Poll: Calls for ‘quiet lane’ trial in Suffolk countryside

3 comments

• Inevitably at least one reader has presumed that motorists “are to be told to drive elsewhere.” Not by me, Dean, despite my stupidity being obvious to Eddy Boy. The aim of quiet Lanes is considerate sharing of minor rural roads and lanes. The reasons for such a potential campaign may be considered under two broad headings: 1. Encouragement of walking, cycling and riding for utility (Department of Transport’s word!) and health enhancing recreation; 2. Promotion of good manners and thoughtfulness. The latter obviously lays me open to an accusation of being patronising, but the Olympics’ and Paralympics’ Games Makers were praised for just that. Perhaps we tend to become more assertive of our rights and less human when separated from other people by our motorised shell. Some seem to assume that tarmac gives priority right of way to vehicles. A rather pejorative tem for that might be ‘The tyranny of the car’ One local respondent has asserted that outside limited areas, drivers are lawfully entitled to go at 60 MPH; but the Highway Code advises “You should always reduce your speed when sharing the road with pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders….” and “ Drive at a speed that will allow you to stop well within the distance you can see to be clear.” I acknowledge that the majority of drivers follow that advice, but sadly the statistics from RoSPA show that more deaths occur on rural roads than on urban ones and “Surveys have shown that drivers, especially younger and inexperienced ones, on rural roads drive with less care than they do on urban roads, because they think it is safer to break the speed limit on rural roads and they believe these roads are safer because they are quieter.” Regarding facilitation of walking, cycling and riding for health (physical and mental) and to reduce consumption of fossil fuel, clearly a perception of risk of injury or death is a discouragement. The Times is running a ‘Cities fit for cycling’ campaign and given that some 80% live or work in urban areas, that focus is entirely understandable. But if Suffolk and its AONB is likely to be increasingly used and valued for recreation by its growing population, a concurrent rural campaign seems worth considering with a Quiet Lane Trial to assess if the expenditure will be justified. Neil Winship

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  Neil Winship

  Tuesday, October 2, 2012

• This is a stupid idea. I've a better one how about putting up signs to tell stupid dog walkers not to walk down the middle of the road and have some consideration for people driving, after all roads are made for cars not for dog walking.

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  eddy boy

  Friday, September 28, 2012

• So what's proposed is that the largest tax paying group who pay through the nose to use the roads are to be told to drive elsewhere! That's ludicrous! As if it's not enough that motor vehicles are being hounded out of the countryside by the closing of more and more byways. Where is the tax disc for a bike, or Horse? And yet along with walkers, who let's be honest have the largest percentage of all the Public Rights of Way in England and Wales already, are to once again be given precedence over motor vehicles. Let's look at the breakdown for a second: Footpaths = 91,000 miles - only walkers allowed (pay attention cyclists and horse riders!) Bridleways = 20,000 miles - walkers, horse riders and cyclists allowed. (Pay attention car-owning picnickers on Roman Road outside Westleton) Restricted byways (the old R.U.P.P. status) = 4,000 miles - walkers, horse riders, cyclists and horse drawn vehicles allowed Byways Open to All Traffic = 2,000 miles or less than 2% and decreasing - walkers, horse riders, cyclists, horse drawn vehicles and mechanically propelled vehicles allowed. Then there's the cycle lanes where roads that we the motorists are paying for are reduced in width to cater for the bike. Don't you think you already have enough of your own way, non-MPV people?

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  Dean

  Friday, September 28, 2012