Safe Speed

Found a great website from the Safe Speed campaign. It argues that you can't measure safe driving in miles per hour, and that you can't measure safe speeds in miles per hour either. Very true, and 180 degrees from the official line that the speed is all that matters.

Drivers fulfil their duty to road safety by selecting a safe and appropriate speed according to the conditions. The message from the conditions is so clear and powerful to experienced drivers that choosing a slower or a faster speed than that dictated by immediate conditions actually feels wrong. In fact, setting an appropriate speed, and reducing it when necessary is the essence of safe driving.

Their figures show that the typical driver exceeding the speed limit on almost every journey, he will be able to go over 100,000 years before he causes a "speeding related" fatal accident (there are just over 300 a year).

Of course, we've all seen the films on TV of joyriders in stolen cars blasting through town centres at 90mph & doing donuts in B&Q's car park. That really is a dangerous use of speed. But guess what? The reckless joyriders are included in the figures. The boy racers are included in the figures. The high speed drunks are included in the figures. The young and inexperienced drivers are included in the figures. The unlicensed and underage reckless drivers are included in the figures.

If you are a normal responsible motorist who regularly exceeds a speed limit, your chance of causing a speeding related fatal accident is probably 1 such accident in 200,000 years. This doesn't sound like the expected results of reckless behaviour does it? So much so that we can say for sure that it isn't reckless behaviour.

Last month the government announced a three-month moratorium on further speed cameras. This was partly in response to Safe Speed who have been looking at why, though the number of cameras has risen exponentially, there has been no corresponding reduction in traffic fatalities. They conclude that, far from acting as a deterrent, speed cameras take responsibility for safe speed away from drivers, and their concentration from the road. Cameras are as likely to cause an accident as to prevent one. This article in the Observer agrees.

This maddening over-reliance on speed cameras takes away from all the other bad things that happen on the roads. The message to joe public right now seems to be that as long as you stay within the published speed limit then you can do what you want on the road. That’s so wrong.

Google Earth

Google Earth really is quite unbelievable for a free product. It’s a great web application that you can use to find your own house from a satellite picture or any other place in the world.

It’s one of the first web applications that you can just sit on the sofa and watch for hours, flying around the world’s great wonders, hidden secrets and of course sports venues. Have you tried to look for rugby grounds of the world? How about F1 circuits?

Cricket Notes

Great day out in Ebbw Vale yesterday for the one-day game between Glamorgan and West Indies “A”. Over 650 runs scored, some big hitting and a win for Glamorgan in the last over. What more could you ask for? Well, in my case some shelter from the sun – I went home rather pinker than I started the day.

Hopefully Glamorgan can make this trip to Ebbw Vale an annual fixture as it used to be.

A strange mix of concession stands together on the rugby ground – a beer tent (naturally), Carini’s ice cream (Marco being ever inventive) and the St Lucia Tourist Board (somewhat out of place, but very good rum punch nevertheless).

Minor niggle – in olden days Ebbw Vale used to operate a second scoreboard at the rugby ground end. Yesterday there was only the main scoreboard, partially obstructed by seating.

Chatted to former Ebbw cricket stalwart Hugh Davies at the game. His daughter Marsha Davies was part of the Kent Invicta Ladies team that recently won the Women’s County Championship. Congratulations.

Another win for the Haddocks last night while I was at the Glamorgan game. Skips won the toss again, and opted to bat. Fine performances from Charlie, Buncey, Coxy and Tim, including sharp running between the wickets, gave us an impressive 146. The opposition never looked like getting near, and were effectively tied down by sustained accurate bowling from Skips, Matt and Ganesh and by good fielding pressure. Their 6th wicket fell to Dan (newly returned from being the best man at a wedding in China) with last ball of the game, and they ended up with around 60, giving the Haddocks an 18-point victory.

The post match celebrations took the form of a week-early end of season pitchside BBQ. Beer and cava in quantity, and the usual barby items, burgers and sausages, but with a twist - two smoked haddock.

Two games to go next week and promotion is a possibility, although there are six teams within 12 points at the top of the table before yesterday’s games.

Rugby Notes

Good decision on my part not to go to Cross Keys last night to watch a Gwent Select XV take on the Dragons. The Dragons won it 66-0. The team seemed to be selected by the Dragons to give as little opposition as possible. It worked.

One Ebbw fan’s comment on the forum on why he wouldn’t be going to the game: “Sorry, I'll have painted the back fence by then so will be observing how the moisture in the paint is lost to the atmosphere by evaporation.”

Football Notes

No not soccer, football – American style.

The new season is almost upon us, and means that it’s almost time to pick my fantasy football team. I use Yahoo for fantasy sports as it is 1) good and 2) free. I’ll update you when I’ve made my picks in the next few weeks.

The NFL website has all the fixtures; Sky Sports will again be carrying a bunch of games although five will hopefully have the Monday night game. Go Pats!