0:00:02 > 0:00:05Last year, almost 1,900 people were killed on Britain's roads.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08It was just like the end of your world.
0:00:08 > 0:00:11And it's not always the motorist that's to blame.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14She would have been alive if there had been barriers there.
0:00:14 > 0:00:16Today, we expose these killer roads
0:00:16 > 0:00:20and ask if enough's being done to prevent more needless deaths.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22To stop any other mum or dad
0:00:22 > 0:00:27walk into a hospital and having to identify the son
0:00:32 > 0:00:34The beautiful Lincolnshire countryside
0:00:34 > 0:00:37with views from here stretching all the way to the Humber estuary.
0:00:37 > 0:00:41But just step over here for a moment and we have the A18.
0:00:41 > 0:00:45It's a scenic, rural, single carriageway. So what,
0:00:45 > 0:00:49you might think. How is this road any different from any other? Well, the truth is,
0:00:49 > 0:00:53it's been cited as one of the most high-risk roads in Britain.
0:00:53 > 0:00:56Set in the North East of England, the A18 winds its way
0:00:56 > 0:01:00through the South Yorkshire and Lincolnshire countrysides.
0:01:00 > 0:01:04The focus of our attention is a stretch that runs for nearly
0:01:04 > 0:01:07ten miles between the junction with the A46 at Laceby
0:01:07 > 0:01:10and the A16 junction, just south of Ludborough.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14It's a single-carriageway road that a recent report
0:01:14 > 0:01:18ranked as one of the highest risk roads in the whole of the UK.
0:01:18 > 0:01:21Between 2005 and 2009, this ten-mile stretch of the A18,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23known locally as Barton Street,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25saw 67 accidents resulting in injury,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28including 31 serious injuries and four deaths.
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Adam Nurse was on his way home from work
0:01:31 > 0:01:35after stopping to see his grandparents in September 2008
0:01:35 > 0:01:39when he lost control of his car on a bend and hit a tree,
0:01:39 > 0:01:41killing him instantly.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44My son, Adam, he was 18 years old.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47He'd just found out that he was going to be a father.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50He was just starting out in the world, and unfortunately,
0:01:50 > 0:01:53he never got the chance to go any further.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55The weather had turned to rain,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58it had started to rain quite heavily.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02He was returning home, came round a corner on the road,
0:02:02 > 0:02:07his car tyre caught the white line and caused the car to go into a spin.
0:02:07 > 0:02:11He then tried to correct it but he was on the grass by that point
0:02:11 > 0:02:13and the car was dragged into a tree,
0:02:13 > 0:02:17and he was killed instantly on the impact with the tree.
0:02:17 > 0:02:22This ten-mile stretch of the A18 has a notorious and deadly reputation.
0:02:22 > 0:02:25Since 2005, there have been four deaths on the road
0:02:25 > 0:02:31and one man who knows it better than most is local reporter, Peter Craig.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Whenever word comes to the newsroom
0:02:33 > 0:02:35that there's been a collision
0:02:35 > 0:02:38on the A18, there's always a sense of trepidation because you know
0:02:38 > 0:02:43that you're going to be assigned to a collision where somebody could potentially have been killed,
0:02:43 > 0:02:45or at least very seriously injured.
0:02:45 > 0:02:50There are some people who avoid it because of its track record
0:02:50 > 0:02:53for collisions and because it's such a fast road,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56we've been to many crashes over the years,
0:02:56 > 0:03:01sadly, and there's a serious toll.
0:03:01 > 0:03:05Four deaths and 31 serious injuries on this road in just
0:03:05 > 0:03:08five years might not sound dramatically alarming
0:03:08 > 0:03:13but compare it to the national averages and the reality becomes clear.
0:03:13 > 0:03:16This ten-mile stretch of road is three times more dangerous
0:03:16 > 0:03:20to travel on than other comparable roads.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23The European Road Assessment Programme,
0:03:23 > 0:03:24a not-for-profit organisation,
0:03:24 > 0:03:28annually collates the number of deaths and serious injuries
0:03:28 > 0:03:29on nearly 3,000 sections
0:03:29 > 0:03:34of UK road and grades each section according to its level of risk.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38And this bit of the A18 is one of the most dangerous for road users
0:03:38 > 0:03:40anywhere in Britain.
0:03:40 > 0:03:46So, I set out to see this stretch of the A18 for myself.
0:03:46 > 0:03:50Here we are, the road to Boston and Skegness, the A18.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53And I suppose it's a little bit strange,
0:03:53 > 0:03:55suddenly driving on this road.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I heard quite a lot about it,
0:03:57 > 0:03:59enough to make you a little bit apprehensive
0:03:59 > 0:04:03about this journey, so let's see how it feels actually driving it.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Well, the first thing you notice is a lot of traffic,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09the first three things to pass - oh, very clos -
0:04:09 > 0:04:13are these big articulated lorries going past.
0:04:13 > 0:04:16Lots of them on the road. And it's narrow.
0:04:17 > 0:04:22That tanker, when it came, was right on the central white line,
0:04:22 > 0:04:23very close to the car.
0:04:23 > 0:04:25It's slightly intimidating, actually.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29And here, there is a crash barrier of sorts.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31There's a tree right on the road's edge
0:04:31 > 0:04:34so they've obviously almost fenced that in with a barrier, the sort of
0:04:34 > 0:04:37thing you'd see on a motorway, but I think that's the only one I've seen.
0:04:37 > 0:04:41There might be a few more around but certainly not many on this stretch of road.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44The road seems to have been a little bit patched up here and there
0:04:44 > 0:04:48so right now it's quite a basic stretch of road but mostly,
0:04:48 > 0:04:49it's as I'm seeing at the moment,
0:04:49 > 0:04:53slightly worn road, some faded markings,
0:04:53 > 0:04:57a soft verge, almost encroaching onto the road here.
0:04:57 > 0:04:59A few potholes as well.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03You're probably not seeing this very well because there's a bit of water on the road.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06The truck in front is throwing up all kinds of spray so the cameras
0:05:06 > 0:05:11we've got on the car are probably covered in water but this tanker in front,
0:05:11 > 0:05:15he's big and every time he goes round the corner - there it is again -
0:05:15 > 0:05:19his back wheel just comes and seems to almost hang off the edge of the road.
