Looking over my shoulder was literally called a 'life saver' when I learnt to ride. I still do it in my car out of habit.
Same, I was taught it when learning to drive too ~1997 but it's not in the current driving lessons/tests (did an 'Advanced Driving' course in 2010).
The future of driving / traffic management is everything being aware of each other
This. Couldn't agree more, equally the technology will never get a chance to mature due to the whole 'how dare they monitor where I'm going' attitude.
In terms of the roads getting more dangerous, I'd have to agree. A lot of it is the weight of traffic, and the subsequent knock on it has on people (rushing due to being late, getting stressed, acting aggressively, becoming intimidated).
This. People these days lead far too busy lives, have less common sense, are more selfish and have no forethought to plan their journey (time & route).
People commute too far due to house prices, making roads busier. People pay too much tax/insurance/higher cost of cars, so the feeling of self entitlement along with a selfish attitude is further exacerbated. People are paid too much, so they can afford powerful vehicles they cannot control at ever increasing higher speeds (thankfully they're maginally safer than whatever was owned previously so therefore they can drive it faster ofc).
Police funding has slipped, there's a huge decrease in traffic enforcement than how I remember things 15+ years ago. I can remember getting stopped for: touching the edge of a solid white line at the side of an A road, driving at 70 mph on a national speed limit road (had 2 points & fines for this, one of them even at 66 mph), cutting a corner turning into a junction and the best was being stopped in town for having my lights on (where the next valley over it was raining & foggy). I'll admit all of them were my fault - but I would be very surprised to see any of them enforced today.
As a cyclist my views are even more directed towards responsibility resting with the motorist, although I'll be the first to admit that there are a high number of bad cyclists. Equally the majority of them are bad/normal drivers too! Their attitude and lack of education of the highway code is just further enhanced when on two wheels. I'm not adverse to cycling insurance (many of us have it anyway), but it shouldn't be mandatory, only maybe for riding on A roads?!
I think enforcement of the current highway code would go a very long way into making the roads a safer place for all, we don't need more 'rules' when the current are not adhered to or enforced. I obey the highway code when I'm driving and when I'm riding.
