I have always thought of myself as a good driver…

…  Passed first time, only 10 lessons, a natural. I am observant, I can predict other people’s manoeuvres and I can parallel park like you would not believe! I am also a keen supporter of the law and police.  After studying law for a couple of years I came to respect what it stands for and I respect the job the police are trying to do.

All of this made it even more disastrous when I became a statistic for both.

The police breathalysed me in the morning on my way home.  I hadn’t drank that much the night before and felt absolutely fine.  To be honest I felt I should have pulled over because I was tired if anything.  I was over the limit.

Before I go on I would like to explain why I have decided to write this article.  I deeply regret my mistakes and am absolutely ashamed that this has happened.  There are still close friends that I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell.  However, I didn’t “drink and drive” out of malice, out of two fingers up to the law

Deep and crisp and even ….. (?)

The onset of winter has given the media another opportunity to run the ‘couldn’t organise a p***-up-in-a-brewery’ story. However, when the snow is a distant memory it’s unlikely that there will be many stories urging that funds are ring-fenced for maintenance. It’s more likely that we will see stories urging budget cuts instead.

It’s an unfortunate fact of life that memories are short and the problems of the moment always seem so much more important than the strategic needs of infrastructure maintenance. That is why the role of the professional engineer is so important. It’s our job to ensure that we keep the long-term needs of society firmly in our sight and lobby for the resources necessary to do the job.

It should be acknowledged that highway teams all around the country have worked hard and done their best in difficult circumstances. After many years of mild winters it has been hard to maintain winter maintenance budgets

Mobile phone usage – road safety

What do we think about drivers using their mobile phones?

Nick Stilwell

Parking issues – past, present & future

Issues relating to where and when it is safe and appropriate to park a private car are almost as old as the car itself. The topic was originally covered by a paragraph (now several paragraphs:- 137 to 146) in the earliest Highway Code. However, it wasn’t until the latter half of the 20th century, following the Second World War, as wealth began to steadily increase and the cost of mass produced cars became more affordable, that the problem was given more attention. Where demand has exceeded capacity, the relevant Authorities have always tried to address the problem (both from a safety and congestion perspective). The overall philosophy of solving these problems, however, has changed radically in the past 20 years, as it has done in many other Planning and Engineering sectors. Consequently,

Copenhagen or bust!

Copenhagen – what it means for us.

Unfortunately, Copenhagen lacked the kind of agreement everyone had hoped for.  As the world watched in expectation, the Copenhagen conference shuddered to an abrupt halt, with consensus on even the smallest of details left wanting.   The only saving grace from this is perhaps the acknowledgement that current strategies are flawed.   There were dozens of inspiring speeches, which were daring and they were applauded, but again, in the end we were badly let down.  Barack Obama stated before the conference

Sustainable Transport – How do we move forward?

The need to make changes to our travel behaviour has been near the top of the political agenda for the past couple of decades. Some nations will advocate improvements in technology alone (e.g. hydrogen fuel cell cars) as the complete solution to Climate Change.  However, most agree that a mixture of measures is required to solve the wider sustainability problems associated with transport.  I believe that, as well as new technological advances, behavioural change towards travel decisions is also a necessity.

The future for the car?

Climate Change is often used as the main reason for persuading people to make changes to their personal travel ‘habits’.  However, when the technology being developed is finally implemented (which I’m sure will happen in the decades to come) and private vehicles release no greenhouse gas emissions, I wonder whether attitudes to private car use will remain the same?

It could be argued that those who currently drive around with a ‘feeling of guilt’

A Responsible Driver – But do you sometimes exceed the speed limit?

Do you consider yourself to be a responsible driver; yet do you sometimes find yourself exceeding the speed limit.

Do you find yourself watching the speedometer more than the road? Are you constantly worried about a camera van trapping you? Is this really your reckless desire to go fast or could it be that the speed limit itself is inappropriate for the location and prevailing conditions? This may vary by day, time, weather, season, etc. However, with the increasing reliance on technology rather than human intervention by trained Police Officers, there is no flexibility or opportunity for education/rectification to be applied.

For example, is it right that there is a 30mph speed limit on a dual carriageway with adjacent service roads and little pedestrian or cyclist activity?   The  same limit applies to a busy shopping street in a town or village and yet, travelling at around 10mph in the High Street is perhaps more appropriate.  Anyone exceeding the posted speed limit is breaking the law; but “we” are making criminals out of otherwise law-abiding people. Is it ethical to punish someone doing 36 mph in a 30 limit at 0300hrs, when perhaps guidance will have a more positive impact?