Some recent road safety news from around Horsham.
On Friday 5th August –
Man arrested following RTC in Ringmer
A 56-year-old man from West Sussex has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving following a two vehicle collision on the A26, Ringmer, Lewes this afternoon (August 5). Emergency services attended the scene at around 2pm near the Cock Inn where a silver Ford Fiesta collided head on with a black Suzuki Ignis driven by a man from Kent. The driver of the Suzuki Ignis, has been taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital. The extent of his injuries are not known at this stage. The road remains closed between Ham Lane and Earwig Corner, whilst road policing officers investigate.
On the same day, Friday 5th August –
A woman was airlifted to Kings College Hospital, London, after a collision on the Guildford Road, Clemsfold.
Firefighters freed the 52-year-old from a white Peugeot Cabriolet after the crash, which happened at about 10am today. Her injuries were serious but not life-threatening. The road was still closed at midday near the Roman Gate roundabout.
The next day, Saturday 6th August –
Two injured in Cranleigh as car hits bus queue
Two men have been injured as a car hit a queue of people waiting for a late-night bus in Surrey. Police said the green 4×4 ploughed into the queue in Cranleigh’s High Street just before 01:00 BST on Saturday and the driver failed to stop at the scene. The car was then thought to have gone in the direction of Horsham Road. One of the injured men has been described by officers as having “life-changing injuries”. It is not yet clear how badly injured the other man is. Surrey Police have urged anyone with information to contact them.
The day after that, Sunday 7th August –
Police appeal after serious Steyning crash
Two drivers were seriously injured in a two-car crash at Steyning on Sunday morning. The collision happened on the A283 Steyning-by-pass near the roundabout outside Bramber Castle just before 10.45am. A Vauxhall Astra estate driven by a 55-year old Shoreham-by-sea man and a Skoda Fabia hatchback driven by a 38-year old Brighton woman collided head-on. The Astra caught fire. The woman was airlifted to Kings College Hospital in South London with serious head and internal injuries and the man was treated at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton for slight injuries.
And on the next day, Monday 8th August –
RTC on London Road, Arundel
Police were called to a collision involving a silver Ford Fiesta van and a Honda CBR motorcycle on the A29 London Road at Whiteways roundabout, Houghton this afternoon (Monday 8 August). Emergency services, including the police helicopter (Hotel 900) attended the scene of the collision at around 12.50pm. A 56-year-old man from Yapton has been taken to the Royal Sussex County Hospital with serious injuries. The 54-year-old van driver from Haywards Heath was uninjured.
On Thursday 11th August, another crash on the A283 –
Collision on A283 between Washington and Steyning
Police are investigating a collision between two cars on the A283 between Steyning and Washington on a bend on the Pike at around 11.20am today (Thursday 11 August). A 73-year-old woman from Gomeldon, Salisbury, driving a Peugeot 306 collided with a Nissan Almera driven by a 66-year-old woman from West Chiltington. The driver of the Nissan was taken to Worthing hospital with minor injuries. The 60-year-old woman passenger in the Nissan and the 71-year-old woman passenger in the Peugeot were both uninjured.
And again, on the same day, Thursday 11th August –
Amberley road crash kills woman and injures four
A woman has died and four people have been taken to hospital after a two-car crash near Arundel. Emergency teams were called to the scene of the crash in Amberley which involved a Saab and a Ford Fiesta on Thursday evening, Sussex Police said. A woman driving the Ford Fiesta was pronounced dead at the scene and her passenger was airlifted to the Royal Sussex County Hospital, officers said. Three people who were in the Saab were taken to Worthing Hospital. The B2139 was closed for several hours while road traffic officers investigated the incident.
Twelve people injured – most of them seriously – and one killed, in the space of six days, all within a radius of fifteen miles of where I live.
This comes on the back of 13 deaths on Sussex’s roads in June alone.
Somehow this is seen as normal.
As Easy As Riding A Bike 
Part of the problem is that no one is stopping to count the cost, there is too much vested interest in maintaining the status quo. No one steps back and asks is the total cost to the country of road “accidents” is less than the supposed “economic benefit” of the motor industry, which is after all heavily subsidised. So it continues…
In the light of false reporting regarding cyclists, as in ‘cyclist collided with car / bus’, I heplp but wonder why the members of the bus queue weren’t reported as having collided with a car on the pavement.
——
This car-nage has to stop.
Clearly, unless mechanical failure or the actions of an untraced third party were involved, these incidents can be ascribed to driver failure or inappropriate driving for the circumstances. Variously: driving under the influence; excessive speed; failure to look properly or failure act appropriately upon what was seen; uncorrected eyesight; distracted driving [mobile phone – calls, texting, surfing the internet (some oldies do this too), arguing, loose pets, smoking, ICE]; dangerous overtaking; or something else I haven’t thought of.
The presumption needs to be made that involvement in an road collision that causes death, any injury or property damage must require all participants who were driving or who were suspected of driving at the time, to undertake an extended test before they are permitted to drive again. I believe that this would focus drivers’ attention on the need to pay maximum attention to their driving. Those who are careless or prat-about, would surely get banned.
I believe there should be a new offence; driving with excess testosterone (yes, I’m serious about this): proposed punishment – extended ban until testosterone levels have fallen to safe levels for a year, after which, passing an extended test would be required.