0:05:19 > 0:05:23It's a really narrow stretch for him, even when he's on the straight,
0:05:23 > 0:05:26he barely fits onto his side of the road.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Wow, look at this guy. He's steaming along. Spray everywhere.
0:05:30 > 0:05:33And that's the size of some of the trucks that come along here.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36They're really big, actually and they're very, very regular.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39See, when the sun comes out and there isn't much traffic,
0:05:39 > 0:05:42this is a charming English country road.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Of course, when you're actually driving it,
0:05:45 > 0:05:48you can understand why this is a high-risk road.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50Not very good sight lines,
0:05:50 > 0:05:53lots of bends, lots of ups and downs and just so much traffic coming at you,
0:05:53 > 0:05:57some of it absolutely huge - these heavy goods lorries are really
0:05:57 > 0:06:00bearing down on you and quite intimidating.
0:06:00 > 0:06:0565% of all fatal and serious crashes in the UK occur
0:06:05 > 0:06:10on single carriageway roads compared to just 11% on dual carriageways.
0:06:10 > 0:06:15Well, Nigel, it's hard to miss the flowers on the tree.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21Yeah. It's the spot where the accident obviously happened.
0:06:21 > 0:06:22Have you been back much to this site?
0:06:22 > 0:06:26Do you remember Adam here, or do you try to block it out?
0:06:28 > 0:06:33Adam was such a lively kid, no, you can't remember Adam sort of here.
0:06:33 > 0:06:38Yeah, this is where it's happened and I have come back to it once or twice
0:06:38 > 0:06:41but this is a place of sadness, where it happened,
0:06:41 > 0:06:46and I'd rather remember him for the fun that he had with his life, and so, no,
0:06:46 > 0:06:51I don't have any sort of feeling about this place.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Do you think Adam was driving recklessly that day?
0:06:53 > 0:06:55I mean, what do you think? What did the police think?
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Well, at the inquest they said that he was doing 50 mph which,
0:06:59 > 0:07:03on this road, is below the legal speed limit
0:07:03 > 0:07:06but it was just with the conditions and everything like that,
0:07:06 > 0:07:09that well, it just caused it to happen.
0:07:09 > 0:07:14It was an accident that happened, but it was an accident that happened on a really bad road,
0:07:14 > 0:07:19a dangerous road, that's killed other people and seen other accidents on it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22You often hear people saying roads don't kill anyone,
0:07:22 > 0:07:23it's dangerous drivers, but actually,
0:07:23 > 0:07:27- you know from personal experience that's not always the case. - Yeah, it is.
0:07:27 > 0:07:33I mean, if it hadn't been for the road surface and things like that, the accident wouldn't have happened.
0:07:33 > 0:07:38He wasn't driving like a maniac, he was only driving a Vauxhall Astra.
0:07:38 > 0:07:40It was just a bog-standard car.
0:07:40 > 0:07:43It was not a performance car or anything like that.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46The road conditions and the weather played the big part.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51If the road had been in better state of repair, and maybe some barriers
0:07:51 > 0:07:54round the trees and things like that, the accident wouldn't have happened.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58There's always accidents on this road and there always has been.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01And until it's actually changed and altered, they'll continue,
0:08:01 > 0:08:04they'll never ever stop.
0:08:04 > 0:08:08Nigel believes his son would be alive today if the road had been
0:08:08 > 0:08:12in better condition and barriers had been in place,
0:08:12 > 0:08:14but to get a more objective assessment of the road,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17we've invited John Dawson, a road engineer,
0:08:17 > 0:08:22with over 35 years' experience of British roads, to take a look.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25As a former chief engineer of Scottish roads, and Chair of
0:08:25 > 0:08:29the European Road Assessment Programme, John is ideally placed to comment.
0:08:29 > 0:08:33So the road surface is distinctly falling off in quality
0:08:33 > 0:08:35on this section.
0:08:35 > 0:08:38It's narrow, again, for no obvious reason,
0:08:38 > 0:08:42and there's a large truck reminding us this is a commercial route,
0:08:42 > 0:08:43and we're mixing with cyclists.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46What on earth is going on in the middle of this road here?
0:08:46 > 0:08:52What are these markings? Don't know. Patchy road surface.
0:08:52 > 0:08:58Unprotected sign posts. Unprotected lamp posts. Unprotected sign posts.
0:08:58 > 0:09:03Unprotected lamp posts. There are a lot of basic safety features missing.
0:09:03 > 0:09:08Sometimes you can see the road markings are completely worn away.
0:09:08 > 0:09:11Now the road surface is deteriorating very sharply.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14Some safety fence on the left.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18It's interesting looking at this road, it's not quite obvious why
0:09:18 > 0:09:22safety fencing should be there and not along the whole length, probably
0:09:22 > 0:09:28in reaction to sometime, somebody has come off and been seriously hurt.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31I get the sense this is not a road that was ever
0:09:31 > 0:09:33conceived for commercial use.
0:09:33 > 0:09:36We're looking at quite significant heavy,
0:09:36 > 0:09:41heavy commercial vehicles and I just get the sense that this is
0:09:41 > 0:09:44a road which is not really fit for purpose.
0:09:44 > 0:09:49One mistake and you're dead, and this is not like dropping a plate
0:09:49 > 0:09:51while you're washing up.
0:09:51 > 0:09:53This mistake can kill you.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56Like Adam's father, John Dawson is concerned by...
0:10:09 > 0:10:15The figures show that the A18 is 25 times more dangerous than the average
0:10:15 > 0:10:19UK motorway, and for every death and serious injury, there's other
0:10:19 > 0:10:24near misses that could so easily have ended in tragedy, a point illustrated
0:10:24 > 0:10:29by an HGV accident we came across while meeting a local police officer.
0:10:29 > 0:10:33Well, we've got a single vehicle road traffic collision involving a heavy goods vehicle.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37What I would imagine's happened on this particular occasion is
0:10:37 > 0:10:40the lorry has gone to the nearside of the carriageway
0:10:40 > 0:10:44and as a result of being drawn to the nearside of the carriageway,
0:10:44 > 0:10:47has actually gone onto the grass verge.
