Eastington’s Approaches to Road Safety

By the community, for the community

National Country Roads Campaign

 “Brake before the bend, not on it”


This National Road Safety campaign has been running during January 2016 but, if you have not been aware of it, fear not as it will be repeated during the summer of 2016 & updated following information gathered during January.


However, it does refer to country ‘roads’ & not country ‘lanes’ &, as we know in our own parish, there is certainly a difference.


Our local EARS Group (Eastington’s Approaches to Road Safety – this has changed from ‘Reducing Speed’ to fall in line with the wider county Road Safety Tool Kit on road safety) will be working with GRCC & the county Road Safety Partnership during the summer months to raise awareness of the issues within our community.  

Please look at http://roadsafety-gloucestershire.org.uk for  the current information & keep your ears & eyes open for future information. We hope to have some sort of ‘event’ in early summer to spread the word.  The following facts & advice have been taken from the current campaign:


Some Gloucestershire facts about road casualties


• 68% of fatal casualties occur on rural roads.

From 2010-2014, 96 deaths occurred on country roads while 11 were on motorways.

• 42% of serious casualties and 36% of slight casualties occur on rural roads.

• The proportion of incidents on bends is far greater for fatalities than other severities.           Fatal= 23%, Serious = 11%, Slight = 7%.


The National Country Roads Campaign

                       concentrates on the following key messages for drivers:


• The best drivers read the road ahead and anticipate potential hazards.

   Look out for upcoming bends, hidden dips, blind summits and concealed entrances.


• Country roads often have sharp bends.

   To stay in control and give yourself time to react to unexpected hazards,

   brake before the bend, not on the bend.


• Overgrown verges, bushes and trees on country roads can block your view and    potentially obscure an oncoming hazard.

   Always drive at a speed that will allow you to stop in the distance you can see to be    clear (double that on a single track road). Allow more time to stop on wet or    slippery surfaces.


• The speed limit is a limit not a target.

   The national speed limit on single carriage roads is 60mph, but there will be times    you need to drive under the speed limit in order to drive correctly for the conditions.    In fact most people do on these roads – the average free flow speed is 48mph.


• If you get stuck behind a slow moving vehicle be patient.

   Dips in roads, bends and other junctions joining your road often hide oncoming    vehicles, so unless it's absolutely essential, don't overtake.

• If passing more vulnerable road users such as horse riders, cyclists and walkers,

   pass wide  and slow.


• Even if you’re familiar with a country road, never take it for granted,

   as the conditions can be different every time.



There will be a higher level of enforcement during the campaign, and these will concentrate on 6 ‘hot routes’ in rural districts in the county which can be found on the website mentioned above.


Pauline Allen -  EARS representative


No. 155  Feb - Mar  2016