Reducing the level of Road Accidents using... Information, Data and Knowledge...

The Concept.

[Outline.]

Information: Data: Knowledge... creating a safer Environment.

Introduction.

Putting the Data to Work.

How many Reports.

Monitoring the System.

Constant Pressure.

Target Groups.

Introduction.

The Big Question... Would it work? Answer... You have to make it work!

Setting everything up... Recruiting People: Developing Courses: Refining Strategies: Monitoring the System: etc. etc. would all take Time: Money: and great Effort. This is not a small venture which could be set up and forgotten... it would be a continuous, ongoing process, aimed at developing a totally different Road Culture. If some aspect of the system was not working then the reasons would need to be identified and changes made. All Legal Systems... Tax Systems... etc. etc. are developed over a long period of time... problems arise and solutions found... it is impossible to say in advance what all these problems and difficulties might be... but, under this system there are many different options and strategies which could be used and adapted.

Dealing with... the after affects of Road Accidents is something which already requires an enormous effort and wastes an incredible amount of resources... both Financial and Human... putting just a fraction of those resources into preventing Accidents would benefit everyone.

The following Table... gives an At a Glance look at some aspects of the present system and compares it to the new system we are offering for discussion: [all dealt with in detail in other sections.] This table gives 22 reasons why we believe this 'Information' based system is a far more sophisticated approach to reducing the level of Road Accidents than the simplistic 'Punishment' system which exists in many countries at present and would be far more effective.

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Present System.	Proposed System.
Very limited number of offences are targeted: mainly exceeding 'Speed Limits'.	Every offence could be targeted: including 'Inappropriate' or excessive Speed.
Does not properly identify the specific problems of individual drivers.	Identifies very specific problems of the worst individual offenders.
Only gathers Information to help identify 'Accident black spots'.	'Reporting black spots' would help identify any areas of potential conflict on the roads.
Few effective strategies to improve the overall standard of driving.	Improves standards though motivation: education: social pressure and enforcement.
Many 'Initiatives' last for a short period of time or have a very limited affect.	This system operates 24 hours a day: 7 days a week: 52 weeks a year.
Individual drivers have responsibilities but are completely devoid of any powers.	'Powers and Responsibilities' are given to a large number of individual drivers.
Local communities have to rely on the Authorities to solve their problems.	Communities are empowered so they can deal with their own local problems.
A limited Police presence out on the highways to act as a deterrent.	Road Supervisors would be almost everywhere to act as an effective deterrent.
Limited assistance on the roads for those who find themselves in 'difficulties'.	Road Supervisors nearly always on hand to help those in 'difficulties'.
Limited amount of 'feedback' or education targeted at any drivers.	Lots of educational 'feedback' targeted at the most serious and persistent offenders.
Does not make use of 'Social Pressure' as a means of changing behaviour.	Makes very effective use of many different aspects of 'Social Pressure'.
Drivers can be 'unlucky' and lose their licences because of a simplistic camera.	Drivers losing their licence would have been 'judged and convicted' by their Peers.
Relies to heavily on a simplistic 'Punishment' system to try and change behaviour.	Specific problems identified and then systematically rectify by 'Review Panels'
At present any 'high mileage' drivers are vulnerable to losing their licences.	Very limited affect on 'high mileage' drivers if they consistently drive in a safe manner.
The most 'Serious and persistent' offenders can easily escape prosecution.	'Serious and persistent' offenders are far more likely to be detected.
Laws are effective against the law-abiding: useless against habitual law-breakers.	Does not affect the law-abiding: and makes targeting law-breakers much easier.
No Information made available to those who are in 'positions of influence'.	Information made readily available to those who are in 'positions of influence'.
Police and the Authorities are not open and accountable to the general Public.	Police and the Authorities would have to account for their actions at local meetings.
No effective strategies for changing the deep seated problems of a country's Road Culture.	Can change a country's Road Culture using a co-ordinated, multi-strategy approach.
Can be bad for Public relations and a huge drain on valuable Police resources.	Builds good community relations and frees up Police to tackle more serious crime.
Courts often have very limited amounts of Information about offenders.	Courts could have considerable amounts of Information available about some offenders.
The present system breeds Public apathy towards 'participation' in their own Society.	This system encourages citizens to participate and improve their own Society.

