Road Rage!

Some things make my blood boil!

I am an ordinary motorist, with more than a million kilometres under my belt (cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles).

I look around at the way that our politicians hold out our their grubby little hands for more money from taxes (sorry, petrol excise duties) and from fines, and it makes my blood boil in rage — road rage.

And it seems the greatest single income tool is the speed camera.

It begs the question: are speed cameras simply revenue raisers as many people assert, or are they really tools to lower the road toll and save lives?

Does a strict enforcement of speed limits really reduce the road toll?

First, let’s look at some statistics gleaned by researcher Harry Brelsford (author of the book “Under The Radar” and a campaigner against speed cameras).

According to Brelsford and other researchers (like the National Motorists Association Australia) while the government claims that some 40% of all road deaths involve excessive speed, this is clearly a matter of definition.

They state that, in an accident, “excessive speed” is where the car’s tyres break contact with the road — or skid.

It has nothing to do with exceeding the posted speed limit (which is the only thing that speed cameras target) but simply that a vehicle was, technically, going too fast for the conditions.

Of course, if you are driving safely and another vehicle T-bone’s the side of your car, you can expect that your tyres will break contact with the road and skid…

So what percentage of road deaths occur due to a driver exceeding the posted speed limit?

Brelsford says: “Our research however shows that not even 2% (two percent) of road deaths are caused by travel above set speed limits.

“This means that even with nationwide speed limit compliance, speed cameras cannot reduce the road toll by any more than 2% or around 32 lives per year. Importantly, around half of this 2% still involve police chases, criminal activity, suicides and more. Not the behavior of the average responsible motorist.”

So, if speed cameras cannot prevent 2% of the road deaths, are they just revenue raisers?

Of course they are.

Is anybody listening?

This isn’t quantum physics!

In the 1980s the newly formed NSW Staysafe Committee presented data on the number of road deaths per 100,000 kilometres traveled (the only way to accurately compare road toll statistics).

It is clear from the data they presented that there was a steady decline in the number of road deaths per 100,000 km traveled from the 50s to the 80s when the report was done.

Factor in the introduction of compulsory heaters and demisters.

No change.

Factor in the introduction of seat belts.

No change.

Factor in the tremendous improvement in Australia’s design rules for motor vehicles (ADR 27a).

No change.

Of course, these items played their own role in the reduction of the road toll but none, individually, played a dramatic part in this reduction — you cannot say that the introduction of any single item caused the huge reduction in the road toll — a reduction that continues to this day.

Even with the tightening up of design rules, in my opinion the increasingly common usage of radial ply tyres and disk brakes played a significant part in reducing the road toll, as did the introduction of more traffic lights and better roads.

Step out from a 21st Century car and sit behind the wheel of the original 1948 Holden and you will frighten yourself — poor brakes, spindly cross-ply tyres, hard protrusions inside the cabin, no air bags, poor windscreen wipers, no ABS, high centre of gravity, etc.

Is there any wonder why our fathers and grandfathers died so profusely on the road!

And they generally drove slower…

So, are speed cameras assisting the reduction of the road toll?

As far as I can see, not to any significant degree.

Other factors are much more important in reducing the road toll.

So why are we accepting the lies of the politicians who’s only interest in road safety appears to be in raising revenue.

Is anybody listening?

Are any politicians listening?

This isn’t quantum physics!

Links:

www.roadsense.com.au
www.policespeedcameras.info
www.fightfines.info
www.radar.com.au/aust/editorial.html