Think! campaign highlights rural road dangers

Rural roads may look idyllic, but the latest Think! campaign from the Department for Transport says that they are deadlier than they look. Consider; three people die each day on average on rural roads and the number of people killed on country roads is nearly eleven times higher than on motorways. In addition, a quarter of drivers have had a near miss and one driver in twenty has had a collision on a country road.

Think! is launching a new campaign to warn drivers of the dangers of country roads.

60 per cent of people killed on Britain ‘s roads die on rural roads, and new research shows many more drivers are needlessly putting themselves at risk of an accident.

A shocking 25 per cent of drivers report having had a near miss on a country road, while 40 per cent have been surprised by an unexpected hazard, such as an animal. A third also confess to taking a bend too fast.

These findings suggest many drivers are failing to anticipate dangers on the road ahead. The research mirrors newly published casualty statistics which show that the most commonly reported contributory factor to being killed or seriously injured on country roads is motorists losing control, often because they are driving too fast for the conditions.

The new Think! campaign urges drivers using country roads to:

Read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards; drive at a speed that allows you to stop in the distance you can see to be clear; stay in control and give yourself time to react by braking before a bend, not on it; and give cyclists and horse riders plenty of space when overtaking.

Champion backs campaign

The Think! campaign has been backed by British Touring Car champion James Cole. He said: “As a young racing driver, I learnt a number of key skills, such as looking ahead and judging the road conditions. These skills are equally important for everyday driving in Britain.

“Being a responsible driver, I try to anticipate hidden hazards and brake before the bend, and this is critical on country roads – you just don’t know what’s around the next corner.”

The new Think! advertising campaign uses 3D scanning technology to illustrate that country roads are full of unforeseen hazards. This innovative visual technique allows viewers to ‘see’ through the bends on a country road and spot the unexpected dangers ahead.

The message for drivers is that, in the real world, you can’t see the perils that may lie behind a bend so it’s always best to slow down and give yourself time to react.