Speed limits must not be taken lightly (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Speed limits must not be taken lightly

8:20am Tuesday 23rd June 2009 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
•  

Biker Steven Judson, caught doing almost 140mph, can consider himself lucky today.

Firstly, he was fined only £300 and banned for only eight weeks. Secondly, he is still alive and no-one else was hurt.

Yet while there is no doubt speeding is potentially lethal, many people still seem to think it is acceptable, especially at the lower end of the scale, in a way other motoring offences such as drink-driving are not.

That must be in part due to the fact a huge number of people will, at some time, have exceeded the speed limit without any consequences.

The controversial deployment of cameras on our roads, generating huge amounts of money in fines, may also have increased sympathy for the motorist going too fast.

But while this newspaper is not an unquestioning supporter of the cameras, we believe that excessive speed and some drivers’ attitudes to it are very real problems.

At speeds such as those reached by Judson, the slightest problem can have horrific consequences, as there is no time for rider or driver to react, while the effects of any contact or impact are also much worse.

But even at much lower speeds, a few miles per hour can be the difference between an injured child and a dead child if a collision occurs.

No doubt there will be some road-users who believe these concerns do not apply to them because they are such good drivers.

They are wrong, and if they persist in ignoring the law while trying to turn our roads into racetracks and rat-runs, then the police and courts are right to apply the brakes.