|
Chocolate Bars
and Mineral Water
Sadly, it is not only the motoring enthusiast whose life is made a misery
by this 'speed kills' propaganda The everyday motorist is also persecuted
beyond belief. You run the risk of losing your licence if you take your
eyes off the speedometer for more than a moment.
Your concentration
would obviously be better spent on the road ahead. However, you would
be forgiven if propaganda had lead you to believe the correct way to drive
is to concentrate on the speedo and just take a momentary glance to check
the road ahead!
So, if you are 96
and drive down the motorway the wrong way at 30mph, you are likely to
be ticked off and told to be on your way. It's speed that causes accidents
don't forget, so this would be safe driving. Whilst we have drivers on
the road who do not understand hazard perception, car control, lane discipline
and the correct use of fog lights (ie. you don't turn them on in heavy
rain or when it gets dark), you can end up in court for nibbling a Mars
bar or taking a seemingly healthy sip of mineral water.
Where Does This
Leave Us?
We are left in a sorry situation. Statistics show that road deaths are
not reducing. As a result, the 'speed kills' campaign is gaining more
momentum. More cameras, more suspension bashing road calming measures,
lower speed limits and satellite speed control. When will the penny drop?:
this has not and will not reduce accidents
Speed Limiters
- The Concept of Idiots
Sadly, it seems we will shortly be driving at 30 mph on main roads, automatically
controlled by satellite! You only have to speak to truck drivers to learn
that speed limiters cause accidents through lack of attentiveness caused
by boredom.
They also remove
the important control over the throttle necessary in an emergency situation.
Those that think up these plans clearly have no understanding of car control
or advanced driving methods. No longer will we be able to balance the
car properly when cornering, as the speed limiter will cut in. On slippery
surfaces of course, this will cause the car to be unbalanced resulting
in many more accidents. Ever slid off the road and hit a tree? it hurts.
Imagine overtaking
that truck. You are half way along its length when the speed limiter cuts
in. If a vehicle approaches from the opposite direction, there is only
one description of the result: death. Now that's road safety progress.
And what happens
when you tell an inexperienced driver his speed is limited to the 'safe'
maximum? He drives everywhere at that limited speed because he thinks
it is always safe to do so. He has never been taught or had incentive
to learn how to set his own safe speed. This is exactly what happens when
you assert that safe driving requires you only to drive within the speed
limit.
Furthermore, who
sets the speed limits? A highly experienced and superbly skilled driving
and roadcraft technician? Someone familiar with the latest research on
accident causation? A crack team of investigators, armed with top notch
road use training and experience? For such an 'important' task, you would
think so. However, the responsibility lies with a junior civil servant
in the local authority. They might speak to the local Police, but even
that scant advice will normally be ignored. They probably don't have any
more than a basic driving licence.
Yes, speed limiters,
truly the concept of idiots.
The Role of the
Traffic Police
Meantime, the Traffic Police are only too happy to exercise their often
misguided authority by upholding the speed limits. Don't they just love
pulling motorists in for speeding? A pathetic waste of a job, when they
could be providing valuable coaching on driving skills and really preventing
accidents.
Of course, there
are many intelligent and highly competent Traffic Officers in the Police,
but their views are constrained by a sensible wish to protect their career
and family livelihood. Also, you never see the competent Traffic Officers
if you are a responsible driver. This is because they are not wasting
time persecuting those skilled drivers who are safely taking advantage
of good road conditions by driving swiftly. You speak to those who have
left and now give advanced driving tuition to get the real story.
Speeding - A Serious
Crime?
However, the propaganda is so deeply set, that both the traffic police
and judicial system treat exceeding the speed limit on a par with attempted
murder. Only, attempted murder would be easier to get off. You are not
likely to be successful with a not guilty plea for speeding, however compelling
your evidence. This is because it is widely believed that the Traffic
Police are honest and their speed detection equipment is accurate and
used correctly. Sadly, none of this is true, resulting in many wrongful
convictions by misguided Magistrates. Your only hope then is to exercise
your right of appeal to the Crown Court. This is a very costly exercise.
Traffic Police
Corruption - The Evidence
Study of recent court cases shows that you would suffer a lesser penalty
for stealing a car than you would for driving your own car down a clear
motorway at 101 mph. 101mph is used deliberately here, as this is the
speed that is almost always reported as showing on the Police detection
equipment, even if you were driving at 95mph. This is because at 95mph,
you are likely to suffer only a fixed penalty. Over 100mph and you will
be banned and more heavily fined. Imagine the Police Officers jolly canteen
banter as he tells his pals of how he destroyed another few motorists
careers that day, by adjusting their measured speed from 95mph to 101mph
and getting them a driving ban.
|
