P
Peter Fox
Guest
Great new word.
From the Colchester Evening Gazette, Sept 4, 2003 Put speedophiles on a national drive register
THOUGH I applaud the launch of your campaign to reduce road deaths, I feel that unless particular
central issues are addressed, the campaign will fail. Bad driving and, in particular, speeding are
the result of a number of influences, such as masculinity, lack or respect for other citizens and a
reticence on the part of society to castigate such crimes as criminal. One only has to look at the
lenient punishments meted out to drink-drivers, even where deaths are involved. If you flew on a
commercial airline with a drunken pilot, or a pilot who chatted on their mobile phone or ate a bag
of chips from their lap, we could rightly expect them to be permanently banned from flying. Yet, the
moment the police target such crimes on our roads, there is an outcry that they should be tackling
more serious offences. What could be more serious than the potential loss of life or serious injury?
Those who speed are a greater risk to our society than paedophiles and they certainly kill and maim
far more children. There should be a national register for those who commit serious and repeated
driving offences and there should be lifelong bans imposed on serial offenders. Further, there needs
to be a Government initiative to stigmatise and shame bad drivers. Until society sees speedophiles
and bad drivers as criminals, until bad drivers take responsibility for their actions and act with
respect to society around them, deaths on the road will continue to rise.
N Elwood, Heath Road, Wivenhoe.
--
PETER FOX Not the same since the deckchair business folded
Witham Cycling Campaign www.eminent.demon.co.uk/wcc.htm East Anglian Pub cycle rides
www.eminent.demon.co.uk/rides
From the Colchester Evening Gazette, Sept 4, 2003 Put speedophiles on a national drive register
THOUGH I applaud the launch of your campaign to reduce road deaths, I feel that unless particular
central issues are addressed, the campaign will fail. Bad driving and, in particular, speeding are
the result of a number of influences, such as masculinity, lack or respect for other citizens and a
reticence on the part of society to castigate such crimes as criminal. One only has to look at the
lenient punishments meted out to drink-drivers, even where deaths are involved. If you flew on a
commercial airline with a drunken pilot, or a pilot who chatted on their mobile phone or ate a bag
of chips from their lap, we could rightly expect them to be permanently banned from flying. Yet, the
moment the police target such crimes on our roads, there is an outcry that they should be tackling
more serious offences. What could be more serious than the potential loss of life or serious injury?
Those who speed are a greater risk to our society than paedophiles and they certainly kill and maim
far more children. There should be a national register for those who commit serious and repeated
driving offences and there should be lifelong bans imposed on serial offenders. Further, there needs
to be a Government initiative to stigmatise and shame bad drivers. Until society sees speedophiles
and bad drivers as criminals, until bad drivers take responsibility for their actions and act with
respect to society around them, deaths on the road will continue to rise.
N Elwood, Heath Road, Wivenhoe.
--
PETER FOX Not the same since the deckchair business folded
Witham Cycling Campaign www.eminent.demon.co.uk/wcc.htm East Anglian Pub cycle rides
www.eminent.demon.co.uk/rides