To sum up: the present system... is far to often about catching easy targets... or just 'reacting' to serious offences and road accidents after they have happened... then handing out some form of 'Punishment' in the hope that... they won't do it again... and that it will act as a deterrent to others.

The system under discussion... leaves the 'Punishment' aspect in place, especially for serious offenders: but in addition...

Deals with all the rules of the road.

Works on a 24/7 basis.

Positively identifies 'high-risk' drivers.

Gives a good insight into the exact nature of their problems.

Puts a complex mechanism in place to rectifying those problems: [by using targeted Education: Social Pressure: and special Review Panels.]

Carefully monitors their progress.

Systematically raises driving standards right across the board.

Empowers individuals and communities.

Encourages social responsibility through participation.

Builds good relations with the Authorities.

Changes attitudes.

Alters behaviour.

And works towards developing an entirely different 'Road Culture' based on a driver's ability to 'Interact' with their fellow road users in a way which is consistently... Safe: Considerate: and Courteous.

We believe... that 'Road Safety' is a complex issue that requires an equally complex solution. Thrashing around... hitting large numbers of people with a 'Big Stick' is not the answer!

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Putting the 'Data' to Work.

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Recruiting 'enough'

Road Supervisors. 'Enough' might be described as the absolute minimum number of drivers that would need to be recruited for the system to work. If just 1% of drivers were recruited it might mean that each one would have to make about 20 reports each week, and that is a lot of 'paperwork'. [If a person drives for a living and spends 7 or 8 hours per day out on the roads they could probably see enough bad driving to fill those quotas.] As this group would also be required to carry out duties on Review Panels the commitment might be to much for many.

If the General Public were a bit apathetic about the whole idea then the Government might have to put in a bit of time and effort to recruit enough drivers before setting a final date for the introduction of the system. [But, at least the Government would have the perfect answer to anyone complaining about behaviour on the roads... 'If you don't like it, do something about it!'] For something to be a genuine 'grassroots' system a much higher percentage of drivers should be aimed for... maybe 5 to 10%.

If a Figure... of 1 driver in 10 as Road Supervisors was achieved this might mean just 2 reports per week on average... a relatively small commitment that most people could make without it intruding into their everyday lives.

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How many Reports.

This system is totally flexible... it could be monitored and changed very easily. At the beginning it might be decided that there should be 10 reports for each driver... so, take the total number of drivers... multiply that figure by 10... and you have a total number of reports for the whole Country or State. Divide that number by the total number of Road Supervisors... and that will tell you how many reports each could make in a year: i.e.

20,000,000.	Total number of drivers.
x10.	Number of Reports for each driver.
200,000,000.	Total number of Reports: for the whole Country: [State?]
2,000,000.	Divided by the number of Road Supervisors.
100.	Reports could be made by each Road Supervisor per year.

Everyone is liable... to make the odd mistake, so it might be decided that there should be 15 reports per driver... but that an annual 'allowance' of 5 reports/points should be given to each one: [which would effectively take many drivers out of the system altogether.] Their official points total would remain at 0 points until they had been reported 6 times... at which time it would show 1 point. What you are looking for are persistent offenders and this allowance would not help them one bit... total reports would have gone up by 50% but the personal totals just 5% [increased from 100 to 105 points.]

A Government committee... could keep this figure under review and might set new quarterly totals: [every 3 months.] This new figure could be displayed at the Website: [and Post Offices? etc.] so Road Supervisors could easily see what the new figure was: [100 per year = 25 per quarter.]

There are a number of factors... that might be considered when deciding on a new quarterly total, for example... experience might show that not all of the possible reports were being completed... lets say figures showed about 80% were being used. The Committee might decide that an increase of about 20% was needed and increase the quarterly total from 25 to 30.

In the next quarter... maybe there had been a recruitment drive and the number of Road Supervisors had increased by 10% and the Committee decided there should be a reduction from 30 to 27.

Perhaps... it is felt that the reports were still not having the right effect [still to many road accidents] and the figure was increased again... from 27 to 35.

