ROAD SAFETY

The government is to crack down on middle-aged men who have taken to riding powerful bikes that they are unable to control. These men are likely to have given up smaller machines in their youth for a family car. Ministers believe the bikers are undermining road safety policies and, under new plans, riders returning to biking after a long absence could be forced to take training and a test on smaller machines.

At the moment there is nothing to stop an individual who passed a motorcycle test many years ago returning to biking on a powerful machine. The new legislation, however, will force all motorcyclists to show they are capable of riding a smaller bike before they can progress to one above 400cc. Under-21s are already restricted to medium-powered bikes for two years after passing their test.

Most accidents and injuries do not involve excessive speed. Fact. But this won't deflect the revenue guns from pointing your way. Casualty reduction involves a whole range of issues such as:

* Stopping pedestrians from causing conflict with vehicles on highways. Jay Walking offences.

* Preventing children playing ball games, roller-blading, skateboarding etc on the highway (no insurance, no control, and the motorist foots the bill).

* Ensuring highways departments fill all the potholes in and remove gravel after roadworks.

* Reporting owners of dogs not on a lead.

* Catching and removing all stray animals from the highways.

* Dealing with farmers who allow stray sheep and cattle on our roads.

* Dealing with LGV's that deposit diesel fuel on roundabouts and exits from filling stations. Lane discipline on motorways and dual carriageways.

* Regular and prompt gritting and salting.

* Distractions in vehicles used by parents on the largely unnecessary school run.

* Effects of drink and drugs on drivers. Especially the national health junkies who drive to the school and work each day, blissfully unaware they are influenced by prescription medications.

* Education campaigns at places where drivers and riders congregate.

Not much mention of speed but all of these contribute in a far greater way to casualties. However, none of these can be detected with a laser-gun, so there you have it. None of the above make popular headlines and none can ratchet up the revenue, so speeders get it. Nobody wants casualties on our roads. But it is not going to stop, and certainly not by the injudicious use of cameras to clobber motorists. You can put this one in the bank, if police forces were allowed to keep the money from recovery of stolen cars and motorcycles there would be a revolution overnight and detection rates would go through the roof. That takes up too much money and time.

A key part of the government's crackdown on crime by teenage tearaways was quietly ditched. Home Secretary David Blunkett had planned to set fixed time limits for such cases to reach court and be dealt with. And in pilot projects throughout the country, the scheme HAD been successful in dealing with young thugs. But ministers thought it put too much pressure on the police and the prosecution service and was too costly. Motorists continue to be the easiest option.

This article is taken from a letter written by serving police officers who are against the present vendetta towards motorists. It reveals the truth that speed cameras are nothing to do with road safety and purely a revenue earner, and is well worth a read. It's a large file (93Kb) so you may want to save it to read off-line. Click here

New technology is being developed that will radically change the way in which road safety laws are enforced. From a black box in the boot to "alcolocks" on the dashboard, the car of the future is likely to be crammed with equipment designed to keep drunken drivers away from the wheel and slow down speeders. Motorists should brace themselves for more roadside cameras that will catch drivers who tail gate or do not put on their seat belt. Many forces are already equipped with automatic number plate recognition systems, cameras that can instantly recognise a car and within seconds establish whether it is taxed and has an MoT test certificate.

These will also soon be linked to a motor insurance database, enabling officers to catch uninsured drivers instantly. More than likely the officer will be equipped with some form of handheld computer, linked to the internet. The driving licence which will be inspected by the officer could well be a biometric smart card, on which endorsements and other personal information would be stored on a chip. It could also contain iris recognition or fingerprint data if it is combined with a national identity card.

The Dutch and Israelis have started testing cameras designed to identify motorists who tail-gate. The Department of Transport said it had "no plans" to follow suit, but existing roadside cameras can already pick up motorists driving dangerously close to the car in front, enabling the police to intervene. Another Dutch initiative, cameras that can identify a motorist driving without a seat belt, is being "watched with interest" by the department. It is equally interested in an Italian experiment to crack down on illegal overtaking.

This entails placing sensors in the middle of the road which are linked to roadside cameras. If a motorist tries to overtake illegally, by crossing double white lines, the offence is picked up and recorded. Alcolocks, a device that stops a car starting if the driver is over the legal limit, have been fitted to 6,000 cars in Sweden. The motorist has to breathe into a tube and the ignition will not start unless the reading is below the drink-drive limit.

The Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament gives motorists the opportunity to cut a long driving ban if they agree to have one fitted to their car. "Black boxes", electronic data recorders, are already being used by Norwich Union as part of its "pay as you drive" motor insurance scheme. The Government believes that they could also be used to provide information about how a car was driven in the moments leading up to a crash. (Source: The Telegraph)

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