I think what I was referring to was a picture in my mind of a recurrent theme on a particular stretch of road that I often use. So yes to creating and maintaining safe following distances but... I'm not sure more road markings provide a workable solution for many drivers whose attitude towards anything outside of their bubble is to force it out of the way, especially as they're most likely looking at whatever is ahead of them as a target to deal with, so I guess this is where radar-braked cars hold a solution. Maybe not for the likes of us who work to control our states of mind while driving but certainly for people who find controlling their frustration in such situations to be beyond their limits of patience.
As for two chevron gaps being a suggested safe following distance, it probably goes without saying that unless the other road users we are directly interacting with follow the same rules, most often, unless driving a 'marked' vehicle with lights on the roof, a gap which is purposely left for safety is often taken to be an invitation to fill it with or without prior notice of intent. So I suppose this comes down to encouraging greater discipline and respect among road users but that is not what is happening. What is happening is road signs and markings. Better than Chevron markings would be question marks. Evidently chevrons confuse some people but is there a device which can display the distance or time from the car infront when traveling above 40mph? (I think I may have just invented something more for Satnavs to do. Must remember not to tell anyone
)
Showing drivers the devastating outcomes which can occur as a result of following too closely, isn't that dissimilar to showing smokers pictures of lung cancer victims with the intention of scaring them into stopping smoking. As far as I recall, that policy did nothing to reduce the amount of smokers or the amounts they smoked, so the video interviews of our friends who cut victims from wreckage or who have to break that news to relatives doesn't really do the job, much as I hope it would. It appeals to us because we appreciate the message and agree with it but not to those who drive massive LWB '
sprinters' because they are working to unattainable delivery deadlines. (can't remember the last time I was cut up by a 'Berlingo' or 'Caddy')
While heading South on the M23/A23 yesterday, I noticed an electronic display showing '24 minutes to Brighton'. To me, that is taken to mean that it won't be too long before reduced speed limits, congestion, traffic lights and roundabouts and I felt encouraged to maintain my steady progress rather than to increase speed to get it over with. Indeed it took 24 minutes. To many others that sign seems to serve as a warning to hurry things up. What is it I read about most crashes occurring within a mile or two of the destination? So while motorways may well be our safest roads, how well do people manage their speed when 70 turns into 40, 30 and then 20? That's what i'd like to see more of a focus on. More graduated increases and decreases of speed limits prior to the end of A and M roads. If I had a pound for every time I've thought that