Later... maybe the system was working well... figures showed that Road Accidents were down... and many Reports were being made for fairly minor offences. So... the figure was gradually revised down over a period... from 35 to 20.

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Monitoring the System.

The System... would need to be carefully monitored on an ongoing basis to make sure the best possible results were being achieved. Another task for any Department which had been set up [or assigned responsibility] could be to 'Retrieve' Information from the individual 'Bits' on each Report and analyse the 'Data' about... Road Accidents: their Causes: the most common Offences reported: Demographics of those being reported: and Publish their findings on the Internet: [and other places.]

Publishing these findings... would help convert Information and Data into Knowledge. This would increase everyone's understanding about the dangers of particular Offences... and explain why these can result in Road Accidents. When Road Supervisors logged on to make reports they could be given 'guidance' on which type of offences should be reported: [as a priority:] and why. All drivers should be made aware of which offences they really needed to avoid so they were not reported in the future.

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Road Accidents...
don't just happen... they happen for a reason. More than 90% of the time it is due to driver error. Statistical details could be published to explain which offences were the most common causes of Road Accidents: i.e. Tailgating: Excessive Speed: Drink-driving: Overtaking: poor Lane-discipline: failing to Give Way: Falling asleep at the Wheel: jumping Red Lights: adverse Weather Conditions: etc. etc. etc. and Road Supervisors could be asked to look out for... and report... specific offences during the following quarter.
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Offences.
Many of the offences which were reported by Road Supervisors might be quite different from those which actually caused Road Accidents. Perhaps many reports would be for... Blocking Junctions: Double Parking: Pushing In: Shouting Abuse: etc. behaviour which was inconsiderate and discourteous rather than dangerous. A committee might decide that a change of emphasise was required and ask Road Supervisors to concentrate their efforts in other areas.
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Studying the Data... might reveal other contributing factors associated with Reporting Black Spots, i.e. drivers pulling across the lanes very late at a certain Motorway Exit? is this due to poor Road Signage? Or a lot of Reports about double parking in an area of a City... is this due to inadequate parking facilities for 'working' Vehicles? etc. etc.
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Demographics...
can help identify those groups which are most at risk of having an accident and resources targeted to them. These groups might be... young male Drivers: Drivers of company vehicles: elderly private car Drivers: Motorcyclists: Couriers: etc. etc.
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Publish.

If a driver wanted to avoid being reported... or to get their points total reduced... then they would need to study any Reports [and Inserts] which they had been sent... which concerned them as an individual... and study this general Information... which would be about driving and the general population as a whole. Taken together... a driver should have a very clear understanding of what they needed to Do: Change: or Stop Doing: in order to avoid being reported in the future.

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Continuous Pressure.

While there may be only... [lets say] 10 penalty points available for each driver... which might seem insignificant as this would have no effect on a person: [especially when they have an 'allowance' of 100 points per year] there would also be enough points available to ban 10% of all drivers from the road... which most certainly is a significant number. Obviously, these points would not be evenly distributed among all drivers... the vast majority would receive very few or no points... a few may receive about average: [approx. 10 points,] but most of the points would probably go to a small minority of the worst drivers... those that were the most serious and persistent offenders. This would force these drivers to improve... at least enough to stay out of this worst few percent.

As these drivers improved and were no longer being reported... others would find that they were starting to attract points for slightly less serious offences... they in turn would have to make changes and improve. This process would be Continuous... and Ongoing... gradually over time raising the standard of driving right across the board. It would not matter if a driver's problems arose because of... poor driving Skills: bad Habits: lack of Thought: or the wrong Attitude: they can usually be worked on and changed.

This is a more detailed look at things to be worked on and how things could improve...

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Attitudes.

Are the results of all the thought processes which are going on inside a person which they bring to their driving. Often these are not Attitudes which have been carefully considered... but come out as instant reactions to things which happen on the roads: [or could have a lot more to do with a stressful day at work... the first thing that goes wrong after work... on the way home... may be the trigger for some misdirected anger.] A person's Attitude: [the way they think] will generally determine their Behaviour: [what they do] and this will have a direct result on their chances of being involved in a Road Accident.

