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From The Times
October 14, 2008

Speed is not to blame

Deferential driving: education is needed not unrealistic targets

Sir, Before 2000 (before any substantial effect from the current generation of speed cameras and road safety policies could take effect), deaths per year were falling at nearly double the rate than has arisen since that year. Indeed, had previous trends continued there would have been 500 fewer deaths in 2007 than actually occurred. Despite that, the authorities continue to claim that the cameras have saved lives. That claim is made on the basis that the cameras have reduced accidents at the camera sites themselves.

The authorities are also responsible for embedding in the public mind that speeding (narrowly defined as breaking the speed limit) is a significant cause (eg, 30 per cent) of road accidents when the DfT and TRL data show that speeding is recorded in an insignificant proportion of accidents.

Not only do the facts of the case undermine the credibility of the authorities but those policies have led to the prosecution of millions, the overwhelming majority of whom will have been driving sensibly for the conditions. Consequently there is large-scale resentment and many people have concluded that the official line has little or no basis.

Against that background it is scarcely surprising that 85 per cent of those surveyed by The Times (leading article, Oct 10) are hostile to average-speed cameras. Those cameras may well be effective on dual carriageways, but the prospect of their general use, and the imposition of unrealistically low speed limits, is to be resisted. Far better to concentrate on education designed to develop mature and deferential driving behaviour.

After all, treat people like idiots and they will behave like idiots, but treat them as responsible and they will behave with responsibility.

Paul F. Withrington

Director, Transport-Watch

Does anybody sincerely still believe that the speeding tax is simply another one in the myriad methods of collection that Mr Brown has at his disposal. It wouldn't be so bad if anything government-funded/controlled in this country improved in quality ever.

Mike, Bristol, UK,

Paul W.,Northampton - so if you were stationary you would not have an accident ? Tell that to the woman who reversed into me. High speed exacerbates the effects of an accident. High speed is not a statistically meaningful cause of accidents. That would be incompetence.

Jacko, Camberley, UK

The highway code says limits are the maximum speed at which it is safe to travel, not, as James from Hong Kong suggests, a speed at which it is acceptable to hit a child. There is, of course, no safe speed to hit a child, which is why those who wish to reduce limits love this argument.

Nigel Humphries, Worcester, England

Speeding, meaning breaking the speed limit, is recorded in an insignificant proportion of road traffic accidents. In contrast speed generally is a contributory factor in 100% of accidents but that cannot be used to inform policy.

Paul Withrington, Northampton, UK

The issue, James HK, is where the line should be drawn: how much (99% of the time needless) restriction and inconvenience to millions of people balances tragedy for a much smaller number. The balance should not assume that a ltierally endless amount of trouble for the vast majority is justified.

Graham Rounce, London, UK

Let's add some fact to this matter. The least you _will_ be prosecuted for doing is 35mph in a 30mph limit; in which case most speedometers would have been reading 37 or 38mph anyway.

How much 'straying' does Mr Withrington think is reasonable ?

Graeme, Crowthorne, UK

James in Hong Kong hits the nail on the head. Besides, I haven't read anywhere that drivers will be caught for just straying above the speed limit - in other initiatives we've heard of recently you need to go several mph over. Anyway, what is Transport-Watch? Just one more arm of the motoring lobby?

Barry, Wallington, UK

Why spend all this money on cameras and the monitoring thereof? Just introduce engine controllers in every vehicle, set by radio signals from the roadside. Nobody would then be able to speed and nobody would be smarting from receiving a fine perceived as unjustified. Since nobody would be fined.

Terence Hollingworth, Blagnac, France

The more one's speed drops below about 56mph the more one's fuel use and pollution production increase.

Graham Rounce, London, UK

A visit to any supermarket car park is a wonderful advertisement for both speed limits AND driver education.
The antics of many motorists at 5mph throws into doubt their ability to be allowed to drive at any faster speed.

Alan Hargreaves, Holywell, UK

But surely the speed of the vehicle is a factor (even where not the cause) in any accident since the severity of the impact depends on the speed. Are speed limits not intended to limit the severity of accidents rather than (or as well as) their incidence?

James, Hong Kong, China

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