Road Traffic Accidents
Many (not crash associated) varied Photographs

Road Traffic Accidents & Defensive Driving Skills

As an ex-professional (one time 1950's/1964 period) driver, with now nearly 50 years driving experience, accident free for 45 years, I cant help noticing that drivers & driving manners have changed significantly. The increased lack of consideration has become blatant and extreme. The following correlation has arrived from simple, none scientific, common observation, linked with society and its new standards,, or perhaps I should say,, Lack of standards,, Where does it start and end!

Road Traffic Accidents are born where a young child is not taught to have consideration for others, to be aware of others around itself, conscious, aware, cognisant, the child will grow older badly adjusted, and quite possibly a hazard to any decent society. In this society driving & drivers take a large percentage of our time. When the same chid becomes old enough to posses a driving licence, it is more than reasonable that he or she will drive with the same attitude, no consideration, unaware of the desires of those around him or her,,, its a natural extension,,, easy to appreciate,,, if indeed it transpires that this is not the case, then genetics may well have played a part and won the battle against the social environment it has been essentially taught or brought up in. It is worth being aware that we are all essentially the product of our social and economic environment.

All this is more than relevant to Road Traffic Accidents, so please bear with me, if you dont then impatience is with you, which is a required ingredient for Road Traffic Accidents, this lead in is important.

Have you tried eating or taking a cuppa in a Supermarket Cafe,,, if you do on the odd occasion you will for sure experience the small children sitting in those bucket like plastic chairs, banging their shoes on the hollow underside with their shoe heels,,, BANG BANG BANG BANG bang, BANG BANG,,, with some spaces,,, more often than not its only mum with the offending child, a few bangs are fine, after which all decent people/parents would stop the child banging, pointing out the reason why,,, that others live in the same world and are close by,,, however,,, and alas,,, far more often than not,,, no action is taken and the child continues to bang,,, its not the child’s fault, it’s the inadequate parent,,, the undesirable adult in our society,,, these same people will often leave the supermarket, get in the car and start eating some of the shopping,,, often waiting for a while,,, then THROW all the paper wrappings out of the car window,,,,

Here we have a picture of life today.. How is the child who is brought up blind to the world around, able to appreciate the requirements of driving a vehicle,,, well they understand English (well some do just enough), so they can comply sufficiently to pass the test then its back to normal,,, their normal,,, inconsideration,,, unaware and couldn’t care,,, they have not been taught to care! Of course individuality comes into everything, so there are variations on the theme.

As an example imagine that we take a trip to the middle east, lets say a town where all the residents dislike (hates if you like) western society and its democratic system (which I admit is flawed, nothing is perfect),,,, let us further imagine that terrorists abound here and children are brought up under this influence, religion is taught with extremist views, the worst we can imagine, hate if you like,,,, the children will have little chance, of being anything other than, like those around them, the exception will prove the rule. ,,,, ,,,,

This book with which I am not connected but commend, may well save your life if you read it. It does not matter who you are or what you do, be it HGV driver, Coach driver, white van man, First class police driver, advanced driving motorist, private car owner, Learner,, or if one day you plan to drive, read this book NOW! Buy it discount. Go to Google and type
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Buy it now for yourself, or as a life saving present for the one you love! It’s also easy to read for the stop start I have a moment here person.

now let us imagine we go back in time,, and take all these children at birth and ship them to new parents in a western country, say Cheltenham England,, do you suppose they will grow up with extremist views, with a good or decent chance of becoming a terrorist,,, I think not! now lets take all the new born babies from Cheltenham and ship them to this town in the middle east known as a hive of extremism,,, what will they grow up to be like,,,, its not difficult to see we are the product of our social and economic environment,,, I am not saying that Cheltenham is good or bad,, but it’s a reasonable opposite, and wont/shouldn’t produce terrorists. So children are what we make them, going down the scale of what influences a human being growing up,,, the parents can make their children aware, teach them consideration for others, to look around themselves, treat others as they would like to be treated themselves,,, changing them at adult age can require concentrated efforts not essentially available,, apart from jails,,, where some bad drivers can end up!

So back to driving habbits,, I have written about roundabouts before with regards to driving habits, but I will revisit this point again,,, Lets take a roundabout on any road,,, all sizes but some allowing fast entry and exit of the roundabout,,, now imagine your in a 44 ton truck,,, waiting to enter the roundabout,, this could be a moment to polish your shoes, brush your hair,, perhaps even clean your teeth, because your chances of a car understanding your predicament is near ZERO! Its not difficult to appreciate but who bothers,,, ,,, ,,, so here comes a gap and off you go,,, ,,, then around the roundabout comes a car with the child now grown up,,, the couldn’t care less unaware person behind the wheel,,, determined to stop any vehicle trying to enter

On many occasions the car claiming right of way entered the roundabout after the truck or other slower car, but the truck could only proceed slowly,,,, and on goes the car drivers hand on the horn,,, get out of my way,,, and he or she REALLY thinks he/she is quite right to demand this clear road,,,

These drivers are the mental inadequate’s of life, even if they have acquired a 4 wheel drive,,, that means zilch! They have no real mental ability,,, they are not good human beings,, able to think,,, able to consider,,, have awareness, to be able to appreciate what is happening around them,,, and it all may well have started a long time ago.

