The thorny issue of speed – do we need to be more radical?

I have driven around 600 miles over the weekend, and I have experienced some speed limits that can only have been devised by brain-dead bureaucrats. No other conclusion is possible – they certainly can’t have been inspired by road safety, economics, aesthetics, or any other desirable motivation!

So what is my problem?? Well, where you have a speed limit that bears little relationship to the demands of the road conditions, let’s consider what happens. I contend that the driver spends all his attention trying to stick to the limit and avoid points on his licence, and suspends all use of his critical faculties in his appreciation of the road conditions and requirements of sensible driving.

Consider Plymouth, which is regulated to the hilt, and enforced by bright yellow taxation boxes at every turn. So when you drive through Plymouth you spend much of your attention in sticking rigidly to the speed limit – dare I say even when that limit is higher than the conditions really demand, although to be honest that is never a problem in Plymouth!

A perfect example is the A38 exiting to the west of Plymouth over the toll bridge and through the tunnel. There is a rigidly enforced 30mph limit when 40mph would be much more natural to most drivers. The 30 limit even continues some way onto a semi-urban dual carriageway! Much of the next few miles is regulated to 50mph when 60mph would be far more sensible.

Please don’t get the idea that I am saying all of that road can support 60mph – what I am saying is that drivers should adjust their speed to what is safe – and that falls between 60mph and 40mph on that road. Sticking rigidly to 50mph, which is what happens, is actually too fast for bits of that road!

So do I have a radical solution? Of course I do! I would like to see all speed limits scrapped everywhere, and the emphasis be returned to driving skill. What are we taught about speed in our driving lessons? Stick to the speed limit at all costs – nothing else! Part of the Institute of Advanced Motorists test is to drive a set route as fast as you safely can, and I would like to see that in the main test, possibly as a third phase added to the existing test.

My proposal would require the police to be more present on the roads, and to have football-referee like powers of enforcing “gentlemanly conduct”. Maybe it seems strange to trust out police like that – but 50 years ago it was normal and natural to trust the police.

And in case you think I am mad, consider one of the major speed hazards in many areas – joy riders. Which is more likely to catch a joy rider – a bright yellow tax box or a policeman?