Over 90% of all Road Accidents are due to Driver Error... and this is often a result of a poor Attitude... rather than a Genuine Mistake. A large number of Reports about an individual should give a very good insight into that person's general Attitudes.

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Behaviour.

Is often a direct reflection of our Attitudes... but it is possible to have an instant change in Behaviour even when there is no change in the Attitude. For instance... when many of us see a Police car we will instantly check our Speed... make sure we are not Tailgating... or weaving through Traffic: [we have not changed our thought processes] or do anything which might give them reason to pull us over. The instant they turn off we 'Relax' and carry on as before.

Another example might be when young drivers are out with their Parents: [having recently passed their driving test] they know exactly what is expected of them and drive accordingly... obeying all the Rules... and Speed Limits. But, drop the Parents off... pick up a few Friends... and there is likely to be an instant change in the Driving and general Behaviour.

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'Speeding'.

To take just one type of Road, as an example. At the outset of such a scheme you may find quite a number of drivers out on multi-lane highways which were travelling at 100 mph. or more: [even though the speed limit might be 70 mph: countries vary.] These drivers could expect to attract a certain amount of points... especially if such speed was judged to be 'excessive' by their fellow road users... because of... Heavy Traffic: Bad Weather: or because it was combined with some other offence... like Tailgating.

After gaining a few points...

Many drivers would take heed of the reports sent to them and make a few changes... 'Fine Tune' their driving by... not only reducing their Speed... but also eliminating any other Bad Habits which had contributed to them being reported: be it... Tailgating: reactionary Lane-changing: not using Signals: or whatever the reports identified?

Those who made no changes or improvement would be likely to start attracting points at an ever quicker rate... and at some point, when the outcome became inevitable... they would respond and make some changes... however reluctantly this might be.

Those few who have a very high 'Resistance to Change' would eventually find themselves under the care of a Review Panel... at which point their choice would be a simple one... make the necessary changes... or be removed from the road.

On any type of Road... the general focus of Road Supervisors should be on whether the Speed was 'appropriate for the ever changing circumstances'... rather than strict adherence to the legal Speed Limit. So... to avoid being reported, the secret would be... Co-operation: Courtesy: Safe Interaction: Going with the Flow: and avoiding Conflicts with other Drivers.

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Other Offences.

As the worst excesses of dangerous and illegal behaviour were brought under control... Road Supervisors might start to use up their points in other ways... like on things which were... Aggressive: Inconsiderate: or Anti-Social.

As this type of behaviour started to come under control drivers could find themselves being reported for [what they might consider] relatively minor offences: such as... Failing to Signal: Blocking a Junction: or Inconsiderate Parking.

It may be that some individuals who attracted very few points when the system was first introduced found that the time had arrived when they did start to attract points.

This is all about raising standards by slowly turning the screw on every type of offence... which would give people the time to... Adapt: Change: and Improve.

In many cases... this would not be that difficult. If a Report was for 'Throwing rubbish out of a car window'... then just stop throwing rubbish out of the window! How difficult is that? Just because this type of behaviour might be quite common... it does not mean it is acceptable to the vast majority.

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Target Groups.

Apart from dealing with the problems of individual drivers... there are also identifiable 'Groups' which could be targeted.

Not every 'Target Group' [some drivers might fall into several groups] would be bad drivers... some might be very good drivers who were self-motivate enough to improve their driving further: [many already take advanced driving courses.]

Some might voluntarily improve with a little encouragement: [Motivation.]

While others could at least be discouraged from behaving badly: [Deterrent.]

There are also some who would change their habits once they realised there was a problem: [Education.]

Those who were a little more 'Resistant to Change' could have pressure put on them from many different sources until they did conform to an acceptable standard of driving: [Social Pressure.]

Then you would just be left with the 'Cannots' and the 'Willnots'...

The 'Cannots' are those who genuinely have very poor driving Skills: or Attitudes problems: and are incapable of changing themselves: [Enforcement.]

And the 'Willnots' are those few who break every Rule in the Book: and no amount of Fines: or Driving Bans: will make any difference. For some, perhaps only a spell in Prison will change their ways: [Punishment.]

Some of these groups might be...

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Road Supervisors.

