles should be driven at a
speed appropriate to the prevailing conditions, not the speed limit
maximum. Driving without due care is an offence and the provision
of speed limits has little effect on these inconsiderate drivers.
Cheshire East Council is currently in the process of reviewing its
speed management policy and this will have some impact on the speed
limits that are set in the future. The review process will assess
the level of speed limits and relevant speed management on the 'A'
road network first.
Why are some sections of the road
coloured?
These are usually areas where a
reduced or moderate speed would be wise. It is based on the
principle that a large area of red road is a lot harder to ignore
than a small speed limit or 'slow down' sign! Cycle and bus lanes
are also frequently coloured, usually red or green. These lanes are
reserved for the 'vehicles' concerned and other vehicles should
keep out!
What are the weight-related speed
limits for commercial vehicles?
The average Car-type van falls
below the 2.0 tonne maximum gross weight and is,
therefore, subject to the same national speed limits as a car (70
mph on dual carriageways & motorways and 60 mph on single
carriageways). Any other goods vehicle 9including larger vans (not
car derived) with a gross weight between 3.5 and 7.5 tonnes is
limited to 70 mph on motorways, 60 mph on dual carriageways and 50
mph on single carriageways. Any vehicle over 7.5 tonnes has 60 mph,
50 mph and 40 mph limits respectively. All goods vehicles with a
gross vehicle weight limit exceeding 7.5 tonnes must be fitted with
a speed limiter set to 56 mph. All coaches which have a gross
weight of more than 7.5 tonnes must have a speed limiter set to 62
mph. From 1996 coaches have not been permitted to use the outside
lane of a motorway.
Do speed limits apply to emergency
vehicles?
No. The Road Traffic Regulation Act
1984 (Section 87) states that: "No statutory provision imposing a
speed limit... shall apply to any vehicle on an occasion when it is
being used for fire brigade, ambulance or Police purposes, if the
observation of that provision would be likely to hinder the use of
the vehicle for the purpose to which it is being put at the
time".
Where do I report an animal loose on the highway?
You're likely to encounter live, dead, wild and domestic animals
on the public highway - let's deal with the live ones first.
Any escaped domestic animal,
especially larger farm animals, are a threat to road safety and you
should inform the Police as soon as possible. Don't try to herd or
move the animal alone. Many domestic animals have some form of
identification but care should be taken when trying to obtain the
details of an identification tag or collar on an injured animal. In
the first instance contact the Police, the RSPCA on 0870 55 55 999
or the Highways Service. Caution must be used when
dealing with injured wild animals as many of them carry potentially
harmful diseases and being distressed are likely to bite you. As
with domestic animals contact the Police or the RSPCA.
Please note that dead badgers must
always be reported to the
Police Wildlife Crime Officers phone 0845 458 000 or
Crimestoppers 0800 555 111 . The badger must be removed as soon as
possible so that criminals cannot follow its path back to its sett
and disturb other badgers that may be there. A dead badger can be
sample tested to establish if it has been baited by dogs, killed
and then dumped on the road to make it look as though it was a road
casualty. The Protection of Badgers Act 1992 makes it an offence to
kill, injure, ill-treat, dig for or disturb a badger, damage or
destroy a sett, obstruct access to a sett or cause a dog to enter
it.
I am disabled, do I have to wear a
seat belt?
It is compulsory for everyone to wear
a seat belt whether in the front or rear seats of a car, where one
is fitted and available. However the Road Traffic
Act 1988 (sections 14 and 15, as amended) provides scope for
exemption for some disabled people after medical examination by
their local doctor. There is no specific list of reasons which
would automatically exempt an individual. However, if a GP is
satisfied that are medical reasons why a person should not wear a
seat belt, he/she can issue a certificate to that effect. It should
be noted that seat belt exemptions should be on medical grounds
rather than on grounds of comfort or convenience and every effort
should be made to find an appropriate seat belt for the disabled
person prior to exempting the person from wearing the seat belt all
together. A number of companies produce seat belt accessories that
can make wearing a seat belt more comfortable. These include
Aremco (Grove House,
Lenham, Kent ME17 2PX, Tel: 01622 858502, Fax: 01622 850532) and
Securon (Amersham) Ltd (Winchmore
Hill, Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP7 0NZ, Tel: 01494 434455, Fax:
01494 726499).
I have not driven since an accident,
is there an assessment I can have for my driving ability now?
