New Speeding Penalties

[dergside]

Thoughts?

.......Why can't people just not drive like idiots and apply common sense?

Therein lies the rub. A lot of people can't help themselves when it comes to being tools on the road. That's where the law comes in. In the same way that nothing focuses the mind like a deadline, nothing catches the attention like a fine or a sanction.

I actually don't have too much of a problem with this. Given that road quality has, by and large, improved in the country over the last couple of decades, M and N grade roads most notably (although many exceptions exist) then the excuse that speeding is required to make progress has diminished. We go to the tip top of Donegal frequently. With the motorway link along the western corridor and reasonably decent N roads, I can cover the 240 or so miles at an average speed of around 55mph without living in great fear of being affected by these laws. Those that are most likely to be affected would be similarly careless in wet/poor visibility/cold weather conditions too so, as far as I'm concerned, giving these drivers a stiff dose of medicine would be a good thing.

The most telling piece in the article is the reference to having your driving license on your person when driving. The fact that there is discretion means that a lot of people don't bother their hole to carry it, even though it has been a legal requirement for years. Its not a big burden. It might also help with the loop hole that a lot of people use to duck points or a license loser in court by not bringing their license when they challenge the fixed penalty notice.

[Big H]

Those that are most likely to be affected would be similarly careless in wet/poor visibility/cold weather conditions too

But the tools in my view are those who keep with the speed limit (just), but it is a totally inappropriate speed during heavy fog, rain, sow & ice.

The bigger issue are the endemic use of mobile phones (as a motorcycle commuter, it's not unusual for me to pull up beside a car at traffic lights, knock on the window and ask them to switch off Netflix that they're looing at in their lap), bald/woefully underinflated tyres, blown lightbulbs (or blown LCM's in many cases), even not using lights at all in appalling visibility, insane overtaking manouvers by those in underpowered cars, red light running by multiple cars, unrestrained children standing between the front seats etc.

None of these newly proposed measures will address any of the above - it's just more money grabbing from a lazy government piggybacking on the easiest to detect offence with minimal resources being used.