One of the more frustrating aspects of belonging to the embattled society of motoring enthusiasts is that our views are rarely heard above the clamour. We are seen as the unacceptable face of fossil fuel wastage, we want to travel fast for nothing but selfish reasons and as far as most people are concerned we are a little bit mad.
Racing driver? Off you go then, flat out
So when someone with a grown-up job title dares to question the anti speed lobby, we all feel a rousing sense of pride and support for that individual, don't we?
The new Police and Crime commissioner for Norfolk, Stephen Bett, has done just thissays the Telegraph, going as far as to suggest letting the handiest drivers 'go as fast as the car will go.'
Ka-booooom. Treading carefully there I see Stephen.
The problem is whereas I should read an article like this - one distributed by a respected broadsheet - and sing its praises, there are bits of it that make me squirm. Yes, it's good to hear someone have the balls to open the debate, but I just wish we could choose our spokesperson before they make their utterances and, perhaps inadvertently, deliver enough incendiary soundbites for George Monbiot to pop an O-ring.
An interesting variation on the theme...
Of course the basic thinking behind Mr Bett's attitude to speeding is entirely sound. He makes the distinction between speed and the inappropriate use of speed well. He suggests that certain road conditions shouldn't require a speed limit - not unworkable - although I always think the only way you can publicly and sensibly advocate such an argument is to state that urban areas should see a reduction from 30mph to 20mph.
And even though I'm sure he was plucking casual anecdotes, using racing drivers' supernatural reflexes as an example of the type of driver who should be allowed to canter along unhindered by legal speed limits is a pretty poor choice of case study. He also appears to have avoided the issue of training - unless the reporting was so one-sided that his comments on that subject never made it into the story. Which given the tone of the piece seems entirely possible.
On the one hand I wonder if a considered, intelligent approach to this subject could ever open a sensible debate, or if in fact the UK is now so saturated with anti-speed zealots in possession of twisted statistics that however coordinated the approach, we will never elicit a cogent response from the likes of the Guild of Experienced Motorists.
Head to Norfolk (possibly) to avoid these
Come to mention it, what is the Guild of Experienced Motorists? Apart from sounding about as much fun a warm cholera salad, further investigation appears to reveal that that the main mission of GoEM is flogging breakdown cover, so we can probably ignore its calls of 'nonsense'.
But the main source of unease here is that despite trying to say something new and spark a debate, despite his best intentions, Mr Bett has probably not only done nothing to further the plight of a common sense approach to speed, he has actually harmed it. He has allowed the usual voices to dismiss the group of us he is unelected to represent as a bunch of hoodlums who want to scream through villages at 70mph. Which, for my part, couldn't be further away from my actual position on the subject.
One step forward, two steps back.
Looking for Chris's Wednesday night video? Call back same time next week as he kicks off a new season of films in spectacular style!