Anyone who was becoming a Road Supervisor should already be a fairly good driver... even so, there is always room for improvement. In the process of becoming a Road Supervisor... this group should have done a complete review of the Highway Code: [something they may not have read for years:] taken a good look at their own Attitudes: general driving Habits: and committed themselves to being a Good Example to others. If 10% of Drivers were recruited... this would be a very significant number of drivers who would be prepared to improve their own driving and become instrumental in changing the Behaviour of others.
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Senior Road Supervisors.
To make any significant improvements you need something to work on. With this group there would probably be very little to show... by virtue of the fact that they should already be some of the safest and most capable drivers around... many having driven the last 10: 20: 30 years without causing an Accident. Their major contribution to Road Safety would be through helping others in difficult situations... and acting as a Deterrent to the worst offenders.
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Probationary Drivers.
Any statistics concerning young drivers and road accidents will quickly show what a serious problem it is. Young drivers aged 16-21 are 5 to 10 times more likely to be involved in an accident than an experienced driver. We have written a whole section on this subject under the heading, Licences, [so click to read more.] Needless to say... this is a very special group with plenty of scope for improvement.
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Young Males.

It may come as no surprise if the group which was reported the most turned out to be Young Males... up to about their mid-twenties: [even after graduating through a probationary licence scheme.] In any Country... and at any time in history... this group have a far greater tendency to be... Aggressive: Anti-Social: Reckless: Thrill Seekers. They are subjected to... Peer Pressure: they drive Faster than most others: they often have poor Hazard Perception Skills: and in general an unrealistic view of their driving capabilities.

Many consider themselves better than average drivers and will often justify this simply because... they have really 'Fast Reactions' [and yet, if you were looking for a definition of 'Bad' driving... it might be... 'a person who relies on their Reactions to avoid Trouble'. 'Good' driving means you very rarely get the chance to find out just how Fast your Reactions are.] In time... many in this group will become good responsible drivers... but initially... they can be a real danger to others and to themselves.

Article. Road rage—media hype or serious road safety issue? Road safety researcher Dr. Barry Elliott analyses the definition of "road rage," the facts on traffic violence, and the implications for road safety. [More Articles]

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Drivers who change...

through Education. This would be a group with a 'low-moderate' resistance to change. There will be those who consider themselves to be very good... safe drivers... are experienced and had no recent accidents. But it is still possible they could have developed some very bad habits over the years which others find Dangerous... or just plain Annoying. Some would be fully aware that they have a tendency to... drive Fast: Tailgate: Weave through Traffic: etc. etc. and who would not be in the slightest bit surprised to find themselves being reported... and with a fairly low resistance to change would just make the necessary adjustments.

There would be those...

Who were surprised that others found their habits... Dangerous: Annoying: etc. and might be more resistant to change... but again... after a number of Reports would attempt to make the necessary improvements.

For those in this category 'Feedback' is important... it makes them aware that a particular problem exists which they might not have been aware of.

For instance... if a driver was reported for pulling in front of a large truck and then braking: [and also received an 'Insert' giving a detailed explanation of the dangers associated with driving in close proximity to large trucks:] this might be something which they had not given any real thought to... but would be keen to avoid doing again in the future.

Specific driver with specific problem... Identified. The first course of action? use a bit of 'targeted' Education... problem Rectified? Maybe!

Article. Driver training is entering a new era — Road rage is one sign that harmonious coexistence amongst drivers will require new and more extensive training. [More Articles]

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Drivers who change...

through Pressure. This is a group which would show a much higher resistance to change. There would be some drivers who... basically... were not quite as good as they thought they were. Who would be reported... but would never think it was Justified.

They would never really accept any Feedback: [i.e. criticism] and would continue in the same style while their points total steadily rose.

Eventually... as their points total continued to rise... they might reluctantly make some changes so as to avoid the inevitable: [but even a forced improvement is better than no improvement.]

There would be some who's points steadily rose and would find themselves being put under Pressure by others... who were aware of the situation. This Pressure might come from... their Employer: a Family Member: their Insurance Company: etc. etc.

But... whatever the sources... this is a group who would eventually make the necessary changes and improvements... without having to appear before a Review Panel.