0:10:47 > 0:10:53If you can see the difference in levels, quite clear to see,
0:10:53 > 0:10:57that even at this point from the tarmac, the hard tarmac, you've then
0:10:57 > 0:11:01got a drop of what, maybe a couple of inches at this particular point?
0:11:01 > 0:11:05And a little bit further up the road may be greater than that.
0:11:05 > 0:11:09So the vehicle, 44 ton, has gone from a hard surface onto a soft surface,
0:11:09 > 0:11:13maybe wet through overnight rain, it might be soft and damp anyway,
0:11:13 > 0:11:16and the weight of the lorry is actually pressing the ground down to
0:11:16 > 0:11:21a point where you can see the further it goes, the deeper it actually gets.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26It was travelling at 40 mph. It moved across to the nearside.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29It's dropped onto the grass verge, the verge is soft,
0:11:29 > 0:11:31the weight of the lorry,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and we've also got a ditch which leads down into the field opposite.
0:11:35 > 0:11:38There was only one occupant in this lorry this morning.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40It was a male driver.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43He was taken to hospital with minor injuries at Grimsby and I think he's
0:11:43 > 0:11:45since been released, so very fortunate.
0:11:45 > 0:11:50Ironic really, not 12 months ago did I go to a similar road traffic
0:11:50 > 0:11:53collision and literally 30, 40 metres further up the road
0:11:53 > 0:11:56where the lorry driver's done exactly the same except
0:11:56 > 0:11:58he's oversteered, managed to oversteer,
0:11:58 > 0:12:02and pulled his heavy goods vehicle across to the other side of the road.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06It's evident that driving on this stretch of the A18 is a real challenge.
0:12:06 > 0:12:10The slightest mistake and vehicles are likely to leave the road.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13We'll pick up more about the A18 later
0:12:13 > 0:12:17'when I speak to the contractor responsible for the road safety.'
0:12:17 > 0:12:21- Lots of people are failing to cope. That's not their problem, it's the road.- It is their problem
0:12:21 > 0:12:26cos when we pass a driving test, we're given a licence to be safe and we've got to be safe all the time.
0:12:31 > 0:12:35Throughout Britain, there are many carriageways with ongoing,
0:12:35 > 0:12:37serious problems, but change is possible.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40Many killer roads have turned themselves around.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44High-risk routes that have been improved with dramatic results.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48Winding its way through Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, is the A1101,
0:12:48 > 0:12:53a single carriageway A-road that on the surface looks no different
0:12:53 > 0:12:57to most other rural A-routes, but until last year,
0:12:57 > 0:13:01a section of this road had residents up in arms and demanding action
0:13:01 > 0:13:03If we hadn't mounted such a strong campaign and put
0:13:03 > 0:13:07so much into it, I don't think anybody would have done anything.
0:13:07 > 0:13:10Quite clearly, this is something very serious
0:13:10 > 0:13:12and the council have to listen to us.
0:13:12 > 0:13:18Since the changes have been made on this road,
0:13:18 > 0:13:21there has not been one accident.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24Just north of the Cambridgeshire town of Wisbech
0:13:24 > 0:13:27is a stretch of the A1101 known as the Gypsy Bends.
0:13:27 > 0:13:30Over five years, there were 22 accidents resulting in injury,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33including 11 serious injuries and seven deaths,
0:13:33 > 0:13:36on just 850 metres of road.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39For local couple, Fred and Josie McGrath,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42the dangers of Gypsy Bends were very clear to see.
0:13:42 > 0:13:46For over 20 years, they lived in the only house on the Bends.
0:13:46 > 0:13:51When we moved in, we had no idea that the road was dangerous
0:13:51 > 0:13:54but we could see out into the road from the window.
0:13:54 > 0:14:01And then came the day when the very first accident occurs,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03that we were aware of,
0:14:03 > 0:14:10and we didn't realise that it was going to be a pattern.
0:14:10 > 0:14:11You'd hear the bang.
0:14:11 > 0:14:14I'd lift the phone and Fred would run across the lawn.
0:14:14 > 0:14:17And I was phoning the emergency services and walking out
0:14:17 > 0:14:20towards him so that I could get more information to give them.
0:14:20 > 0:14:24In the winter months, I would be very much surprised
0:14:24 > 0:14:26if I didn't go out there once a week.
0:14:26 > 0:14:28I was always the first person on the scene.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32After some of the worst ones, Fred would have nightmares.
0:14:33 > 0:14:37He would be thrashing about and talking in his sleep
0:14:37 > 0:14:41and obviously was reliving it, I guess.
0:14:41 > 0:14:44I can remember one of them saying, "If we get a call
0:14:44 > 0:14:48"for this part of the A1101,
0:14:48 > 0:14:51"we know where to come", because they've been there before.
0:14:51 > 0:14:53It was clear to Fred and Josie
0:14:53 > 0:14:57that the drivers were often not to blame for these accidents.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59The road was playing a major role.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So there was something seriously wrong with the bend,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06but there was also something seriously wrong with the speed
0:15:06 > 0:15:08people were allowed to hit the bend.
0:15:08 > 0:15:09That was 60 mph,
0:15:09 > 0:15:13and maybe people who were driving even faster than that.
0:15:13 > 0:15:19Of course. Yeah. People were driving fast than that, very often.
0:15:19 > 0:15:21Yeah. And there was numerous accidents
0:15:21 > 0:15:25where there were head-on collisions because people
0:15:25 > 0:15:27were overtaking on the bend as well.
0:15:27 > 0:15:28They were no experts
0:15:28 > 0:15:32but they knew there were four things wrong with the road.
0:15:42 > 0:15:45..increasing the risk of drivers ending up in the ditches.
0:15:47 > 0:15:48Over the years,
0:15:48 > 0:15:52Josie contacted the council numerous times pleading for change.
0:15:52 > 0:15:55First of all, I'd just make a phone
0:15:55 > 0:15:59call and speak to somebody who would be responsible for...
0:15:59 > 0:16:02- Highways.- Highways, yeah.
0:16:02 > 0:16:07And the answer was always the same. "No. It's not bad enough."
0:16:08 > 0:16:13Then I started sending e-mails with pictures attached,
0:16:13 > 0:16:17and I didn't even get an answer, not even one answer.
