Re: “British roads showcase good driving behaviour,” letter, July 5.
Contrary to the views of the letter-writer, country roads in Britain are extremely dangerous — for cyclists. According to U.K. government statistics, deadly bicycle accidents (per kilometres driven) occur twice as frequently in the U.K. as in the Netherlands.
Why? One possible reason is that, as the letter-writer states, speed limits in the U.K. are high. It’s not uncommon to see drivers doing 80 km/h on narrow, winding roads. This leaves no time to react to cyclists (or children) who might be just around the next corner. A large percentage of cycling fatalities in the U.K. result from a cyclist being hit by a motor vehicle from behind.
In Holland, the speed limit on narrow (although much straighter) country roads is a reasonable 60 km/h. In built-up areas, it often drops to 30 km/h — which, numerous studies have shown, results in far fewer traffic fatalities in general than faster speed limits.
It’s time to stop rationalizing driving fast. Anecdotal evidence, political ideology and opinions from self-proclaimed driving “experts” should not guide transportation policy. Abundant data from insurance companies worldwide and police statistics clearly show that the faster we drive, the more people will die.
Richard Brunt
Victoria
