Safe Speed Forums

Lets look at the dog savage scene -----

Dog snarls at child - parent takes immediate action - dog realises that pack leader has instructed it to stop or else - and does.

Dog snarls at child - an hour later head of pack (parent ) returns ,finds that dog has snarled and beats crap out of dog - does dog understand - no --it don't know why it was beaten - so next time it snaps and draws blood.Child screams - dog gets worse etc---etc.At best dog is destroyed before it does damage - at worst - another mutilated child.


Recognise the story -----happens on britains roads every day and the pack leaders are being "put to sleep"

That couldn't be more irrelevant to road safety.

And what happened in the days before the addiction to cameras -

Cameras to catch drivers breaking the posted limit.
Cameras to catch drivers a few days late taxing their car( the legal ones, not the ones with funny addresses)
Now the latest - head cams ( i kid you not) ---so PC Plod can look to see if people are doing something wrong.

And all of this ---some time later - so people don't EXACTLY KNOW what/when /why they have transgressed - like the snapping dog.

Lets return to the past - then we had PCs to stop things before they happened/ or in the act - advise and educate .

Educate drivers about their mistakes - all that got hurt was some pride - not some metal or worse still flesh and blood.

Anyone else notice the almost 1 year gap between the first and second posts on this thread?

Sorry, I'll shut up now.

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Andrew.

Probably on 80% of the road mileage we still have sensible limits set on the basis of Roads 1/93. But we are seeing greatly increased amounts of 20 limits in urban areas and sub-NSL limits on rural main roads.

And what do you mean by "routinely ignored"? It was never the intention that speed limits should achieve 100% compliance, or anywhere near. In my view, if the 85th %ile in a 30 limit is 34, it's achieving its objective. If some nutters are doing 50-60, they should be picked off by targeted police enforcement.

On most roads in the UK I would suggest there is a fairly good level of speed limit compliance. The exceptions are:

(a) wide, straight suburban main roads with 30 limits (many of which used to be 40s anyway), and
(b) rural motorways (where the limit should really be at least 80, possibly 90)

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"Show me someone who says that they have never exceeded a speed limit, and I'll show you a liar, or a menace." (Austin Williams - Director, Transport Research Group)

Any views expressed in this post are personal opinions and may not represent the views of Safe Speed

Yeah. Yesterday someone replied to an old post and I split the resultant discussion to a new thread. It came from here.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

A bit like arbitrary/unreasonable speed limits?

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Pecunia Prius Equitas et Salus

makes perfect sense to me, it's about the psychology of punishment.

plod pull you over and tick you off- most drivers understand their wrongdoing, because they remember it from 5 minutes ago and generally sheepishly accept what the officer facing them has to say.

fine arrives weeks after an event- most drivers understand they've been caught. they may well not remember the whys or wherefores, only that they've been caught by some faceless emotionless automatron and thus resent the fine rather than accept why it's been issued.

And furthermore, criminalising people over petty offences has bad psychological effects on how they view themselves, and the importance of driving within the law, when they next jump into a car.

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Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

Mpaton that was a rather rude and terse response, very unlike you.

The parallels are very clear.

Of course what the governement are attempting is behavioural change through the 'PICNIC' route.

actions most likey to change behaviour are Positive, immediate and Certain (PIC) These are most effective but of course it's a little difficukt to give praise so.....

The gov't are trying to use Negative, Immediate, Certain (NIC) which is the second most effective but much easier.....we see it everywhere speed, VED, Litter.

What I would suggest they are getting is NFU which is Negative, Future, Uncertain. Which is why people still speed. Look at VED, (assuming you are within the law) you know that if you don't renew on time or declare SORN then you will get a penalty, NIC therefore fairly effective (within the law abiding circles).

Of course if the gov't really thought that speed killed then they'd have hidden cameras every couple of miles. NIC = speeding stops overnight. But they don'y do it....why? because a - speed doesn't kill and they know it and b - less revenue.

This lot really are rubbish!

Not sure if the following will add anything to the discussion.....

On the way to the office this morning on the M6 Toll, I found travelling at an indicated 85 comfortable and appropriate for prevailing conditions.

After visiting one of my projects in Nuneaton, I returned home via A5 / M69 / M6 / M54. Due to traffic and weather conditions I rarely ventured above an indicated 75, mostly travelled at 65, mostly in the nearside lane. Thus avoiding the gnashing and wailing of attempting to drive at indicated 80 in the fast lane 2 inches from the driver in front and stamping on the brakes every 2 seconds.

Maybe reading my wife's crimbo gift of "Roadcraft" has already started altering my driving technique?

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Simon