0:16:17 > 0:16:21The accidents continued to happen, and in November 2007,
0:16:21 > 0:16:25Fred and Josie were confronted with yet another awful scene.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29"Fred, there's been two lorries hit each other outside,
0:16:29 > 0:16:33"I can hear it." So, he went out to see these two lorries
0:16:33 > 0:16:34but it wasn't two lorries.
0:16:34 > 0:16:36It was, in fact,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39a car that had crashed into the dyke in front of the house,
0:16:39 > 0:16:42flipped into the air and landed on its roof
0:16:42 > 0:16:44on Fred and Josie's driveway.
0:16:44 > 0:16:46The driver was conscious.
0:16:46 > 0:16:52The person behind the driver was conscious, but was hurting badly.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55The car on the opposite side was crushed.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01It obviously flipped...
0:17:02 > 0:17:05..in the air and come crashing down.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11There were two fatalities.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Just seven months later, there was another death on Gypsy Bends.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Roy and Sue Ashton were on their way home when they collided head-on with
0:17:25 > 0:17:29a car travelling in the opposite direction which had been overtaking.
0:17:29 > 0:17:34Sue was killed instantly, and Roy was seriously injured.
0:17:34 > 0:17:39In the aftermath, Roy requested all the accident data for Gypsy Bends
0:17:39 > 0:17:43and asked friends, Michael and Virginia Buckner, if they'd help.
0:17:43 > 0:17:48It was then Roy Ashton who got the statistics from the council
0:17:48 > 0:17:53in 64 almost unusable pages of data
0:17:53 > 0:17:56and said to us, "Can you collate these
0:17:56 > 0:18:00"into something more meaningful?" because he needed to understand
0:18:00 > 0:18:04'So Michael and I sat down after Roy had given it to us
0:18:04 > 0:18:06'and we sat down together and said, well,
0:18:06 > 0:18:10'let's try and make some sort of meaning out of'
0:18:10 > 0:18:12where the accidents had happened,
0:18:12 > 0:18:15highlighting it on a map exactly where it was
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and then it showed dot after dot after dot in a clear cluster.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24It showed you that the rest of the road was not the problem,
0:18:24 > 0:18:27that there was something not quite right at Gypsy Bends.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30Armed with the council's own data and certain it proved
0:18:30 > 0:18:33something needed to be done, the group set about presenting it.
0:18:33 > 0:18:35We put a note on the paper to say
0:18:35 > 0:18:39we would be in Wisbech Market Place, at a particular time,
0:18:39 > 0:18:43if people would like to sign our petition that was required
0:18:43 > 0:18:48just to speak for three minutes to the council on this technical issue.
0:18:48 > 0:18:53The first council meeting that we went to, and we were explaining
0:18:53 > 0:18:59with our three minutes, that the road had bends, and there was a councillor
0:18:59 > 0:19:03sitting there saying, "It's straight, I can see it's a straight road."
0:19:03 > 0:19:06They wouldn't have it that there were bends there.
0:19:06 > 0:19:09It was just ludicrous that there was a man sitting there
0:19:09 > 0:19:12saying it's a straight road.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Whether it's straight or bendy, people were dying on it.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18The campaigners felt they'd clearly presented the problems
0:19:18 > 0:19:21with Gypsy Bends, but were frustrated as they became
0:19:21 > 0:19:25bogged down in what they saw as unnecessary bureaucracy.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28We had so many meetings and yet there really wasn't anything
0:19:28 > 0:19:33positive getting done. So, we'd now passed a year,
0:19:33 > 0:19:37there'd been another death on the road, there'd been at least
0:19:37 > 0:19:40three or four more serious accidents
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and still we couldn't see anything positive.
0:19:43 > 0:19:45Beset by red tape,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49the Gypsy Bends Campaign appeared to have ground to a halt.
0:19:49 > 0:19:52But after 22 accidents resulting in injury, and seven deaths
0:19:52 > 0:19:56in five years on just 850 metres of road,
0:19:56 > 0:19:59the campaigners weren't about to give up.
0:19:59 > 0:20:01The campaign now was really up and running.
0:20:01 > 0:20:06We had this core team of Josie and Fred, Michael and I, and Roy,
0:20:06 > 0:20:11saying we are not going to let this go, quite clearly this is
0:20:11 > 0:20:15something very serious and the council have to listen to us.
0:20:15 > 0:20:19Somehow, they have to listen to us. We're doing a lot of talking,
0:20:19 > 0:20:23we're doing presentations to them, we had to do anther presentation
0:20:23 > 0:20:28to the county council and do 50 more signatures for the county councillors
0:20:28 > 0:20:32to listen to, and yet there was still nothing being done.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34People always want immediate action.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Sometimes, if you rush into these things,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40you don't come up with the right solution and sometimes it does
0:20:40 > 0:20:43take a bit of time to actually analyse what's necessary
0:20:43 > 0:20:45and introduce the right interventions
0:20:45 > 0:20:47to address those accidents.
0:20:47 > 0:20:49Often, when you've got engineering involved,
0:20:49 > 0:20:52it takes time to prepare this, you have to do the design,
0:20:52 > 0:20:54you have to mobilise the resources to do it,
0:20:54 > 0:20:58and of course, we don't just turn up on the day and carry out the works.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01There's a bit of planning goes into when the works are carried out,
0:21:01 > 0:21:03and sometimes that can take a bit of time.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05That's often frustrating for local communities.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Frustrated by the apparent lack of action, the campaigners
0:21:12 > 0:21:15started to press their demands for improvements through the media.
0:21:15 > 0:21:19People living close to one of the region's worst accident black spots
0:21:19 > 0:21:22are calling for urgent road safety improvements.
0:21:22 > 0:21:24In just six months,
0:21:24 > 0:21:27five people have lost their lives on the A1101 near Wisbech.
0:21:27 > 0:21:31I think it was the July or August, TWO years later...
0:21:32 > 0:21:35..that we were on the Jeremy Vine show.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38Good afternoon. The Jeremy Vine Show on Radio Two.
0:21:38 > 0:21:40You are most welcome.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43I'm joined now live from our Peterborough studio
0:21:43 > 0:21:45by Josie McClinton and Fred McGrath,
0:21:45 > 0:21:49who live on Cambridgeshire's most notorious black spot.
