Speed Kills, But Are Speed Cameras Dead?

The government have announced that they will not fund any new speed cameras. They want local authorities to divert funding to more educational ways of getting drivers to slow down.

My opinion is that speed itself isn't the problem, but the misuse of speed. Most divers have got up to 80mph on the motorway in dry conditions with good visibility; this is accepted by most to be comparatively safe. Obviously such a speed on a single carriageway A-road would be unsafe in almost all situations, but collisions don't usually happen in a straight line. Crashes generally occur when a vehicle takes a corner too fast, or attempts an overtake unsafely; so again it isn't the speed, but the misuse of speed.

I'm not suggesting for one moment that drivers shouldn't obey the speed limit, but the speed limit in itself is not the answer. I'd rather see more education for drivers to drive to the conditions of the road, and not punitive measures such as speed cameras automatically issuing points and fines.

JR