Many disabled people benefit from an
assessment to establish their ability to drive a car or other type
of vehicle. This may, for example, include testing their reaction
time and ability to operate a number of switches, levers and knobs
which may be required in the vehicle. In the UK there are a number
of independent assessment centres. These include:
- Banstead Mobility Centre, Damson Way, Fountain Drive,
Carshalton, Surrey SM5 4NR, Tel: 020 8770 1151, Fax: 020 8770
1211
-
The Mobility Advice and Information Service, Mobility and
Inclusion Unit, Department for Transport, 'O' Wing, Macadam Avenue,
Old Wokingham Road, Crowthorne, Berkshire RG45 6XD, Tel: 01344
661000, Fax: 01344 661066, e-mail: mavis@dft.gsi.gov.uk
Details of local assessment centres
may be available from the Disabled Drivers Association
(Ashwellthorpe, Norwich, Norfolk NR16 1EX, Tel: 01508 489449, Fax:
01508 488173, e-mail: ddahq@aol.com) or the Disabled Drivers'
Motor Club (Cottingham Way, Thrapston, Northamptonshire NN14 4PL,
Tel: 01832 734724, Fax: 01832 733816, e-mail: ddmc@ukonline.co.uk). Assessment
centres can assess your driving abilities and identify the
equipment and adaptations that may be required. It is also possible
for the centre to give you an idea of any costs involved (such as
in adapting your existing vehicle if needed or buying a new
vehicle), plus information on driving courses available for
disabled people. A good website for further information is
The Royal Association for Disability and
Rehabilitation (RADAR), a national organisation run by,
and working for, disabled people.
What is the Blue Badge Scheme?
How do speed cameras work?
Your speed is measured using narrow
band radar emitted from the front of the camera. It measures your
speed using the Doppler effect and then, if you are exceeding a
pre-set figure, it takes two photographs of the back of your
vehicle. It takes two so that the speed-reading automatically
superimposed on the photographs can be manually double-checked by
calculating the distance the car has moved between the pictures.
The photographs are taken half a second apart and, using the
markings on road, the speed can be calculated. There are three
types of GATSO (GATSO is not an acronym, but an abbreviation of the
surname of the inventor; Maurice Gatsonides, see the Car Keys website for further
information):
- Red Light GATSO. This is linked up to the traffic light
sequence and runs off an inductive loop in the road just after the
stop line. When the lights turn red, the loop is powered up, and
anything passing over it is photographed. These need only one photo
to prove guilt. Recent changes mean that some of these red light
cameras (which are in a smaller box) are having radars fitted so
that they become speed cameras when the lights are green or amber,
and red-light cameras when the lights go red.
- Stationary GATSO. This is the big grey box that we all know. It
has two holes in the front: the top one is the camera, and the one
in the bottom corner is the flash. The radar is inside. These
cameras work as outlined above and are generally infallible. They
carry an 800-frame roll of film.
- Portable GATSO. This device is the size of a small aluminium
briefcase, supported on a small tripod about three feet off the
ground. It means that the Police can set up a speed camera in a
matter of moments. The camera will take the photos and, about half
a mile down the road, an officer will stop you. If you contest the
issue, the photographs will be developed and you will be
prosecuted.
Do 'funny' number plates fool speed cameras?
No! None of the products you see advertised are any use at all
against a GATSO camera. With the computer enhancement technology
that is available now, the only thing guaranteed to fool it is if
you don't have a number plate at all, and the car is anonymous (and
illegal!).
How does a hand-held radar meter work?
This works just like any radar-controlled GATSO but displays the
speed on the back for the operator to see. It's then up to the
operator's discretion whether or not to stop you. You can buy
so-called 'radar-scattering number plate covers' which do actually
scatter the returning radar so the gun can't get a reading. This
does, of course, rely on the Policeman having pointed the gun at
your number plate in the first place - generally they don't as any
nearly flat surface will do (headlights, bumpers, etc.).
What is a TruVelo system?
So called because it's a TRUe VELOcity measurer! It is a pair of
rubber strips that you drive across. They are a known distance
apart, and the time between compressions is measured to give the
resulting speed of the vehicle. They look like the devices Highway
Authorities use to get road-usage statistics (counting the number
of vehicles etc.).
What is a VASCAR?
It's a Visual Average Speed Computer And Recorder - a glorified
stopwatch! The Police car may follow you, matching your speed for
perhaps a minute, and an officer will time how long it takes to
travel between two points a known distance apart. Ever wondered
what those white squares are for that are painted on the road? The
Police don't actually have to be following you. They can sit on a
motorway bridge and time a car passing over some marks.
