A419 accidents

[sonicyouth]

So you are saying a youngster would take more notice of zero tolerance

No chance.....if trying to find jobs are tougher then so be it if it keeps our young people alive.

No, I'm suggesting that the current system isn't suitable because alcohol effects different people in different ways. Most people are (arguably) unhindered by one or two units, others can be and that can lead to accidents.

[leefer]

No, I'm suggesting that the current system isn't suitable because alcohol effects different people in different ways. Most people are (arguably) unhindered by one or two units, others can be and that can lead to accidents.

A very good point.....there is no easy solution sadly.

[Abrahammer]

The bigger problem is at the other end of the age scale.

It's frightening how long some old folks go on driving when they lost all sense of awareness on the road and have zero reaction speeds.

[jonny72]

With any accident involving drink, drugs or driving recklessly I always wonder why the fuck any passengers got in to the car in the first place. I wouldn't and if I couldn't stop them driving I'd call the Police and grass them up.

[Simon Pieman]

The reason we don't have a zero limit for drink driving is because some things (other than drink) can really distort the results.

[yeo]

Its easy to be judgmental when you're older.As a young man i've been in cars with drivers that have been pissed,stoned, taken double figure pills even acid.When you are young you are invincible..its hard wired into your brain to feel that way.

[leefer]

Its easy to be judgmental when you're older.As a young man i've been in cars with drivers that have been pissed,stoned, taken double figure pills even acid.When you are young you are invincible..its hard wired into your brain to feel that way.

So it aint judgemental then really ....just stating facts....nothing to judge really....your post states the reasons so many youngsters die if that is indeed the case.

As i say our laws and a democratic society make it hard to be tough on young drivers....and of course the youngsters would say rightly so.

[Ardiles]

Not trying to make out that this is the main factor here, but I do wonder about the safety of that section of the A419 (ie the bit around Swindon).  Since the junctions have been grade-separated at Commonhead and Blunsdon, you almost have a motorway in all but name now from Swindon to the outskirts of Cheltenham.

Which is great in many ways, and saves a lot of time & money for people.  But when you hit Swindon, there are a lot of closely spaced junctions with tight turns...and no reduction in speed limit etc.  The character of the road changes.  It's still a long distance route, but it's also an urban road carrying short distance traffic from one part of Swindon to another - and that will only get worse if the plans to expand Swindon out to the east of the A419 go ahead.  I would not be at all surprised to see a 60 mph limit applied from Blunsdon down to the M4 some time soon.

[Sippo]

The road is dangerous yes, very dangerous in fact but both these accidents I hate to say, aren't traffic related. Both at silly times where there would hardly be anything on the road. One where the driver went into the back of a Hgv on a slip road and the other happened on a fairly straight part.

[yeo]

So it aint judgemental then really ....just stating facts....nothing to judge really....your post states the reasons so many youngsters die if that is indeed the case.

As i say our laws and a democratic society make it hard to be tough on young drivers....and of course the youngsters would say rightly so.

ive read that 3 times and I don't think it makes sense..

I am a bottle of wine down though ,so it could be me?

[THE FLASH]

I thought I was highlander when I was that age.....smashed into a Metal fence as a passenger which came through into the car and I just got out laughing!   Fucking idiot......

I was lucky.

[joteddyred]

Should there be a restriction on the number of passengers a young or inexperienced can have? There were 5 people in this recent crash. I know when I was a teenager, I drove like a twat but particularly when egged on by my mates. Saying that, it was rare for girls to have accidents at 17/18 - nearly all lads in my experience.

The advent of mobiles and texting wont be helping though.

At that sort of age with a car full of mates you think you're invincible and don't think about danger.  I remember coming back from Golddiggas one night, my friend (female) was driving, the car was full to the point one of our male friends was in the boot.  She went past Junction 16, everyone started shouting she'd missed it, so she slammed on the brakes and reversed slightly and went up the sliproad.  Absolute lunacy and we were incredibly lucky that the M4 was deserted otherwise I dread to think of the consequences. 

[tans]

We used to pull handbrake turns down country roads and fire crow scarers out of the sunroof whilst doing 50 mph.

Fucking stupid i know

[@MacPhlea]

On my 19th birthday in 1983 I was involved in a horrific accident on the A419 - our car crossed the central reservation at 70mph backwards, hit a car coming in the opposite direction, split the fuel tank flipped up in the air and exploded - the only saving grace that day is that neither me or the driver were wearing seat belts and were thrown clear as it flipped... All the emergency service we spoke to afterwards could not believe we had got out alive... Aside from a few broken bones and burns we had a lucky escape.  

Thoughts are with the families today... Could have easily be any one of us.

[DMR]

The only way we will stop young people dying on our roads .....is to make sure they are not young when they are driving.

21 minimum age unless accompanied by an adult.

Absolute bullshit - I was a cock when I was 17 and a cock when I was 21 (Cue you're a cock now DMR etc hahahaha zzzz)....

My driving had calmed down a bit but all you would do is postpone young lads driving like oils for 4yrs, not eradicate it. Inexperience is the problem not the starting age but that's jut life. You've got to start sometime and can't have hand-holding forever.