A View From Middle England - Conservative with a slight libertarian touch - For Christian charity and traditional belief - Free Enterprise NOT Covert Corporatism

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Anne Robinson banned from driving

The UK is in a total shambles, as Alan Sugar might say, when it comes to road safety, speed policy and driving habits. Yesterday Anne Robinson, she of the Weakest Link fame, was banned for driving under the totting up procedure. She had another speeding conviction to her name.

Her lawyer, Michael McGoldrick, came up with a pretty weak link! He said she had not seen the camera as she was disorientated by the road system on her first ever visit to Portsmouth. Come on, Mr McGoldrick, everyone knows that it is 30mph within a city centre, unless it is a dual carriageway indicating 40mph or more. And in any case, does the fact that she had not seen a speed camera mean that she can speed?

The whole system is ridiculous. The authorities are out to raise money by catching speeding motorists but make little or no effort to re-inforce good behaviour by placing quality, instructive road signs where they should be.

I think a whole new educational approach is required. We need to get away from the racing around regardless of others approach and behave a bit more decently as citizens. I would trial in certain areas roads with no markings. Let the drivers learn to be cautious, careful and considerate. Think it won't work? Well, its been done in the Netherlands and it does work.

The result will be a less stressful driving experience, but it will have its downside. The authorities will lose out on fines, the accident repair business will be upset, and the road painters will have to look elsewhere.

I'm all in favour of getting our roads back to civilisation and away from the current mayhem. Ms Robinson thought it OK because it was a Sunday morning. I suppose the magistrate listened to this weak explanation because he was going to fine her anyway. All he could say was "I am sorry she won't have a very pleasant memory of her first visit to Portsmouth".

We won't get very far with magistrates and everyone else just playing the same old record!

0 comments:

Post a Comment