0:21:49 > 0:21:54That is the A1101 between Wisbech town and the A17.
0:21:54 > 0:21:57And they called the county council
0:21:57 > 0:22:00because they needed to have feedback from the county council
0:22:00 > 0:22:05and the county council said, "Yes, we're very aware of it.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08"We're going to spend 350,000 on it."
0:22:08 > 0:22:10This is August or September.
0:22:10 > 0:22:14And they rang us back and said, "Look, you've got it wrong,
0:22:14 > 0:22:16"the council ARE going to do something"
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and I said, "Well, I've just been speaking
0:22:19 > 0:22:23"to Head of Highways half an hour ago and I wasn't aware of it then.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25"So, this is wonderful news."
0:22:25 > 0:22:27Wonderful news that they're now going to do something.
0:22:27 > 0:22:31The measures we've introduced at Gypsy Bends involve
0:22:31 > 0:22:34various aspects of engineering.
0:22:34 > 0:22:36We've improved the signing and lining -
0:22:36 > 0:22:38some of the basics that you would expect
0:22:38 > 0:22:41at some of our accident sites.
0:22:41 > 0:22:44As an initial measure, we undertook some treatment
0:22:44 > 0:22:46of the surface of the road to make sure it was clean
0:22:46 > 0:22:48to take out all the grit and grime
0:22:48 > 0:22:50that gets in the texture of the road
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and that bought us a bit of time in terms of
0:22:52 > 0:22:55improving the surface of the road.
0:22:55 > 0:22:58We also trimmed back vegetation to open up visibility.
0:22:58 > 0:23:02I suppose the biggest element of work was the engineering work
0:23:02 > 0:23:05to reshape the profile of the road and to widen it
0:23:05 > 0:23:08and that allowed us then to introduce
0:23:08 > 0:23:12the double-white-line system to address the overtaking concerns.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15There are still drivers that drive recklessly
0:23:15 > 0:23:20and they will cause accidents, but the point is, it won't be now
0:23:20 > 0:23:23because the road isn't fit for use.
0:23:23 > 0:23:26As far as we were concerned, it wasn't fit for purpose,
0:23:26 > 0:23:29and people shouldn't have been just driving down that road,
0:23:29 > 0:23:32on that road, at the speeds that they were able to drive down there.
0:23:32 > 0:23:38Since the changes have been made on this road,
0:23:38 > 0:23:40there has not been one accident.
0:23:40 > 0:23:45The data and the repairs to it proves that it isn't just
0:23:45 > 0:23:49the drivers, because since the work was done in September,
0:23:49 > 0:23:54there has been not one accident and before, every year,
0:23:54 > 0:23:57there was a death and many accidents over many years,
0:23:57 > 0:24:03so it proves that it wasn't just down to driver error,
0:24:03 > 0:24:06it was to do with the road, and the road
0:24:06 > 0:24:11needed to have these works done on them.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16I think they've done a very, very good job.
0:24:16 > 0:24:17It's a professional job now.
0:24:17 > 0:24:22It's a job where we know that it's working, and we are happy with it
0:24:22 > 0:24:27and, to be honest with you, if this was done, if people had realised it,
0:24:27 > 0:24:29if that little bit of money -
0:24:29 > 0:24:32cos it's not a lot of money in the real scheme of things -
0:24:32 > 0:24:35if that had been done five years ago,
0:24:35 > 0:24:40there would have been a lot of people still here today.
0:24:40 > 0:24:43Nigel Nurse's 18-year-old son, Adam,
0:24:43 > 0:24:46was killed when he lost control of his car
0:24:46 > 0:24:49and hit a tree on a notorious stretch of the A18 in Lincolnshire.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52Nigel is certain that the road was to blame.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56We have lots of roads round here, but none of them have
0:24:56 > 0:25:01the stigma and the sort of notoriety that that road does.
0:25:01 > 0:25:04Is that because everyone that drives on it is bad? Well, no.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07It's cos the road's bad and it's been known to be bad,
0:25:07 > 0:25:13certainly 40 years that I've been sort of knowledgeable about it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:16The key concerns about this road are its narrowness,
0:25:16 > 0:25:22the lack of verges, a poor road surface and a shortage of barriers.
0:25:22 > 0:25:26Responsibility for the safety of most of this road lies with
0:25:26 > 0:25:30North East Lincolnshire Council, who sub-contract the role out.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Some work has happened along the stretch,
0:25:32 > 0:25:34as the contractors highlight.
0:25:34 > 0:25:36What we've done with the whole route is
0:25:36 > 0:25:39look at a series of measures that spread along it.
0:25:39 > 0:25:43That's looking at the edge markings to highlight where the road is -
0:25:43 > 0:25:48but more importantly, where it isn't. The centre lines, and as part of
0:25:48 > 0:25:52that centre line, we've improved the roadsters, the cats' eyes.
0:25:52 > 0:25:55It's far more visible at night-time and in adverse weather.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58We've looked at the road signs.
0:25:58 > 0:26:00The signing and marking is, if you look at it again,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02typically British.
0:26:02 > 0:26:04It's a curate's egg. It's good in parts.
0:26:04 > 0:26:08And then a little further on, the road condition just deteriorates
0:26:08 > 0:26:12into sort of the condition you see in the former Soviet Union.
0:26:12 > 0:26:15There's nothing to tell you that that road is as bad as it is.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17It just looks like a normal road.
0:26:17 > 0:26:20There's no warnings of the hidden depths.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23There's no warning that there's no sort of kerb,
0:26:23 > 0:26:26that it's just soft ground on the side of it.
0:26:26 > 0:26:29They haven't done anything to actually make people aware
0:26:29 > 0:26:31that it's a bad road.
0:26:31 > 0:26:33The contractors are keen to point out that they do
0:26:33 > 0:26:36carefully study any data they receive about the road.
0:26:36 > 0:26:40What we will do when we're looking at road traffic collisions,
0:26:40 > 0:26:43we refer, always, back to the police records.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47We know from that, just about got everybody that's been injured
0:26:47 > 0:26:50on our roads and then we can identify where we've got
0:26:50 > 0:26:52clusters at certain sites,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55problems along the route, or problems within an area.