Article. "I'm a good driver: you're not!" — Most drivers believe they are better than those around them but women are more convinced, says a U.K. study. And they are also more likely to blame others for a crash they are involved in. [More Articles]

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The 'Cannots'.

There will be some drivers who... to put it simply... are just not very good: [and maybe never will be] but might improve to a sufficient standard with a bit of help.

Maybe a driver cannot change because of Age: [but might be helped in some way:] others might be helped with a bit of Re-Training... or by attending a Course.

It might be that there is nothing wrong with a driver's Attitude... but they have poor Driving Skills... or they might have quite good Driving Skills but have a real Attitude Problem: [Reports should give a fair amount of detail to help identify the exact nature of the problem.]

Either way... these would be individuals who were not able to make the necessary changes on their own... and would inevitably end up under the control of a Review Panel... who would put in the necessary time and effort to try and Rectify the Problems.

Practice and Feedback.

As we have stated in other sections... 'Learning should be a life long experience' but for many drivers... 'Formal Teaching' ends the moment they pass their driving test.

Some may have further Tuition if they decide that they want to drive other types of vehicles... like Trucks or Buses... while a few: [who should be quite good drivers already] will voluntarily take further Tuition to pass an Advanced Driver's Course.

But for many their only additional 'Learning' is down to gaining experience of driving over the years: [of course this is invaluable... there is no substitute for experience.]

Yet for many drivers experience will only get them to a certain level of competence... and then it will level off... with no more improvement taking place... however much additional driving is done.

That's because driving [like many different activities] is a complex task and bad habits can quickly develop which prevent a driver improving beyond a certain point.

What is required are further driving lessons: [not necessarily a lot of them,] where an instructor can sit with a driver and give them an 'Appraisal'.

List all the things they do badly... or wrong... any sloppy habits they've developed... give them some tips about different techniques they could try.

Then let them practice these for a while before taking a further look. What they require is Feedback... Practice and Feedback!

At present... the most common source of Feedback would probably come from a Spouse... or Partner... and while any 'Constructive Criticism' might be happily accepted... it might also prove to be less than welcome!

Under this system... drivers could find themselves receiving quite a lot of Feedback from other drivers... and this might give some drivers the incentive they need to voluntarily undertake further Tuition. Driving schools might find that this system created a new market for them which they would need to respond to: [Appraisals... or periodical refresher Lessons.] Reading a driver's 'File' in conjunction with a driving Appraisal might give an instructor an even better insight into their deficiencies. [Perhaps giving voluntary Appraisals: Assessments: or informal driving Instruction of some kind... is another area that Road Supervisors and Review Panels could get involved in?] All this would be a part of the systematic process of identifying Problem drivers... the exact nature of their Problems... and taking positive steps to rectify those Problems.

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The 'Willnots'.

This system would certainly not cure every problem. There are those who seem to break almost every rule in the book: [could be due to criminal tendencies or mental instability] and no amount of... Reports: Fines: or Driving Bans: will change this.

A day after appearing in Court and being Banned... they will be out driving again... with No Licence: No Insurance: False Registration: Unroadworthy Vehicle: or even a Stolen Vehicle.

When challenged by the Police they might even put the lives of others at risk [possibly killing or injuring someone] by trying to out run them... they will literally stop at nothing to escape.

Some of these drivers might be deterred from such behaviour knowing there were so many Road Supervisors about... but others will only stop when they have been imprisoned... and for those few... maybe there is little alternative?

Click Here to read a newspaper article which demonstrates exactly what we are talking about.

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Employers.

It is a statistical fact that those who drive company vehicles [and that is a sizeable percentage] are more likely to have a road accident that those who are driving their own personal vehicles. There may be a number of reasons for this... people take more care of their own property than other peoples' property? drivers are under pressure to meet delivery deadlines? get to a meeting? have other things on their minds? Whatever the problems... a company would be made aware of their existence through Reports. Employers would be expected to put pressure on drivers to change their ways... and Insurance Companies would be expected to put pressure on the Employers if it appeared that it was their practices which were the Root of the Problem: [a high percentage of a company's drivers with high points might indicate that the Employer was the Root Cause of the problems.]

