ROAD safety is something in which we all hold in extremely high regard.

Both pedestrians and drivers have an enormous responsibility to uphold when it comes to safety on the roads.

I am constantly nagging my friends to slow down, put their seatbelts on or simply concentrate more.

But sometimes individuals cannot be careful enough and disaster still strikes; road collisions around Dorset are becoming frighteningly regular.

And sometimes these seem to be more than just pure coincidences.

The fact that these dreadful accidents occur in the same area seems to suggest that something needs to be done about the safety of our roads in Dorset and around Dorchester, where I live.

I am no expert but others seem to agree with me.

Cllr Jill Haynes was saddened to hear of another death on the roads of Dorchester and stated ‘one of the things we do have in Dorset is we have a problem with too many deaths on our rural roads’.

I am not saying individuals shouldn’t exercise an enormous amount of care when driving around Dorchester, such as avoiding driving at night, being cautious around blind corners and being constantly aware of other vulnerable pedestrians – yet there is only so much the sole individual can do.

We must seriously question whether something practical can be done to increase the safety of our roads.

It seems necessary for there to be a discussion on the practical implementation of facilities which could actively encourage safer driving.

I welcome the introduction of the new Roadwise interactive experience at Weymouth Community Safety Centre which will teach road users – young and old – about safety.

Hopefully a facility such as this will go some way to cutting our high road death toll.

 

Too many young lives are being lost

It is hard to ignore the frequency of stories in the news which describe tragic road collisions which are occurring far too often, a number of them with fatal consequences, writes Jack Welch.

This past week alone shared another tragedy for the Dorset community when 23-year old was killed in a collision just outside of Dorchester - not only a terrible event because of the young age of the victim, but more so that it adds to a growing list of drivers who have lost their lives when on the road in this area.

As a pedestrian who relies more on public transport, it is easier to observe why such incidents can occur.

The heavy traffic on Bridport Road in Dorchester can be a challenge to navigate for both cars and pedestrians at the best of times.

Statistics shown by Dorset County Council have shown a slight decrease in such incidents occurring.

The average number of all casualties across 2005/09 totalled at 153 for those years and 105 by 2014.

Dorset County Council’s interactive collision map shows hundreds of spots where collisions, slight, serious or tragically fatal, have occurred.

Overall though, there is no sign of significant decline in fatalities.

It can only be hoped the £2 billion government road investment strategy from last year can start bringing those much needed improvements.

A new interactive experience at the Weymouth Community Safety Centre should hopefully help improve road safety.