0:26:55 > 0:26:59And then we can target the investigation towards that.
0:26:59 > 0:27:01From that, we will then promote a road safety scheme
0:27:01 > 0:27:03and from that, we have works on site.
0:27:03 > 0:27:08The contractors' approach appears to rely on them reacting to accidents,
0:27:08 > 0:27:11waiting to see where problems are before they take action.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14The corner where Adam Nurse died was only resurfaced
0:27:14 > 0:27:17after he'd been killed, raising questions as to whether
0:27:17 > 0:27:20improvements would have happened if the accident hadn't occurred.
0:27:21 > 0:27:25I know that they have done some improvements to the road
0:27:25 > 0:27:30but it's insignificant what they're doing, because it's the whole road
0:27:30 > 0:27:33that's the problem, not just little tiny bits.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36You can't just sort of say, "Right,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39"there was an accident there, so, we'll sort that little bit out,"
0:27:39 > 0:27:43because the whole road is an accident waiting to happen.
0:27:43 > 0:27:46And road safety campaigners believe that councils
0:27:46 > 0:27:49and contractors shouldn't wait for accidents to happen
0:27:49 > 0:27:51but rather, take a different approach.
0:27:51 > 0:27:55The recommended treatment from the Professional Institutions
0:27:55 > 0:27:59for Road Engineers is a very proactive look at roads,
0:27:59 > 0:28:05systematically seeking to eliminate known high risks.
0:28:05 > 0:28:10There's a temptation to focus just on the crashes that have occurred
0:28:10 > 0:28:11most recently.
0:28:11 > 0:28:15For example, if you put safety fences at every high-risk spot,
0:28:15 > 0:28:20you will stop dozens of crashes over a 10- or 20-year period.
0:28:20 > 0:28:24If you just put a little length of safety fence as we saw on the video,
0:28:24 > 0:28:28where there happened to be a crash some time ago,
0:28:28 > 0:28:31then you just do not act at the scale
0:28:31 > 0:28:34that is proportionate to the problem.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Dave Poucher points out that drivers also have a responsibility.
0:28:38 > 0:28:42The view we've taken is, we shouldn't dictate what drivers do.
0:28:42 > 0:28:45They are responsible. They should be able to drive
0:28:45 > 0:28:47if they've got all the correct information.
0:28:47 > 0:28:51It's up to the driver to say, "That's the information I've got,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54"do I want to follow that advice?" Responsible drivers will.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56That's just passing the buck.
0:28:56 > 0:29:00That's just turning round and saying that it's the fault of the drivers.
0:29:00 > 0:29:02Well, it takes two to tango.
0:29:02 > 0:29:05If you've got a good road then you're not going to have...
0:29:05 > 0:29:08Even if you've got drivers that make a mistake,
0:29:08 > 0:29:10it's going to be a bit more forgiven.
0:29:10 > 0:29:12You can't make a mistake on that road
0:29:12 > 0:29:14because there is no forgiveness.
0:29:18 > 0:29:20Now, when assessing how safe a road is.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23Experts look at all sorts of things, from how junctions are laid out
0:29:23 > 0:29:26to whether there's enough appropriate signage.
0:29:26 > 0:29:30Another thing they look closely at is the road surface itself.
0:29:30 > 0:29:34A poor road surface can dramatically increase the risk to users.
0:29:34 > 0:29:37Now, I've come here to a car testing facility in the Midlands.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- Got Richard here. Hello, Richard. - Hi, there.
0:29:40 > 0:29:43We're going to do a load of tests, aren't we, on the road surface
0:29:43 > 0:29:46and weather conditions to see what difference it makes
0:29:46 > 0:29:49to road handling and stopping distances and that kind of stuff?
0:29:49 > 0:29:52So, we're going to start dry. We have a very experienced driver.
0:29:52 > 0:29:54Who's that over that?
0:29:54 > 0:29:57- Pete Randall is one of our senior driving instructors.- Great.
0:29:57 > 0:30:00What speed will he be going at? How do we keep this
0:30:00 > 0:30:03- scientifically accurate? - We try and keep many things the same
0:30:03 > 0:30:06and just change the grip that the tyre sees.
0:30:06 > 0:30:08In this scenario, Pete'll come along at about 50 mph,
0:30:08 > 0:30:11a steady speed, and will apply the brakes hard, full ABS,
0:30:11 > 0:30:13keep his foot on the brake,
0:30:13 > 0:30:15and he'll come to a stop shortly after the cones.
0:30:15 > 0:30:18We're going to measure his stopping distance.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21And the hard ABS thing, how important is that?
0:30:21 > 0:30:24People often back off when they feel a bit of ABS kicking in.
0:30:24 > 0:30:26You still need to apply the brakes.
0:30:26 > 0:30:28All the ABS does is let them off temporarily.
0:30:28 > 0:30:31- So, you need to keep pushing that pedal.- OK. And he knows that.
0:30:31 > 0:30:34- He's a top guy, right. - Absolutely.- Very good.
0:30:34 > 0:30:38- And this, this seems like pretty typical asphalt.- Yeah.
0:30:38 > 0:30:42There's different types of asphalt, but this is a fairly regular surface.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44- OK. And it's dry? - Yeah. At the minute.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47The sun is intermittently shining. Shall we give it a go?
0:30:47 > 0:30:51- Shall we radio Pete? - OK, Pete. Off you go.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Up to 50 mph.
0:31:02 > 0:31:05Very good. Right.
0:31:05 > 0:31:07- You're the man with the wheel. Do your measuring.- OK.
0:31:07 > 0:31:11'Over 95% of UK roads are made of asphalt
0:31:11 > 0:31:15'so you'd think they should all be pretty similar in terms of grip.
0:31:15 > 0:31:19'Well, the reality is that roads in the UK can vary dramatically
0:31:19 > 0:31:24'and the type of asphalt used can make a significant difference.
0:31:24 > 0:31:27'This road material is known as medium temperature
0:31:27 > 0:31:30'and is considered to have a good standard of grip.'
0:31:30 > 0:31:34- 16.5 metres.- Brilliant. Thank you.
0:31:34 > 0:31:38'Now to see how the same road reacts in wet conditions.'