Employers should... take some responsibility for problems being caused on the roads by their employees. At present they may be unaware that any problems exist... but with this system they would have no excuse. In the future some employers might be tempted to just do the absolute minimum... issue written warnings to their drivers... but still setting unrealistic delivery times.

This would put Drivers in a very difficult situation... drive to fast... the points go up and they could lose their jobs... go at the correct speed and some deliveries could be too late... and again they might lose their jobs. Damned if they do... and damned if they don't!

Of course... the people who sit on Industrial Tribunals: and in Courts: are not stupid... and it is not going to take them very long to make a distinction between Employers who did nothing... and just tried to cover their own arses... and those that made a genuine attempt to alleviate a problem. So... hopefully in the long term... most Employers would take steps to rectify problems of their own creation... and drivers would find themselves under less pressure.

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Senior Citizens.

Again a statistical fact... as we get older our chances of having an accident starts to increase. While every effort should be made to try and help Senior Drivers to keep their licences and maintain their independence... for many the day would inevitably arrive when they needed to give up driving... for their own safety as well as for everyone else's. The first sign that there was a problem might come during a compulsory medical which tests... Eyesight: Reactions: and Dexterity Skills: or it may only come after a driver had been involved in a road accident. These reports could give valuable Feedback... not only to the drivers themselves... but also to Family... and Review Panels.

For older Drivers... who do have to undergo an annual... or bi-annual medical... a review of their 'File' could be made a part of the process... the Warning Signs might already be there... even if the points total was still quite low... which could be due to the fact they were only driving on the odd occasion.

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Drink Drivers...

and those who abuse other substances would be more likely to refrain from these practices if they thought there was a good chance that they would get caught. Those driving 'Erratically' could well be reported by Senior Road Supervisors using mobile phones and be Intercepted by the Police somewhere along their route... up to and including their own front driveways... if it appeared a driver was heading in that direction. This should be all the more likely if the driver had already been reported for 'Erratic' driving... or if they have a previous conviction for drink driving. [blinkx Video.]

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Illegal Activities.

Not all illegal activities are obvious. A car could have been stolen by Joy-riders... be using false or stolen Number Plates... or just taken without the owner's consent. There are many instances where someone has access to the keys of a vehicle which they are not entitled to use... but take anyway. The most common example is probably of young drivers who decide to take the family car for a Spin while their parents are out or away: [thinking that nobody will notice... but all to often this can result in a road accident for which the young driver is uninsured.]

For many... the very fact that they'd be just one Report away from being found out would discourage them from taking a vehicle in the first place. Likewise for all those who operate at the very edge of the Law: [and beyond] just one Report sent out and returned... marked 'Not known at this Address' would see their vehicle 'Flagged' on the computer... and a greatly increased possibility of them being Intercepted in the future. Drivers appearing before a Review Panel might also be asked to bring their vehicle along... with all its accompanying documentation.

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Contributing Factors.

Once a large volume of Information... had been collected it should be possible to retrieve individual 'Bits' of Information from Reports in many different ways... as happens after a National Census is done... producing all sorts of Data. This should make it possible to identify particular High-Risk Groups... and any contributing factors which resulted in Reporting Black Spots. Those analysing the Data should be able to look at a map and see concentrations of Dots... perhaps at an Intersection: an Exit-Ramp: a Stretch of Road: or in a certain Area of a City: then punch in a Time: or even Weather Conditions: and see different patterns emerge.

Depending on the quality of the Software... it might also be possible for Road Supervisors to access maps of different areas... whole Town: Suburb: Neighbourhood: see concentrations of Dots... access a summary about the type of Offences... click on individual dots and read the Reports: [such things as Driver's details could be omitted] go to a Forum: contact other Supervisors: discuss the Problems: and possible Solutions.

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Intersections.

Perhaps they could identify particular Junctions... or Intersections... where there were often problems in the morning rush hour. A look at the offences reported and a visit to the junction at the relevant time might give them a clear understanding of the difficulties: [perhaps a set of traffic light would rectify the problem?] If more information was required a questionnaire could be sent out to those drivers reported to find out why they took a particular course of action. If necessary you could offer them a slight point reduction for filling out the questionnaire.

