MOTORISTS trapped – yet again – in a jam on the A127 could spend the time considering two sets of statistics assembled by the Echo.

First, the number of crashes in just 30 days has soared to 17. Many involved injury. All will have brought traffic to a standstill, or near stand-still, far beyond the actual crash site.

The figure is shocking, but for those who use the road regularly, it will hardly come as news. So what lies behind this relentless rise, at a time when increased safety measures should add up to a decrease in accidents?

The second set of figures goes a long way towards providing an answer. Almost half of roaduses blame bad driving. It does not take long on the A127 to witness the sort of behaviour they have inmind, from tailgating to weaving between lanes and sudden unannounced cutting in.

Mobiles are used with casual contempt for the law, often on slip roads or while turning. Some motorcycles, who clearly feel the speed limit does not apply to them, hurtle between the lines of traffic. There is a simple way to reduce accident rates, and the consequent hold-ups, overnight.

First, drivers should simply stick to the rules. Second, driving should be defensive, constantly anticipating the potential for trouble.

A small shift in attitudes could make a big shift in the accident rate.