With two major motorway crashes this weekend surely the government's ill-advised plan to increase the speed limit on motorways is dead in the water?
Of course, it's not the speed in itself that's the problem; it's the human driver making errors and misjudgements, it's the variable road and weather conditions and it's the continually degrading state of a car between services.
Increasing the speed limit would also have a negative effect on the environment with more poisonous fumes being produced and released into the atmosphere.
A few weeks ago, I saw a documentary in which a system was shown whereby cars linked into a grid which controlled the vehicle; it ensured safe distances, appropriate speeds and eliminated driver error (because the driver wasn't driving). Now that system may be many years away from being put into operation on our major roads but, until then, we need more caution, more sensible laws and a greater awareness of the effect of driving on the planet.
I'd favour a reduction of the speed limit to the US speed of 55 mph with VERY strict enforcement; stop the mamby-pamby 3 points/6points, let's stop people who drive unsafely from driving. I'd also have speed limiters compulsory on vehicles - no vehicle needs to drive over 70 - there is no sane argument for not having speed limiters.
Also, I'm sure it's not beyond the wit of man and technology to devise a system whereby you log in to drive and, if you're banned, you can't drive.
Speed kills. It's a simple message but says it all - well, not quite. Sadly speed kills not only the idiot driving wrecklessly, it often ends up killing others too.
No comments:
Post a Comment