Tuesday 25th October 2005

Top cop speeds away

While his driver cops a £250 fine

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Driving for the circumstances?

Many road safety groups are frothing in ferment following the conviction for speeding of the driver of the UK's top traffic cop. He is said to have been driving at 86mph on the A12, and received a £250 fine.

The passenger, London's Metropolitan Police Service Chief Superintendent Les Owen, received no penalty -- fair enough, given that he wasn't actually driving.

Of course, the road safety groups have a point: the driver's passenger is among those who have been active in promulgating the message that 'speed kills', a message that's been refuted by serious analysis of road accident statistics. So it is hypocritical for Owen to encourage his driver to break the speed limit and use blues and twos, simply because he was reportedly late for a meeting.

On the other hand, we don't know the exact circumstances of the incident, and 86mph may well have been a perfectly safe speed given the time of day, the visibility and road conditions, and traffic density, or it may not. The driver was in the best place to determine that.

The trouble is that some road safety groups take the 'speed kills' message far too literally.

[ellroy]

The problem here is not that he was speeding, but rather its another example of one rule for us and another for the rest of you.

Last time i was caught speeding the excuse of running late did not wash and points as well as a fine were the result.

How come it works for this lot? Hypocrisy at its worst.

[Amizade]

on the one rule for them issue... I have just come out of the gym nr. Cannon St, London EC3 - waited at the pedestrian crossing, lights went red/green man came on, thought I'd wait for the oncoming Police van to stop rather than stepping into the road and the bugger continued through the light at 20mph or so - no blue lights, just following the traffic in front!!!