oneJJ and not sure which one wrote:
I am sorry you did not like our say it with flowers campaign, but for those drivers who can not get through there heads that speeding, and bad driving is killing people, then I am afraid we are are going to have to use other methods. That campaign is one of them. And unfortunately your are very much in the minority regarding your thoughts on the matter/
Hmm! Asked all I work with about this (and Wildy asked her pals and colleagues) - straw poll of these people seemed to suggest otherwise regarding my "minority" opinion.
Bad driving and unfit drivers are the main cause of many accidents - not some bloke who drives safely above a prescribed limit for all of 20 yards at a scam site - usually yards from a speed limit change or on a slight gradient or camber which will pick up a margianl speed without necessarily pressing the "loud" pedal.
The highly publicised profile of a hearse and flowers is insensitive - especially to bereaved from other causes. Heaven only knows what a bereaved relative of one of my patients would have made of this. Do you really think someone who has gone shopping in Kendal to put the recent loss out of mind would wish to confront a hearse?
another JJ wrote:
If you knew Steve you would not be using this type of tone. Our objective is to reduce casualtys we cannot do that by cameras alone, we need to get the message across in other ways. If it takes hard hitting messages to do that then so be it. I take it from your response it has. Then it works. If Steve continues to take personal abuse on this forum then, I see no other choice but to leave. You decide
JJ
I do not think I was overly abusive towards you - admittedly "oaf" may have been a tadge strong.
It is not a hard hitting message - but an ill thought out one. That is my objection. People die for a variety of reasons and a hearse in a town centre may hinder a healing process for people bereaved for other reasons.
You really do have no idea of pyschology. When my wife was in hospital all those years ago now - last thing I would wished to have seen was a hearse to remind me that I may have been needing one. This applies to my current patients and families as well - and these are viral victims - not road ones.
You are persisting in using speed as the only reason for RTA/Cs and penalising drivers who are driving very safely - even if they are above an arbitrary limit. You are not targetting the really dangerous roads in any case. Your campaign - if it is
genuinely aimed at improving road safety should be focusing on teaching people to cross roads properly; COAST skill development - as I would bet that most would choose a safe speed for prevailing conditions if reminded of these basics.
Sure - I can drive fast - and do it fairly safely. Sometime - I would need to under a green light on odd rare occasions.
But if you are strictly honest with yourselves - you would at least acknowledge that some of our local incidents are down to reasons other than speed - which hardly justifies this crude campaign. I woul dmuch rather see you reminding the general public of the dangers of driving whilst unfit and of the necessity to keep a vehicle in sound working order. Of course - I do admit to an understandable bias in this respect - but you are aware of this family's history in any case.....