Rather OT I'm afraid, but this caught my eye:
"Mobile speed cameras are to be used at accident hotspots to try to reduce the numbers of people
being killed or injured.
"The first of five vans to be deployed across the city will be in place outside a school in
Greenwich, south-east London, on Wednesday after parents asked for help in getting drivers to
slow down.
"Transport for London (TfL) says the mobile units will be clearly marked and police officers will
wear highly visible clothing.
"The initiative is part of TfL's strategy to reduce the 6,000 people killed or seriously injured on
London's roads each year.
"The parents of children at Deansfield Primary School on Rochester Way wrote to TfL after there were
six accidents and two fatalities in two years on the busy commuter route.
"TfL found that on average drivers were doing 43mph in a 30mph limit."
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/2979576.stm>
Note that the cameras and operators will be very conspicuous. Presumably that means that a driver
doing 43mph past a primary school is only dangerous if he doesn't care about getting caught. An
interesting possibility, but untested as far as I know.
Which comes back to my thoughts on "road owners" - the only programme which has definitely reduced
road accidents is the legislation on drink driving. Drivers comply when there is a real danger of
losing their licence. So it's time to up the stakes: 50% above the speed limit = automatic 6-month
ban; any death or serious injury caused by careless driving = automatic 12 month ban, plus whatever
additional penalties the courts hand down.
And, of course, cut their goolies off ;-)
--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.