Over the Christmas period 2005, a pedestrian was knocked down by a car who failed to stop, a lady driver stopped, called an ambulance, and gave attention to the man who was knocked down,,, however whilst this was happening another car came along and ran over the man again definitely killing him and it also failed to stop. These people are undesirables in our society and they need locking up and the key throwing away.

During the month of December during the hours of darkness I was proceeding with some traffic down a single carriageway road (not single track), a normal road,, an HGV was overtaking down the middle of the wide road coming the other way, I slowed and moved well over to the left,, a mobile home behind started to overtake me as he was not looking ahead and seeing the HGV, I had to brake even more to avoid being cut in by the mobile home who had just discovered the HGV heading straight at him,, then another car started to overtake,, unbelievable you might think,,, but it did, and swerved violently to avoid the HGV,,, as luck had it no accident occurred,,, but the traffic behind me ALL oblivious of what was ahead of them at the time started to honk, because I was going very slow having escaped an accident, and now trying to re-establish myself in the proper position on the road at 60 mph. It was holiday season, it was dark, and a MAJOR ACCIDENT had nearly taken place and I was the only driver there to have read the road ahead with defensive driving,,,,, and I got honked for my trouble. Everyone behind my vehicle could and should have seen the situation, there were no visibility problems, they were just not paying attention, perhaps talking or making a phone call,,, the situation wasn’t the norm I suggest,, but in this case they were the inadequate’s bunched together, that bring death to our roads to often, and nearly mine possibly!

For those none HGV drivers who are reading this, a professional lorry driver always has to read everything on the road ahead, in other words, be very aware and to a degree be driving all the vehicles, anticipation requires understanding. If the HGV or Coach driver drove like the inadequate’s mentioned before, they possibly would not be alive at the end of one week. In effect a good driver is driving all the vehicles on the visible road ahead, plus in the mirror to a required degree, anticipation is essential for survival, planning your action, constant appreciation, calmness, and a sensible desire to stay alive and avoid even the slightest collision with any other vehicle, all come under the heading of "Defensive driving skills" get some today and be here in Xmas 2006, Oh! And watch out for those up and coming drivers in the baby chairs in supermarkets or noisy kids in public places.

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--HGV Drivers are wanted in Canada, do you and your family fancy a new life? Contact the webmaster of this site for more information.

-- Even Trucks get caught out with high winds or gusts This is Canada

-- More High Winds and another HGV in trouble in Canada.

-- An Arctic circle delivery was a job for one English HGV Driver Perhaps he was off to see Santa himself!

-- Helicopter escorts Heavy duty aircraft need good drivers,, that could be a new job for you. This photo makes a background for those keen helicopter types.

-- Budapest at night taken from the roadside. HGV driving can take you all over Europe,, but if you are married then it may not be the job for you, being away from home needs 100% backing from your other half,, if you want your married life (or relationship) to prosper or even continue.

-- Welsh Wales produce GlenEagle furniture which we can often see in transit in the UK, and the EU region I hope, you tell me? The spelling seems not to be Glen Eagle but Gleneagle, perhaps due to www.gleneagle.co.uk ,, they always seem smart outfits which is good advertising.

-- The Hollies Transport cafe is perhaps the best known transport cafe in the united kingdom This is an Arial photo taken at some time during its life,, its a 24/7 operation and has been since I remember in the 1950's. See the transport cafe list for the A5 or on or near motorways list (M6).

-- Stevens of Wick who also have a base in Scrabster near Thurso and Aberdeen. These drivers have some hard roads to travel in the far north of Scotland

-- Stevens of Wick again

-- Even more Stevens of Wick

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-- Marks & Spencer They need to do with all other goods what they have done with food, provide good quality not compete on price!

-- Turkiye or Turkey Istanbul HGV Deliveries by Milenyum. Turkey is fast becoming a big trading country, the population is Internet Keen, at times approaching Spain in numbers visiting this site. Welcome to Turkey or Turkiye.

-- Hungary & Tatai Trans HGV Its good that people are together, thinking together. Welcome to Hungary.

-- Spain delivering the goods, Transportes Femer Spain comes to Britain, Britain goes to Spain, seems good to me!

-- Warley Group HGV looking very smart I see he has his England sticker in the window, well why not!

-- Dell Boy has a counter part in Germany,, well actually our continental friends have been, and still do, use these efficient vehicles,, a tool for a job!

-- Smoke Kills ask any Fire-fighter This is an unusual vehicle with a BLUE LIGHT!

-- Express Coach Services Here we have a wonderful scene, casual, relaxed, easy going, what more could you ask for, no high speed accidents here.

-- A Barge on the river Mosel in Germany Transport all playing its part in delivering the goods

-- The same Barge but closer with that wonderful bow wave It makes you think that such work could be a holiday.

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