'Speeding Epidemic' Is Inevitable Result Of Inappropriate Speed Limits
07 February 2005, 05:05 PM
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'Speeding Epidemic' Is Inevitable Result Of Inappropriate Speed Limits
'Speeding Epidemic' Is Inevitable Result Of Inappropriate Speed Limits
Today's RAC report that the numbers of motorists admitting to breaking speed limits has increased should come as no surprise, say leading drivers group The Association of British Drivers.
ABD Chairman Brian Gregory explained: "As local authorities, urged on by the government, continue to ratchet down speed limits, often against police advice and in contravention of tried and tested principles, more and more drivers who are setting their speeds quite safely for the traffic conditions are finding themselves outside the law .
Gregory continued: "The ABD have long predicted that this cavalier attitude to speed limit setting would result in disrespect for the law. This is clearly occurring as the RAC claim 57 per cent of drivers now break the motorway speed limit and almost two-thirds break 30mph speed limits. The danger of this is not in drivers exceeding improperly set limits but in the destruction of a very useful road safety tool. Drivers used to see a limit and know there was a high probability it was there for a reason. Nowadays limits are so often put in without good reason that drivers will simply ignore them".
The ABD has called for a body of experts from a traffic policing and road engineering background to take over the task of setting speed limits and for it to be taken out of the hands of local politicians. However, the Department for Transport instead seems mindful to give local authorities powers to further destroy this important road safety tool by scrapping current guidelines for speed limit setting.
ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries said: "The RAC's claim that speed is the "cause of one-third of all fatal accidents" is misleading. Firstly 'cause' and 'contributory factor' are very different things. The RAC appear to be confusing the two. The bulk of crashes involving speed as a contributory factor occur within the speed limit such as taking a corner too fast in slippery conditions. They also include drunk,drugged and unlicenced drivers, those in stolen cars and police on pursuit and emergency work. The Sober, legally registered driver who causes a crash whilst travelling above the speed limit is a rare animal indeed".
Today's RAC report that the numbers of motorists admitting to breaking speed limits has increased should come as no surprise, say leading drivers group The Association of British Drivers.
ABD Chairman Brian Gregory explained: "As local authorities, urged on by the government, continue to ratchet down speed limits, often against police advice and in contravention of tried and tested principles, more and more drivers who are setting their speeds quite safely for the traffic conditions are finding themselves outside the law .
Gregory continued: "The ABD have long predicted that this cavalier attitude to speed limit setting would result in disrespect for the law. This is clearly occurring as the RAC claim 57 per cent of drivers now break the motorway speed limit and almost two-thirds break 30mph speed limits. The danger of this is not in drivers exceeding improperly set limits but in the destruction of a very useful road safety tool. Drivers used to see a limit and know there was a high probability it was there for a reason. Nowadays limits are so often put in without good reason that drivers will simply ignore them".
The ABD has called for a body of experts from a traffic policing and road engineering background to take over the task of setting speed limits and for it to be taken out of the hands of local politicians. However, the Department for Transport instead seems mindful to give local authorities powers to further destroy this important road safety tool by scrapping current guidelines for speed limit setting.
ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries said: "The RAC's claim that speed is the "cause of one-third of all fatal accidents" is misleading. Firstly 'cause' and 'contributory factor' are very different things. The RAC appear to be confusing the two. The bulk of crashes involving speed as a contributory factor occur within the speed limit such as taking a corner too fast in slippery conditions. They also include drunk,drugged and unlicenced drivers, those in stolen cars and police on pursuit and emergency work. The Sober, legally registered driver who causes a crash whilst travelling above the speed limit is a rare animal indeed".
07 February 2005, 05:12 PM
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07 February 2005, 05:53 PM
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Originally Posted by scoob_babe
I didn't realise that speeding was a contagious disease for it to be an epidemic 
Here's a statistic for you people:
Speed is a factor in 100% of accidents......
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Stationary cars don't bump into each other or pedestrians!
07 February 2005, 06:25 PM
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What about where stationary cars are hit by moving pedestrians or falling trees? 
Solution. Ban pedestrians, cut down all the trees.
"Exchanging optimax" smacks of syphoning out of someone else's car. That's antisocial
Solution. Ban pedestrians, cut down all the trees. "Exchanging optimax" smacks of syphoning out of someone else's car. That's antisocial
07 February 2005, 06:31 PM
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Stationary cars don't bump into each other
07 February 2005, 07:23 PM
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'Speeding Epidemic' Is Inevitable Result Of Inappropriate Speed Limits
Precisely my original point in the other thread.
Precisely my original point in the other thread.
Surely if it’s the case that so many people break speed limits so regularly what need to be looked at are the limits themselves. Inappropriate limits will be broken because they are…. inappropriate. But no, once again we see ever more draconian measures to clamp down and criminalise the motorist being called for.
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08 February 2005, 10:02 AM
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With cars now safer then ever, the average speed limit on the UK's roads is coming down all the time. This makes no sense whatsoever from a safety perspective.
As the man from the ABD says, the problem is that the limits are set (and speed camera locations chosen) by the exact same people who gain from fine collection. They should be set by people 100% focussed on safety.
Imagine if your working hours were set (without limits) by someone who got paid £60 every time you were late. Do you think they'd be reasonable?
As the man from the ABD says, the problem is that the limits are set (and speed camera locations chosen) by the exact same people who gain from fine collection. They should be set by people 100% focussed on safety.
Imagine if your working hours were set (without limits) by someone who got paid £60 every time you were late. Do you think they'd be reasonable?
Last edited by antera309; 08 February 2005 at 10:10 AM.
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