Times speeding article - have your say!
Discussion
The Times are looking for people with "strong views". Details below. (I suggest you only contribute "fairly strong" views, if you want to be involved 
)
) said:
February 13, 2004
Speed kills - or does it?
Do you believe the motorway speed limit should be raised to 80mph?
Do you think speed cameras are simply a form of taxation?
T2 is looking for readers with strong views on the subject to co-operate in an editorial project. If you feel strongly and would be willing to help, e-mail your views briefly to speed@thetimes.co.uk
Sent this:-
Sir,
In the past I have been a supporter of speed cameras when correctly placed, now I am furiously opposed to them and furthermore feel that the ‘Safety Partnerships’ who so strongly advocate their use over all other intelligent methods of accident prevention are guilty of contributing towards the KSIs happening today.
Look around you, how many cars do you see driving with foglights, how many with defective lighting, how often do you drive without seeing red lights being jumped, inconsiderate and aggressive driving, how much road rage do you see? This is a direct result of leaving policing to speed cameras. Remove them and remove them now, they do bugger all towards reducing accidents and have in fact been the cause of a rise in some areas. Using logic (for a change) in the debate, how on earth can fining and penalising a motorist after the event contribute in any way to making him less of a risk? A case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted perhaps? We need more Trafpol, improved road design, why erect a camera at an accident blackspot rather than make the blackspot safer or erecting a flashing sign (proven to more effective towards reducing speed) educate via school schemes such as the Green Cross Code and Government Information Bulletins. Or perhaps the millions of pounds coming in is too much of a cash cow to put it out to pasture. I was amused to read of recent proposals to abolish fines in the future, could this be because so many people are losing their licenses now that this is effectively limiting their source of income?
Now to speed limits, I agree with raising the limits, but only after we have introduced a tougher test that includes motorway usage, annual testing and the implementation of the points I made earlier. Speeds are already averaging 85mph so the difference will be that drivers can do this without looking for cameras and police cars. Accidents are caused by bad driving not speeding.
This is an excerpt from a speech by Mitchell Romney, Governor of Massachusetts,
"I believe that we are wasting our time and money enforcing several useless laws. In addition to slowing commerce and providing a smoke-screen that clouds our judgement regarding highway accidents, the highway speed limit as it stands now erodes respect for honest laws. The safety benefits of a low speed limit have been negated by the almost universal noncompliance of drivers. Therefore, I present to the public this idea: that we raise rural highway speed limits to 100 miles per hour and instead let the highway patrol do its job, which is to patrol the highways in search of dangerous conditions and drivers. It's only an idea at this point, but it's one worth trying."
He makes good sense.
Regards
>> Edited by apache on Saturday 14th February 16:35
Sir,
In the past I have been a supporter of speed cameras when correctly placed, now I am furiously opposed to them and furthermore feel that the ‘Safety Partnerships’ who so strongly advocate their use over all other intelligent methods of accident prevention are guilty of contributing towards the KSIs happening today.
Look around you, how many cars do you see driving with foglights, how many with defective lighting, how often do you drive without seeing red lights being jumped, inconsiderate and aggressive driving, how much road rage do you see? This is a direct result of leaving policing to speed cameras. Remove them and remove them now, they do bugger all towards reducing accidents and have in fact been the cause of a rise in some areas. Using logic (for a change) in the debate, how on earth can fining and penalising a motorist after the event contribute in any way to making him less of a risk? A case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted perhaps? We need more Trafpol, improved road design, why erect a camera at an accident blackspot rather than make the blackspot safer or erecting a flashing sign (proven to more effective towards reducing speed) educate via school schemes such as the Green Cross Code and Government Information Bulletins. Or perhaps the millions of pounds coming in is too much of a cash cow to put it out to pasture. I was amused to read of recent proposals to abolish fines in the future, could this be because so many people are losing their licenses now that this is effectively limiting their source of income?
Now to speed limits, I agree with raising the limits, but only after we have introduced a tougher test that includes motorway usage, annual testing and the implementation of the points I made earlier. Speeds are already averaging 85mph so the difference will be that drivers can do this without looking for cameras and police cars. Accidents are caused by bad driving not speeding.
This is an excerpt from a speech by Mitchell Romney, Governor of Massachusetts,
"I believe that we are wasting our time and money enforcing several useless laws. In addition to slowing commerce and providing a smoke-screen that clouds our judgement regarding highway accidents, the highway speed limit as it stands now erodes respect for honest laws. The safety benefits of a low speed limit have been negated by the almost universal noncompliance of drivers. Therefore, I present to the public this idea: that we raise rural highway speed limits to 100 miles per hour and instead let the highway patrol do its job, which is to patrol the highways in search of dangerous conditions and drivers. It's only an idea at this point, but it's one worth trying."
He makes good sense.
Regards
>> Edited by apache on Saturday 14th February 16:35
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