I've been predicting for several years now that the UK would see its road speed limits reduced, and from reports in the national press this week it would seem that my prediction is about to come true. The speed limit will fall to 20mph from 30mph on housing estates, for instance, and to 50mph from 60mph on dual carriageways, if the proposals go through. The aim is, of course, to save lives. We must reduce the number of accidents and deaths on the roads to the minimum number, but of course this is nonsense; if that were truly the case, road traffic would be banned, end of story.
For what it's worth, I personally believe that Twenty's Plenty on housing estates and other similar roads. In fact, in parts of central Scotland they use the 'nudge' rather than the blow over the head to make exactly that point, with the phrase 'Twenty's Plenty' painted on roads in such a manner as to appeal to your common sense and slow down. But why do I get this nagging feeling that health and safety is not the real driving force here? It's because when I accumulated six points on my own licence a number of years back, in the space of just a few weeks travelling at what I felt were relatively slow and safe speeds (42mph and 37mph in 30mph zones) I began to adhere slavishly to official limits to avoid receiving a ban.
This changed my own driving behaviour, but also led me to my prediction. When revenue drops from fining people who start driving within the existing limits, I said to anyone who would listen, they will compensate for the shortfall by reducing the speed limits and start to fine us all over again.
I submit that road safety has little to do with these latest proposals. As with so much UK Government action, irrespective of its political name, revenue-gathering is the primary name of the game. What do you think?
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