[ABD Logo]The Association of British Drivers
Local Issues — Cumbria
ABD Local co-ordinator: No-one at present.   Join us!

The M6 just north of Tebay services has carriageways which are so far apart that sheep can graze between them. This design totally eliminates the possibility of cross-over accidents and stops rubber-necking at accidents. Separated carriageways should be standard design practice for all new motorways wherever space permits. A minor road between the carriageways could provide access for emergency services and maintenance, reducing the need to close lanes.

 

The A590 is a classic example of the poor state of Britain's trunk road network. Here we see traffic literally squeezing through the tiny village of Low Newton which rightly has a 30mph limit. Even with no pavement, the gap between these houses is barely wide enough for two trucks to pass. A mile further east, the A590 becomes a fully fledged dual carriageway where the national speed limit applies. The contrast is absurd. The failure of successive governments to improve whole roads rather than just sections is responsible for both congestion and accidents.
Construction of a long awaited bypass formally began on 26th July 2006. See the A590 Now campaign for the latest news (banner below).
 
Photograph ©Pro-Motor Ltd 2004
Council Panics After Accident
Following a fatal accident on the A6, Cumbria County Council has announced it plans to reduce the speed limit from 60 to 40. This announcement was made before the police had even completed their investigation of the cause of the accident, and thus highlights the council's fanaticism with reducing speed limits.
Gatsos set to invade Cumbria
Cumbria ‘Safety’ Camera Partnership are planning to install fixed speed cameras for the first time in Cumbria this year. South Lakeland is likely to suffer first with the A590 being a prime target. Excessively high speeds quoted by the ‘safety’ camera partnership as justification for speed cameras have doubtless been measured on the long straight dual carriageway section of the A590 — where police patrol cars have been seen parked in a bizarre position on the central reservation, and police motorbikes lurk in the hedgerows — rather than in the villages where the speed cameras will be placed. Any speed cameras installed in Low Newton (photo) or High Newton will be just a sticking plaster on the gaping wound caused by the delay in building the High Newton bypass.

"How on earth do you reckon you are more likely to be killed in Cumbria because the number of fatals is 8.909% up on last year? I'd just love you to explain the logic behind that train of thought"
Kevin Tea, Public Relations Officer, Cumbria ‘Safety’ Camera Partnership.
Writing on their own forum.


 
Road Fatalities (1:1)
  52
 48
 62
 55
 49
 49
 54
  
  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003  

Serious Injuries (1:5)
  543
 488
 495
 433
 438
 433
 393
  
  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003  

Slight Injuries (1:20)
  2434
 2310
 2433
 2292
 2183
 2435
 2248
  
  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003  
Source: National Statistics — Road Casualties in Great Britain
Watch out for police playing with their new toys!
The Speed Camera scam is now targeting drivers in Cumbria with a vengeance. The county has no fixed speed cameras, and until recently only had two mobile speed cameras, but they just couldn't resist the temptation to jump on the government's speed camera bandwagon. Six more mobile speed cameras have been purchased and are operating at 58 sites, including:
If previous experience from elsewhere in the country is anything to go by, you can expect to see them targeting tourists entering and leaving the Lake District, especially at the weekend. Tourists have lots of money and because they live outside Cumbria, can't vote out of office the councillors who approved the scheme.
The 'Cumbria Road Casualty Reduction Partnership' has been formed to start reaping the rewards. They recently advertised for a public relations officer "to deliver a public relations and education strategy", and stated that "the successful candidate will need at least 3 years experience in the marketing, public relations or communications fields" — not a word about road safety. Why do they need a public relations officer if speed cameras are so marvellous?
Around 3,300 tickets are issued in Cumbria each year — a figure that they need to increase six fold in order to pay for the new cameras. It does of course go without saying that accidents won't reduce six fold.

 
 
Allerdale Parking Racket
Allerdale Borough Council (Cockermouth, Keswick, Maryport, Silloth & Workington area) have declared war on parking motorists. They have joined the government's latest driver rip-off scam —‘decriminalised parking’. This basically gives them carte blanche to throw reason and sense out of the window and persecute drivers to their heart's content. A staggering 22 extra staff have been taken on to deal with the extortion racket.
Don't believe us? - Read their arrogant press release
In the most ridiculous parking scheme we've heard of, the council are demanding that parking disks are used by everyone on 'disc zone' streets — drivers have to set the time they arrive on a disk. Disks can be obtained from tourist information centres or local council offices. Information making this absurd waste of time clear to visitors is predictably inconspicuous. Wardens will give you 5 minutes to get a disk before they slap a fine on your car. The Council's parking manager Tony Smith admitted it takes 15 minutes to get a disk.
News & Star (Letters) — You've Got 15 Minutes to Get a Parking Disc!
Our advice? — Tourists should simply boycott Allerdale until they scrap this racket. Locals of course are stuck with it until the next election.

 

The M6 near Penrith taken from a somewhat unusual perspective — the cockpit of an RAF Hawk T1 from 208 Squadron RAF Valley flown by Flying Officer Jules Thurston. The aircraft is carrying out a 4G turn, Penrith is behind the outer right markings on the canopy, and you can just about make out the M6 running top to bottom on the right amongst all the green and pleasant land. It's a very different impression of the width of the motorway to what you get at ground level.
 
Photograph © Antony Loveless 2004.
Reproduced by kind permission.
External Links:

Media Links:



Top  ABD Home Page    Other Local Areas   Join   Contact