0:31:38 > 0:31:42Now, have a look at this. This is why this place is so special.
0:31:42 > 0:31:45Never have you seen so many sprinklers and so little grass.
0:31:45 > 0:31:48Here we have several lanes of different materials
0:31:48 > 0:31:51to replicate different road surfaces and different weather conditions.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53They're all wet at the moment,
0:31:53 > 0:31:56so we're going to put the car through here and see what happens.
0:31:57 > 0:32:01So, Richard, we're in the wet now, the best watered asphalt in the Midlands.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Which surface are we on?
0:32:03 > 0:32:05- This is the medium temperature asphalt.- OK.
0:32:05 > 0:32:07So, same procedure as before.
0:32:07 > 0:32:10Pete'll come along at 50 mph, apply the brakes fully at the cones
0:32:10 > 0:32:14- and then we'll see where he stops. - And this is a recognised asphalt that could be used
0:32:14 > 0:32:17again on our roads, so just seeing what happens when it's wet.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21It's one of the many standard asphalts that we find on UK roads.
0:32:21 > 0:32:26- Summon the driver, if you will.- OK. OK, Pete.
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- And the cone down is the dry breaking distance from last time. - That's right, yeah.- OK.
0:32:30 > 0:32:35Let's see what a difference the water will make.
0:32:35 > 0:32:40- Not as much as I thought, actually. So that's basically one car length...- Just about.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43..over what he did in the dry. That's impressive.
0:32:43 > 0:32:45I thought it was going to be double that.
0:32:45 > 0:32:48Tyre technology's come a long way. 18.5 metres.
0:32:48 > 0:32:51Brilliant. Thanks.
0:32:54 > 0:32:57'Developments in road materials mean the difference in stopping distances
0:32:57 > 0:33:02'between wet and dry on the same road differ only slightly
0:33:02 > 0:33:07'but what difference does it make if you're stopping on other road types, also used in the UK?'
0:33:07 > 0:33:10OK, Pete. Ready to go on the smooth asphalt.
0:33:10 > 0:33:14'This material is known as stone mastic asphalt
0:33:14 > 0:33:17'and for the last decade has been used widely in the UK
0:33:17 > 0:33:22'because of its durability, reduced traffic noise and cost effectiveness.'
0:33:22 > 0:33:26OK. So, Pete's off. It's smooth asphalt, so it's slightly different, this one?
0:33:26 > 0:33:31Yeah. That's right. It's a little bit quieter but doesn't offer as much grip.
0:33:31 > 0:33:36- Ah. And we're still in the wet. - Yeah.- So here he comes.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39- Wow.- There you go.- It really DOESN'T offer so much grip.
0:33:39 > 0:33:42He's gone right past the cone there. That's the dry cone.
0:33:42 > 0:33:45- Yeah.- Before, it was about a car length different.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48- Now it's...- Probably ten metres.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:33:48 > 0:33:51So that is two different types of asphalt.
0:33:51 > 0:33:54There can be a significant difference when it's wet, certainly.
0:33:54 > 0:33:56- Absolutely.- I'm intrigued.
0:33:56 > 0:33:59All right, well, we should get the official measurement again.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02- I'll let you do that.- OK. - Thank you very much.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04'There's a marked difference in stopping distances
0:34:04 > 0:34:08'between the two roads, and recent studies of stone mastic asphalt
0:34:08 > 0:34:11'have also revealed that when this is first laid,
0:34:11 > 0:34:14'rather than having a maximum grip as you'd expect, they are,
0:34:14 > 0:34:20'in fact, as much as 30-40% less effective until they've worn in.'
0:34:20 > 0:34:23- 27 metres.- OK.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Right. Very good. Now, I found that really interesting
0:34:28 > 0:34:31because we got a bigger difference between different types of asphalt
0:34:31 > 0:34:34in the wet than we did between wet and dry when we tested it.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38Now, we're going crazy, we're chucking in some weather.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41Over on the basalt tiles there, we emulate ice, wet ice.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And we'll see what a difference that makes to stopping differences.
0:34:44 > 0:34:47So obviously no-one in their right mind is going to be
0:34:47 > 0:34:52- doing 50 mph on wet ice, you'd hope, wouldn't you?- Not intentionally, anyway.- Not intentionally.
0:34:52 > 0:34:57Very good. Right, well, let's radio the man himself, and see what happens.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59OK, Pete. If you could start your run. Over.
0:34:59 > 0:35:01He'll just get wheel spin
0:35:01 > 0:35:04if he tries to accelerate too strongly on the basalt.
0:35:13 > 0:35:18THEY LAUGH
0:35:18 > 0:35:21Just... That's brilliant.
0:35:23 > 0:35:27'The basalt tiles are similar to the standard floor tiles you might
0:35:27 > 0:35:33'have in your home, but add water to them and the surface mimics ice.'
0:35:33 > 0:35:40So, middle of the front wheel is there. 155.5 metres.
0:35:41 > 0:35:43That is absolutely staggering.
0:35:43 > 0:35:47Well, he nearly went off the edge of the course. That's amazing.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51Just shows how careful you have to be in icy conditions.
0:35:51 > 0:35:54Well, it has been a really interesting experience.
0:35:54 > 0:35:58It's obvious that adverse weather conditions - snow, ice, make a difference to roads
0:35:58 > 0:36:01and how you should drive on them, but what's really stood out
0:36:01 > 0:36:04for me today, were the two types of asphalt we tried in the wet.
0:36:04 > 0:36:11one of them took this car 8.5 metres more to stop than the other.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13That's a huge difference.
0:36:13 > 0:36:17And in the UK today, there is no one standard of road surfacing,
0:36:17 > 0:36:21so we don't actually know which we're driving upon and clearly,
0:36:21 > 0:36:26the different types of massive implications for road safety.
0:36:41 > 0:36:44No parent should outlive their child.
0:36:44 > 0:36:49It's wrong, you know, kind of in a way you know that your parents
0:36:49 > 0:36:52and people like that will go before you
0:36:52 > 0:36:56but you never expect it to be your child that goes before you.
0:36:56 > 0:37:01It's just wrong and, I don't know, I just...feel bad.
0:37:01 > 0:37:04You have good days and you have bad days
0:37:04 > 0:37:09and on the bad days you feel really low and...it hurts like hell.
