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SPEEDWATCH Later this year the Government is putting an order before Parliament for approval which will allow Councils to introduce 20mph limits without having to ask for Scottish Office permission. Pilot areas, particularly streets which have children playing or frequently crossing them, would be selected by Councils. Henry McLeish, Scotland's Transport Minister, said he believed the restrictions would be a significant move to improve road safety. Drivers would be reminded to slow down where there may be more children. He also announced 75 test schemes at the launch of the Speed Watch '98 Campaign. The number of speeding offences in Scotland has fallen from more than 100,000 in 1991, to less than 92,000 last year. This however could be because there may be less Police resources available to catch speeders. As taxi drivers we see incidents of speeding every day. Perhaps we should start a New York style cab watch here. One worry is that if Police cannot enforce the restriction, it will lose credibility and drivers will ignore it. In most of the housing estates in Edinburgh traffic calming measures make 20mph nearly impossible. We all agree that this method of restricting speed is uncomfortable and many a debate has been started on the affect on springs and shockers, but we have to admit that traffic calming works. On a more serious note, much of the speeding we see is on main roads, often regardless of traffic or weather conditions. Digital speed cameras could soon be introduced which will be linked to DVLA who will issue tickets to the registered owner of the speeding vehicle within 48 hours. Police and Courts will be expected to handle an 80%-100% increase in the number of speeding tickets issued. Remember that if you are caught speeding, not only do you get a heavy fine, but you will also get points on your licence. Twelve or more points and you lose your licence. |
