Safe Speed Forums

I've just read this article in the Lancs Evening Post - http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Soft-justice-claims-for-car.4770145.jp
The story is quite frankly disgusting, I won't mix my words!
Just a thought - 299 "joyriders" - how many of their victims have also been "victims" of the Lancashire Pratnership for Road Safety in the last year? I bet those people are not impressed that this leniency was not extended to them. I can just hear the Scammer Mouthpiece now saying "you might kill a child at 35mph...." but clearly in Lanca$hire there's no risk of a "joyrider" killing someone 
Beggars belief. I notice Lindsey Hoyle is on the case. In his position I'd be demanding the Chief Constable's resignation 

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That's how Nazi Germany started. They'll be burning books next. (Brian Noble, Wigan coach - updated 20/4/06!!).

They are obviously giving out verbal warnings for those as well......to$$ers!

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

As a percentage of the total numbers involved in such activities I should think that "Joy riders" are, ooh, 10,000 times more likly to kill and maim than those indulging in those other behaviors

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"The road to a police state is paved with public safety legislation"

Yes but "Joy riders" must be safe, because by stealing a car they are invisible to "safety" cameras, thus they must be safe? God I am getting sick of this country!

That story typifies the dichotomy that is affecting this increasingly asinine country. The majority of the taxpaying and law abiding drivers in this country are seen as the easy target, but the criminal element are seen a difficult therefore not worth pursuing.

Easier to shaft a taxpaying law abiding drivers for a few miles over the limit, as we all know they will cough up their money and take the points form the police and the governmental authorities. However the criminals cost money to detect and process and that is a negative. So why spend time, money and effort on the hard to catch when the easy to shaft are that much more productive.

There was a time not so long ago when the police were the friend of the majority taxpaying and law abiding driver, however senior police officers with the help of local and central government are trying to criminalise every taxpaying law abiding driver in the country.

That is why the full force of the law comes a knocking on your door for your £60 or your £120. Now you must prove your own guilt with the paperwork they send you, and if you have the effrontery to try to prove your innocence they will treat you worse than a rapist, paedophile or murder.

It seems just like local and central governments along with the police are no longer the people’s friends, and it’s all our own fault. You need to tell the politicos that knock on your door asking for your vote that unless they change the laws and the system to help the majority of the taxpaying and law abiding drivers they will not get your vote.

There will be a general election in the next 12 months just imagine if 26 million voting drivers spoiled their votes by putting on the ballot paper, justice for motorists?

This would create a crisis within what goes for democracy in this country!

So until the voting motorist gets their act together and gets up off their collective backside and do something, then expect more of the same!

When you look in the mirror you will see who is to blame for the crap we have to take!

How can you describe someone who deliberately, or even inadvertently, breaks the laws relating to maximum permitted speed as "law abiding". We may disagree with the law - I certainly do - but when I break it I have to accept that I am in the wrong. A "law abiding" citizen cannot choose which laws he will obey: that is the route to anarchy. No doubt the "joyriders" feel that borrowing a car from a rich fastard is justified.

But, having got that of my chest, I do agree with the general tenor of your post. In a well regulated democracy the judicial system, starting from on the ground policing, should operate with a lot of discretion.. Limited police resources should prioritise more serious crimes, not trivial ones just because they are easy to solve.

The target culture in which all public services operate is the main culprit. That and the idea of setting absolute limit on anything that can be enumerated. You can hardly blame a policeman, humble PC or Chief Constable, for taking the soft option when their careers and funding depends on meeting arbitrary targets.

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

Policing targets change with time and politics.
The basic target is the detection and prevention of crime, coupled with a whole lot of "social" needs.
People may moan that when you need a copper there are never any about, which has always been true anyway. There have always been fewer than needed.
And in any case, people still moan if they get pulled-over and ear-bashed for minor problems.
You may well see less, with fuel costs being so high (Metro cost was 12.2 million in 2007) the choice is less driving or less police, or more money.
And policing targets have been about for several decades now, not just the last.

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

The story below typifies the dichotomy that is affecting this increasingly asinine country. And this is what I ment about the majority of the taxpaying and law abiding drivers in this country are seen as the easy target.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/370 ... -levy.html

A small victory for the motorist and a blow for more sealth taxes.

Is the Motorist being expected to cough up for all of the governments borrowing for the Banking and Credit bail out?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/trave ... icing.html

On the parking charges point - if all Companies made all employers 'consultants' and they were all on freelance contracts and were then visiting - they wouldn't then have to pay would they ?
I think it amazing that the Gov is so unaware that we do not all have money trees !

Driver's making genuine mistakes should only receive proportional 'punishment's' and time to correct their 'mistakes', however repeated offences should be dealt with individually and potentially much more severely.
Vehicle theft's with a letter seems insulting to the law abiding hard working motorist that had everything in order ! They must feel very let down by the Justice System when this (a letter for vehicle theft) has occurred !
Many moons ago I had my car stolen, and it caused many, many problems - they never caught the chap, even though he returned the car 2 days later !

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.