0:37:11 > 0:37:15I felt guilty for being alive. It should have been me, not him.
0:37:15 > 0:37:20He was just starting his life and that's how you feel.
0:37:20 > 0:37:23He was a good kid, just a real good kid.
0:37:28 > 0:37:32It's just to stop any other mum or dad walking into a hospital
0:37:32 > 0:37:36and having to identify their son, or daughter,
0:37:36 > 0:37:41cos I know what it's like, and it's the worst thing on this planet.
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Adam was one of four people to be killed
0:37:50 > 0:37:54on this stretch of the A18 in just five years.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59Nigel feels the road let his son down, and there are road safety experts who agree.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01If I was going to make improvements to this road
0:38:01 > 0:38:06starting tomorrow, I would start with the signing and marking.
0:38:06 > 0:38:09It needs an overhaul.
0:38:09 > 0:38:11The road surface condition needs an overhaul
0:38:11 > 0:38:15but the more fundamental problem of this road is to make it more
0:38:15 > 0:38:19forgiving and more self-explaining to drivers.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22We have lots of roads around here, but none of them
0:38:22 > 0:38:28have the stigma and the sort of notoriety that that road does.
0:38:28 > 0:38:31Is that because everyone that drives on it is bad? No.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35It's cos the road's bad and it's been known to be bad,
0:38:35 > 0:38:40certainly 40 years that I've been sort of knowledgeable about it.
0:38:40 > 0:38:45I went to see the contractors who oversee the road to ask them what's being done.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48I suppose you get reckless drivers everywhere,
0:38:48 > 0:38:51so discount them for a second, it's just that on this route
0:38:51 > 0:38:53if you make a mistake it's very unforgiving, isn't it?
0:38:53 > 0:38:57It's very narrow, there are verges, cars come off the side
0:38:57 > 0:39:00- of the road, lorries come off the side of the road. - That's what we've seen
0:39:00 > 0:39:03and that's the basis of a lot of the work we've done is to ensure
0:39:03 > 0:39:07the drivers are adequately informed of what the road is
0:39:07 > 0:39:10and what's ahead of them, and hopefully they don't make that mistake.
0:39:10 > 0:39:12But is that enough?
0:39:12 > 0:39:14You sort of think, isn't there a way the road could be
0:39:14 > 0:39:19fundamentally safer, so, if or when they do make that mistake, it doesn't end in a fatality?
0:39:19 > 0:39:24But you can do that wherever, can't you? It appears to be working.
0:39:24 > 0:39:28And that's all I can say with any truth at the moment.
0:39:28 > 0:39:31It appears to be working. And that's something we will continue to monitor.
0:39:31 > 0:39:33Are the council aware?
0:39:33 > 0:39:38Are you saying to them, "Look, we've got to keep an eye on this, this is a big problem"?
0:39:38 > 0:39:41That's part of what we do, part of the day-to-day job.
0:39:41 > 0:39:44You know, we identify trends
0:39:44 > 0:39:49and bring that to the appropriate quarters within the council.
0:39:49 > 0:39:54And perhaps that's the problem. Currently, the approach to the A18 is a reactive one,
0:39:54 > 0:39:58not targeting the whole route or pre-emptying accident blacks pots BEFORE they appear,
0:39:58 > 0:40:03just as it didn't at the part of the road where Adam died.
0:40:03 > 0:40:08If lots of people are failing to cope in this spot, that's not their problem, that's the road.
0:40:08 > 0:40:12No. It is their problem because when we pass a driving test,
0:40:12 > 0:40:14we're then given a licence to be safe on the road
0:40:14 > 0:40:17and we've got to be safe all the time.
0:40:17 > 0:40:19I reject that, cos there's always human error
0:40:19 > 0:40:22and if you've got a bend where people are coming off,
0:40:22 > 0:40:26you have to change the bend, because people will continue to come off and continue to make mistakes.
0:40:26 > 0:40:30You're right. On our journeys, we won't see an accident every day.
0:40:30 > 0:40:33We won't be involved in an accident every day.
0:40:33 > 0:40:36- But you do know that they are happening.- Yes.
0:40:36 > 0:40:42But it doesn't mean that you have to react specifically to the site.
0:40:42 > 0:40:44- But after a while you do, if there's enough.- No.
0:40:44 > 0:40:48You look at why things are happening and you try and break that causation factor.
0:40:48 > 0:40:52And you're ruling out that it's ever the road at fault.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55What I'm saying is, the road by itself is not dangerous.
0:40:55 > 0:40:59You put drivers on it, and then it becomes dangerous.
0:41:05 > 0:41:09The stretch of the A18 between Laceby and Ludborough
0:41:09 > 0:41:13has a notorious reputation as an accident black spot, and rightly so,
0:41:13 > 0:41:18with 31 serious injuries and four deaths in just five years.
0:41:18 > 0:41:21Efforts have been made by the council
0:41:21 > 0:41:25since 2009 to improve the route, but it's argued that these improvements
0:41:25 > 0:41:31are purely reactive, insufficient, and don't address the whole stretch.
0:41:31 > 0:41:34If it weren't raining that day, he probably wouldn't have died.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39I suppose I can't control the weather and things like that
0:41:39 > 0:41:42but when it comes to the road, then that's something that people
0:41:42 > 0:41:44CAN control and do something about so, for me,
0:41:44 > 0:41:51it was a needless death on a road that's clamed so many victims
0:41:51 > 0:41:54and caused so much grief to so many people.
0:41:54 > 0:41:58There's no get-out-of-jail-for-free card in this.
0:41:58 > 0:42:03Road authorities, drivers, vehicle manufacturers have all got to
0:42:03 > 0:42:06take their share of the responsibility.
0:42:06 > 0:42:09Can't help thinking there's too much reliance here
0:42:09 > 0:42:11on how drivers cope with the A18
0:42:11 > 0:42:15and not enough focus on making the road, itself, safer.
0:42:15 > 0:42:17I mean, yes, some work's been done.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19Hopefully it will make the difference
0:42:19 > 0:42:23but just maybe a different approach is needed if we're going to
0:42:23 > 0:42:28stop others going through those horrors experienced by Nigel Nurse.
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