Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Smile, you're on a speed camera.

I struggle to understand how the news that the M4 from J14 Newbury to J19 Bristol will have a number of mobile speed cameras catching anyone doing 79mph or more can be for any reason other than raising revenue from the much persecuted motorist. It is accepted that motorway traffic cruises at 80mph, even the Police must surely acknowledge this!! When a Police car cruises down a motorway at 70mph, they must surely see the traffic dangerously bunching up behind them whilst the road ahead is clear!!

Yes, there have been deaths on the motorway that could possibly justify it, but when you could consider the number of journeys made on the M4 each day. I am sure that the risk of a serious accident is remote, at the very leadt, motorways are safer places to be than "A" and "B" roads. Are the accidents caused by fast driving or by dangerous driving in inappropriate conditions that cameras couldn't possibly capture?

I always find it particularly galling that the 10% of uninsured, untaxed or unregistered drivers on the roads will have the last laugh once again as they cannot be traced by these mobile units. They are surely the real menace on Britain's roads.

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