YOUNGSTERS are being killed because they don't know how to drive safely on rural roads.

The driving test should be changed to include a section on rural driving, said Wealden District Council.

Last year, 138 people were either killed or seriously injured on the district's roads, which has only seven miles of dual carriageway.

"There is an urgent need for the Department for Transport to take rural driving seriously in the driving test," said council leader Pam Doodes.

"The current test is inadequate and is costing rural lives."

Evidence collected by the council’s community scrutiny committee shows that 15-24 year olds are most at risk of being killed or seriously injured on the district’s rural roads.

The three chief causes of accidents in Wealden are linked to inexperience.

The main contributory factors are failing to look properly; failing to judge the speed or direction of other vehicles and travelling too fast for the road conditions.

The safety report also shows that:

• The most likely time for a road accident is between 4pm and 6pm in the afternoon, with highest incidences in June and July.
• Most accidents take place when drivers are less than 10 miles away from home.
• Each road death costs £1.6 million.

A copy of the report, Sharing Responsibility - Changing Behaviour, can be downloaded here (933KB Word document).

Young drivers just do not get a chance to demonstrate their skills on rural roads in the current driving test, said councillor Doodes.

"Judging road conditions and vehicle speeds is so different in the countryside compared to urban driving, and so much harder in Wealden where our roads were designed for traffic levels of 30 years ago.”

Since the 1980s, the number of vehicles on Wealden roads had increased by 77%.

As well as calling for changes to the driving test, the council is urging young people and their parents to be more aware of the risks of rural driving.

The scrutiny committee report is the first time a detailed study of the causes of road accidents has been carried out in one of the most rural parts of south-east England.

Wealden District Council is now calling on the government to consider introducing a requirement for all vehicles in the UK to carry a high visibility jacket.

It also wants vehicles to carry a warning triangle, first aid kit and fire extinguisher to help protect lives at rural accident scenes.

The council is writing to its four local MPs, Sussex Police, East Sussex County Council and East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service to enlist their support.

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written by Maureen Comber, February 18, 2010

60mph is not compatible for single track carriageway rural roads. Use by non-motorised users is totally suppressed. The recreational value of these rural lanes needs to be recognised and prioritised for non-motorised users

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