Quoted message said:I feel a missive to BBC Look East coming on....
My missive ;-)
"Sirs
The reporter on the above item wondered if the speed cameras were catching too many speeding
motorists. If the cameras catch motorists it's because the motorists were travelling at a speed
above the legal limit. In other words, the motorists are breaking the law. A motorist travelling
above the speed limit for a given stretch of road is not some poor put-upon figure which should be
the subject of a BBC reporter's sympathy. Does the BBC reporter think that it is right for the law
of the land to be broken with impunity? Speeding is a major factor in road accidents in the UK. In
the UK about 3500 people per year are killed by motorists, with tens of thousands more injured
(official figures). Perhaps your reporter finds this carnage to be of little importance compared to
the motorists who should, presumably, be allowed to get away with breaking the law?
Perhaps the way forward for the cameras not to "catch too many motorists" is for the offending
motorists to refrain from offending in the first place and to drive within the speed limit for any
given stretch of road. There is a remarkable device contained in every car which is of great
assistance in helping motorists drive within the law relating to speed - it's called a speedometer
and its use forms a basic part of learning to drive safely and legally. Taking note of what it tells
you does not stop once you've passed a driving test and holding a driving licence does not give
carte blanche to break the law. It's about time the lawbreaking element of UK motorists accepted
that what they are doing is wrong, dangerous and illegal.
I suggest your reporter take a look at the following:-
roadpeace.orgroadpeace.orgOpen ↗ motorcarnage.org.ukmotorcarnage.htmlOpen ↗
Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety and the Slower Speeds Initiative Research
Briefing December 2003
And yes, I am a motorist, so this is not some anti-motorist tirade, I just understand the
responsibility on me that comes with being allowed to drive a tonne or more of metal on the roads.
The speed limit is just that, a limit, not a target nor a minimum to be achieved. If I am ever
caught speeding, it will not be because a camera has "caught too many motorists" it will be because
I won't have been paying enough attention to the information provided by the speedometer on the
dashboard of my car. It'll be no-one's fault other than my own. It certainly won't be the fault of a
speed camera! We motorists have a very great responsibility to drive safely and legally. It's a pity
your reporter chose to report in a way which condones motorists breaking the law and thus being a
danger not only their own lives, but the lives of innocent third parties around them.
Yours faithfully"
Cheers, helen s
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