"We have had 15 wasted years focussed on speed limits and their enforcement - and even you must admit the results have been very disappointing. Anyone else would say the results were a dismal failure." I think it depends how you define failure...there have been lives saved, you can't possibly denay that. OK...its true that a different approach MAY have saved MORE lives...but that is pure speculation. if / when those different approaches are tried, we will know more about their effectiveness.
"And doing sod all about? - well I have devoted several pages of my magazine in recent months trying to get something done about safety in my village. I even proposed speed humps - I'll bet that will surprize you.
Why did I propose speed humps? Because we have an absolutely lethal pinch point on a blind bend at which we have had 5 accidents. But the council won't get rid of it because they are fixated by speed. So I've proposed speed humps instead. Not that they are actually necessary - speeds are low due to parked cars - but because that might be agreed to." OK..why have you suggested humps? In your own words, "speeds are low due to parked cars" (or privately owned 'pinch points'!)..so what effect will humps have? Anyway, according to you, the speed is irrelavent, so all you are doing is asking to install a poor road surface, that will slow ambulances, fire appliances etc. and probably cause untold misery to elderly people being ferried down that road in busses or cars.
"I am absolutely sick and tired of those that profess to be interested in safety but are simply interested in speed." So, are you also sick and tired of those who profess to be interested in health, but only treat cancer? The road safety issue is complex, and speed control is, I agree, only ONE aspect of it. But, if reducing speeds saves lives, why object to it? I repeat...what is the problem? Nobody is saying that you shouldn't raise the profile of OTHER road safety issues, such as training, road signs, car construction, or whatever you like. WHy do you have to try and REDUCE the effect of speed related safety issues?
"Have you actually looked at the documents I keep referring to? Somehow I think not - just not prepared to accept that years of fixation and prejudice are just that. The "don't confuse me with the facts" attitude yet again."
YES. I have. and many others too. There are many published documents, on both the effect of speed, the effect of camera's, etc., and most of them show that the issue is complex, and that there are no easy answers. Again...what is your objection to trying one solution? Is it that YOU don't want to be made to drive slower?
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