England continues their jihad against driving speeding. Pistonheads relates a report in the Times newspaper that some ministers want to increase the penalties for speeding. A single violation would result in six points and a £100 fine. Under the existing "totting-up" system, motorists caught exceeding the speed limit as few as two times could be banned from driving for six months. Under the new law, the 1.1m drivers who already have six points on their license would be banned immediately for one more speeding offense. With all the speed cameras already blanketing the country, it won't be hard identifying the ne'er-do- wells. It must be comforting living in a country where the crime rate is so low they can focus so much law enforcement effort on minor driving violations.
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Wow! How long to do the points stay with you? If they stick with you for a while then it’s just a matter of time before there’s a shortage of drivers…I wonder what will happen when there’s nobody left to drive busses, taxis or delivery vehicles? What about when they start running low on cops who can still legally drive?
Its been shown time and time again, the best thing for society and the economy is to make it impossible or drastically more expensive for productive citizens to contribute to said economy and society.
“The natural effort of every individual to better his own condition is so powerful a principle, that it alone, and without any assistance, not only capable of carrying on the society to wealth and prosperity, but of surmounting a hundred impertinent obstructions with which the folly of human laws too often incumbers its operations”
–Adam Smith
in “Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations”
Didn’t such intransigence on the part of the UK government cause a revolution back in the late 1700s?
Prepare for [more] mass emmigration.
Would you guys calm down? You act as if Britain is getting ready to be annexed by the U.S.S.R.
This is the same old Britain that is following the same old pattern.
Soon, it will elect a right-wing supply-side economist on a platform of doing away with all the socialism. Once done, it will elect a center-left progressive to re-do everything again.
Yep, I lived in the UK for 2 years in the 1970’s (thanks, Uncle Sugar, for the airplane ride and job) and then for seven years, in the 1980’s and early 1990’s.
I always cringed at the British elections, because they DO swing like a pendulum between the moronic socialists and the idiotic capitalists.
Yet there is actually a viable 3rd party in Parliament with real support nation-wide, in the middle – and though it’s change names a few times (branding?) – it hasn’t been IN POWER since 1912.
I never could figure out why the Brits “just have to” make that political pendulum swing so hard.
In the meantime people will all drive so slowly that they will have zero traffic deaths!
Unfortunately, since they will no longer be able to actually GET anywhere, thousands will die of cancer before reaching their next destination.
If this happens over here, I’m going to try to organize mass speeding. When everybody’s licenses get suspended (just going through two cameras at the usual 75mph should be enough), the economy will collapse and it’ll be a good time to invest. Meanwhile the government will have to change the law!
The only way it can go wrong is if all the government workers involved in legislation (down to the assistants and secretaries) can’t get to work to enact those changes.
In the meantime people will all drive so slowly that they will have zero traffic deaths!
Unfortunately, since they will no longer be able to actually GET anywhere, thousands will die of cancer before reaching their next destination.
Or there’ll be a massive surge of road rage incidents with people bludgeoning each other to death with tire irons.
I actually think it is a good idea… as long as it is coupled with realistic speed limits.
The problem, as I see it, with speeding fines in Australia and the UK, is that they are really revenue machines mascaraing as public safety issues. If the police/state want more money, they start crying about how reducing the speed limit by 5km/h will save X lives.
Rather than fines, I like the idea of banning drivers. It make speeding a public safety issue. It won’t be contaminated or corrupted by money like it is now.
If they lower the speed limit on a road, and then ban or jail every driver that breaks that limit, then they will soon find out (a) that the limit is too low, (b) that the public will respect that limit, (c) the public will riot and demand their heads on a stake.
Now if it really is a public safety issue, then there are road methods that can be implemented to force cars to slow down. Speed bumps, chicanes, etc. They should focus on these more natural methods first.
For example, in Perth Western Australia. The police man what are called supernovas. They are portable speed cameras that they police hide in the bushes randomly. You only know they are there when the camera’s flash goes off.
A private citizen noticed the police had set up a supernova on his street. So he drew up a sign that said “Supernova Ahead” and stood on the street curb warning motorist of the speed trap that lay ahead.
Within 2 minutes he was swarmed by police, arrested and hauled off to jail. They are trying everything they can to prosecute him for obstruction of justice or anything else. They are, seriously, trying to charge him with obstructing traffic.
The irony of his arrest, as pointed out by his lawyers, is how fast the police responded to his sign. In a city were with a terrible police response record, if they even bother to respond to calls for service, they were there in 2 minutes. Lots of them too. Calls for murder and rape and other violence don’t get anything close that kind of response.
The heavy handed response of the police to a citizen threatening their precious revenue machines is obvious. It is why this guy did this stunt, to prove how speeding money has so corrupted police and state in Western Australia.
He didn’t hurt anyone. He hoisted a sign and cars slowed down. But they treat him like a terrorist.
One more thing. A couple of months later the locals news media went ga-ga over a cute 10 year old boy who decided to take it upon himself to slow cars on his street by standing there with a sign warning drivers of a supernova head. Except in his case, there was no supernova. He simply wanted to scare drivers into slowing down. He was not arrested. He was praised for his ingenuity.
Go figure.
Yankinwaoz,
Now I understand your handle. Hey, do they really have rapes and murders in Perth?
Wonder what the U. S. laws are re. people flashing their headlights to warn oncoming drivers that they’re approaching a speed trap, which is pretty universal here.
Wait, why am I wondering? In the era of the Patriot Act, the strictures of which mean that I am by definition a terrorist, or at least an enemy, I should know that at the least it could get you “detained.”
Stephan Wilkinson : Wonder what the U. S. laws are re. people flashing their headlights to warn oncoming drivers that they’re approaching a speed trap, which is pretty universal here. Wait, why am I wondering? In the era of the Patriot Act, the strictures of which mean that I am by definition a terrorist, or at least an enemy, I should know that at the least it could get you “detained.” From NPR's All Things Considered, November 5, 2003: NPR's Robert Siegel talks with Harlie "Bill" Walker, from Franklin, Tenn. Mr. Walker flashed his car headlights at other motorists this past August to warn of a speed trap ahead. The city said Walker had violated an ordinance, and fined him $10 plus court costs. He and a town attorney appealed to the circuit court, where Judge Russ Heldman cleared Walker of all charges, saying that flashing lights to warn of a police officer is protected by the First Amendment. That was post-Patriot Act so I guess it would still stand up today.
Here in the land of the “mother of parliaments”, we all know that the cameras are revenue raising devices – mechanised tax generators, the the left-wing anti-car brigade trot out the old mantra speed kills – it’s all so tiresome.
Ok – points on your licience in th UK last 3, yes three years. There’s been a case recently where a retired gentleman toook the points for his son so his boiy could keep his job. They were found out and the old man was jailed – peverting the course of justice”. he was lucky – could have been done by the Prevntion of Trerrorism Act.
BTW – as well as our wonderful fixed camera, e too have the mobile ones, affectionately known as “Talivans”.
For complete picture of the position of the state vs the motorist, spend some time here
http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/index.php
Is it any wonder that emmigration from Britain is one of our very few growth industries.
Here’s a link to the Times article: http://tinyurl.com/2tju72
“Those caught driving at 45mph or above in a 30mph limit are likely to receive a higher-rate fixed penalty of six points and a £100 fine, up from the existing flat rate of three points and a £60 fine….The higher penalty is also likely to apply to drivers caught at 57mph or above on a 40mph road and 94mph or above on a 70mph road”
In most areas those speeds wouldn’t be considered minor violations. Policing isn’t zero sum. I hate fixed speed cameras but they do free up police resources to do more catching of proper crooks. Speeding is a quality of life issue like littering or graffiti. I want my kid to be able to ride his trike around the block or my wife to go out jogging and not worry about some dick losing control of his car and skewering a passerby as happened recently in my neighborhood.
Hey all you Americans laughing at the Brits, cameras are coming to the US. Where I live in Tidewater region of VA, red-light cameras are being installed right now at busy intersections. It will only be a matter of time before speed cameras are set up. To be frank, I don’t mind if they’er set up in neighborhoods, if you want to speed, a cramped 2-lane street is not the place to drop the hammer. But the thought of speed cameras on the interstate system, aaaaghhh!!! that gives me chills! I would probably affix a cardboard cutout of Hitler on at least one of those cameras if they ever came to my neck of woods, would get a good laugh anyway…