Exit Ramps. Look on the map at a stretch of motorway with lots of exit-ramps... and note that one in particular had a lot of dots around it... then this would indicate that there were contributing factors. Investigation might show that drivers were confused by the road signage... and changed their minds very late... perhaps additional signage would rectify the problem?

A Road Sign witn no 'Information'.

Article. Finding the crashes of the future — How police, crash reconstructionists, the public, and driver educators can work together to identify crash risks before the crashes happen. [More Articles]

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Root Causes.

A deeper analysis of Data may bring to light different large scale problems which contribute to drivers being reported. To use one example...

A courier driver... accumulates a high number of points... many of them for double parking... or illegal parking... around a city centre.

Next... take a look at the company... is it just this one driver? or do most drivers within the company have high points for similar offences? In which case... is it a problem being caused by the company?

Next... take a look at all courier companies operating in the area. The problem could be just this one company... or perhaps there are pressures within the whole Industry which cause all drivers to double park.

If the problem... seems to cover the whole Industry... then look again at the bigger picture... what about other 'Working' Vehicles... Delivery Trucks: Taxis: Utility Vehicles: Tourist Coaches: Construction Vehicles: Buses: etc. do they have similar problems?

If they do... then the 'Root Cause' of the problems may lie with the City Authorities who are not adequately catering for the needs of Working Vehicles by supplying enough places to stop. That being the case the problems could not be solved by just continuing to report drivers for bad parking because they would have no practical alternative.

A local Review Panel... might acknowledge this fact by reducing the points totals of those drivers reported for these offences in a particular area.

Town and City Centres... often suffer from the type of problems just mentioned and very often these problems are caused by the City Authorities who are not catering for the needs of 'Working' Vehicles. Too often the Authorities look at their streets and just see Easy Money... stick in a load of parking meters and just collect the cash. All the time there is on-street parking for private vehicles in a Town Centre drivers will go around and around the block looking for a space: [congestion] and as soon as they see someone about to get into their car they will stop... double park... and wait until they leave: [gridlock.] The Authorities look at spaces put aside for Working Vehicles: [which bring them no income] and cut them back to the absolute minimum... or even less. Delivery vehicles cannot get stopped to unload... they cannot just drive around and around... so they have no alternative... park illegally anywhere they can. This may be in a Bus Stop... Bus comes along... can't pull in... must stop so double parks... more hold ups. In the End... everyone uses everyone else's spot... there is bad congestion... sometimes total gridlock... fines are handed out... left, right and centre... nobody is happy... everyone feels stressed out.

These situations... can be changed... but only the Authorities have the power to bring about this change... and it may well have been them who created it in the first place. With Road Supervisors' Branch Meetings it should be a lot easier to have public discussions about such issues... give individuals and various groups the chance to put their points of view and bring about changes.

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The A - B - C to saving lives!

Take any Country in the World and you will find that the Rules of the Road are very much like those in any other Country... and yet... the end result... the 'Road Culture'... can vary enormously.

The general Culture of the Country... and its People... are to a large extent reflected in the way they 'Interact' with each other on their highways. To use two examples...

In Germany... the driving is Fast... Efficient... and with a very high rate of compliance to the Rules. Break the Rules and those around will be very quick to let you know of their displeasure. [blinkx Video.]

In Thailand... everyone seems to break the Rules on a regular basis... it appears to be in total chaos... and yet it is very rare to see anyone lose their temper... they show a degree of tolerance to each other that does not seem to exist in the westernised/industrialised World. [blinkx Video.]

A lot of people die on the roads in both Countries... but not necessarily for the same reasons. The problems that need to be addressed... and the aspects of a Road Culture that need to be changed... will be unique to each Country... but in every case... it involves changing the way that people Think.

Change the Attitudes...

Change the Behaviour...

Change the road Culture!

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The Bottom Line is...

We cannot say exactly what Offences... what types of Behaviour... or which groups of Drivers... would be targeted. Neither could a Government... an Organisation... or any Individual. The system which developed would be the result of the collective Effort... Experiences... and Wisdom... of a very large number of ordinary Citizens.

Ultimately... the Road Culture that a Country ended up with would be a combination of... what they Wanted... and what they Deserved!

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