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Given that ever harsher penalties and less and less discretion in sentencing/fines are a reality and extremely unlikely to go away, would the members of the backroom/jury consider that some commonsense rules based on that antiquated notion of fairness should now be introduced?
1. An end to up-and-down, constantly changing speed limits. Instead of 30 40 50 40 50 60 50 40 in quick succession, a median speed limit should be maintained over a stretch of road, say at least every half mile. This may mean US-style intermediate speed limits of 35, 45 and 55. "85th percentile" applied to set appropriate speed limits.
2. Adoption of clear, intuitive and helpful speed limit signs and road markings. Use of symbols, colour, size of signage, illumination to raise driver awareness and lower distraction and confusion, Replacement of "SLOW" road signs with specific speed limits.
3.. An end to overtly "sneaky" practices designed to trap careful, law-abiding drivers, who would otherwise not be caught. For example, where a 40 limit in a built up area with streetlights is reduced to 30, the installation of prominent 30 signs for at least a year after the change, rather than the speed limit magically defaulting to 30 literally overnight by dint of removing the 40 signs.
4.. Areas of road known to have a higher than normal accident rate to be marked as such. Drivers should expect visible or hidden speed cameras throughout the area. Absolute ban on speed camera vans being parked in stupid, dangerous and otherwise illegal locations.
5. Free official website for drivers to register details of near-misses, so that dangerous stretches of road can be identified and subsequent corrective action taken without merely counting accidents and bodies.
6. Use of radars and automatic traffic lights to slow traffic in low-speed limit areas.
7. Immediate removal of ALL speed humps, to be replaced with 2. and 6. above and other measures such as chicanes where traffic conditions permit.
Edited by Bilboman on 04/09/2014 at 01:37
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