Still think the attitude to speeding has anything to do with road safety?

Dolph

Dolph

Dolph

Man of Honour
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
50,386
Location
Plymouth
http://www.pistonheads.com/news/default.asp?storyId=18301

Police chiefs have told officers they must catch a fixed number of motorists every month to meet targets, it has been reported. Drivers are facing a clampdown on offences such as speeding, not wearing seatbelts and using mobile phones as officers struggle to meet new tougher quotas.


One force is understood to have told traffic squads to issue more tickets for certain offences such as speeding. Another told officers to snare at least five speeding motorists a month and arrest a total of 24 people for driving offences.

It is feared the new targets will take away what little discretion patrols still have to issue a ticking-off instead of a ticket.Other forces are expected to introduce similar targets in the coming months...
Click to expand...

And especially telling:

The row erupted after Norfolk Police chiefs apparently ordered officers to focus on speeders. One traffic officer was quoted as saying: ‘We’ve been successful in reducing accidents and making the county’s roads safer. We aim to do our job responsibly and, while we’re happy to use sanctions when necessary, a large part of our job is about educating the public. Suddenly we’re being told that we aren’t issuing enough tickets and that chiefs aren’t sure what we’re actually doing.

'We haven’t yet been told exactly what targets will be set, but there is a suggestion that we will be expected to hand out three or four tickets every shift. While this might be realistic in urban areas, it would be excessive in rural areas like north Norfolk. Officers should be handing out tickets when appropriate and necessary, not because we’re behind on targets and need to catch up.’
Click to expand...

The government statistics show that speed isn't the cause of accidents, and therefore targetting speeding won't serve to reduce accidents. Now we have police forces telling officers that issuing tickets is more important than reducing accidents.

Does anyone in central government actually care about road safety any more?
 
Dolph said:
Does anyone in central government actually care about road safety any more?
Click to expand...

No, they are far to concerned with keeping thier jobs atm.

On a serious note however, there have been a few regional police forces that have spoken out against this targeting and 'speed kills' mentality, scrapping plans to set ticketing targets and allowing police to actually do their job based upon common sence. Cant remember where they were, but someone will know.
 
Last edited:
it's absolute bull**** and just serves to destroy any remaining confidence (if there actually is any left) that the public has in the police with regards to traffic enforcement.
 
Solari said:
peeing off the electorate is conflicting directly with that interest then, surely :)
Click to expand...

being concerned about keeping your job, and actually doing something to keep it are very different things.

Mr Brown is worried about loosing the next election, but his latest policies have turned away anyone who owns a car, or is thinking of owning a car, or uses a road... oopse!
 
While I agree in this case, road deaths have actually dropped this year (was in the Independent last Sunday). How much of that is down to improved car safety rather than the government's seemingly retarded road safety policy is debateable however.
 
It's not a surprise really. We've known for a long time that speeding isn't the direct cause of road death, and that the government doesn't really care.

All about the £££
 
Since when were targets acceptable? It's the same with hospitals; Just let them get on with it! They serve the public, not rule them.
 
There shouldn't be targets. It's not like officers earn commission like traffic wardens, and thankfully so!

I'm happy that I live in an area where they're less concerned about harassing motorists. I sometimes park up witha friend after work instead of going home (not much to do round here lol) and we've had the police come and say hi a couple times. They just want to know who's who and drives what with the local car scene and talk about the cars etc. What you expect really.
 
Mad old tory said:
While I agree in this case, road deaths have actually dropped this year (was in the Independent last Sunday). How much of that is down to improved car safety rather than the government's seemingly retarded road safety policy is debateable however.
Click to expand...

Road deaths have dropped every year. However, since speed kills was introduced, they have dropped less each year than they were before...
 
Dolph said:
Road deaths have dropped every year. However, since speed kills was introduced, they have dropped less each year than they were before...
Click to expand...

Actually I think they've been pretty much constant for the last three or so years, vindicating the argument that targeting speed doesn't work. There was a significant fall last year, though (or at least the last year for which they have figures).
 
This administration are looking completly lost and despirate.

The seem to think the law is the be all and end all. It shouldn't be that way, the law should be there as a tool for the police to use to protect the public.

I suspect fuel prices have been driving down speeding conviction due to people driving less and changing their driving habits.
 
Given this thread and it's topic, today for the first time in 3.5 months of commuting at my current workplace I noticed a scamera van parked on a road not normally used by speeding motorists (that I have seen), I guess the Southampton have started early ...
 
Speed does not kill, me doing 40 in a 30 zone at 3am is much less of a risk than a 90 year old bloke in a Jazz who actually doesn't have a clue whats going on but because he isn't speeding he is "safe" but if a kid ran out in front of him would he stop in time? probably not.

Police need to focus on bad driving, not speeding.
 
Janesy B said:
Speed does not kill, me doing 40 in a 30 zone at 3am is much less of a risk than a 90 year old bloke in a Jazz who actually doesn't have a clue whats going on but because he isn't speeding he is "safe" but if a kid ran out in front of him would he stop in time? probably not.

Police need to focus on bad driving, not speeding.
Click to expand...

J Walking should be brought into this country too :p
 
It's only going to get worse too as the government is strapped for cash. Especially now that the road tax revamp is being, erm, revamped... and the 10p tax was back tracked...

Need to make up that budget black hole from somewhere.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom