T6Harvard wrote:What say you?
Oh dear, a reply required some thought!
T6Harvard wrote:I had noticed this anecdotally @Miscellaneous , and as I travel this road fairly frequently it is of personal concern.
Indeed, there's oft a completely innocent party.
Take care. I travelled most of it a couple of weeks back and may well this week again. I can't say I'm conscious of any greater danger whilst driving on it than any other road. I guess, however, it'll be a bit like the aeroplane you don't see is the one that hits you.
T6Harvard wrote:I haven't read every report to drill down but I'll speculate as follows -
Nor I, I have been aware of there being regular fatalities, but didn't realise the number was so high.
T6Harvard wrote:Some may be foreign tourists returning - there has long been issues with driving on the wrong side.
There always has been though. Only last month there was an Italian jailed for causing 5 deaths on the A96.
https://www.aberdeenlive.news/news/aber ... ng-7820542T6Harvard wrote:There is definite confusion over the 50mph-for-lorries signage. I have a relative who is adamant the 50mph is for all. Thus they are driving at a suboptimal speed for the flow of traffic and causing issues.
I can't help but honestly think there is something in this. However the average speed cameras were introduced in Oct 2014. Looking at the figures it seems they haven't changed overly much. Maybe the confusion is not causing fatalities??
T6Harvard wrote:There are a lot of lorries and not so many places one can safely overtake. Frustration, after several / lots of miles chugging along, stuck behind a lorry leads to risk-taking during the limited opportunities.
Along with the introduction of the average speed cameras the speed limit for the lorries was increased to 50mph. The thinking being it would 'move things along a bit'. I think it's made it more difficult to pass.
T6Harvard wrote:There are more lorries on the route now than 3 years ago, I think,
I don't know, but then pre 2019 fatality numbers were higher.
T6Harvard wrote:One can easily be in trail with 10, 15 or 20 slow moving vehicles of all sorts with no chance of popping round a couple to get back to 60mph as one would in a short 'queue'.
This is what I meant by grouping. When the trucks were doing 40mph people would pass. Now, with them doing 50mph, fewer people pass. Many motorists have forgotten how to overtake. Moreover those same drivers have forgotten they should leave room to allow others to pass them.
T6Harvard wrote:There are more tourists unfamiliar with the junctions joining the fast road from a virtual standstill (have you experienced folks pulling out from The House of Bruar????)
I'm not so sure there can be a greater number unfamiliar, however unfamiliarity is definitely a factor. Tourists feature in a fair percentage. The House of Bruar is even more of distraction at present. It is full of Christmas spirit.
Whilst it is undoubtedly quite impressive with 500m (or whatever) of trees lit up, I'm sure the distraction makes an accident more likely.
T6Harvard wrote:There are more tourists in campervans tootling along for the NC500.....
T6Harvard wrote:There are more risk takers who are on their phones (anecdotal, from having two veer across into my lane last time I was up there ).
Again I'm not sure 'more' explains it.
T6Harvard wrote:Time pressures on drivers at work or going to work may be greater, in particular carers, lorry drivers.
Ah, you mean the velcro moustached (I suppose it's beards now
) sales reps?
T6Harvard wrote:Reduction in public transport may be keeping physically impaired drivers driving when they would be safer not (I have personal knowledge of one such incident on that road due to someone who shouldn't have been driving due to ill health 'but there was no other way to get to the hospital').
There are a few elderly drivers involved right enough, but shh, we might upset some forumites.
T6Harvard wrote:And some accidents last winter were due to the new road surface combined with low sun at rush hour causing people to be dazzled on the hill out of Inverness, IIRC.
I hadn't heard that.
T6Harvard wrote:Not sure traffic bunching up due av.speed cameras is a thing I've noticed. It may be but it is completely illogical driving if so!
See above.
Interestingly, as I've typed I think I've concluded the most likely explanation is that all the above play their part and the huge increase maybe appears greater than reality. It probably all still fits with the distribution curve?
Misc.