Get Fair, Police Urged

Illawarra Mercury

Wednesday November 4, 1998

NO one can argue with the police force's desire to prevent road trauma by reducing the incidence of speeding but I feel it is important to take a look at the negative consequences of their methods and results.

Recently, I had the fortune to drive with a friend to Mooloolaba for a yacht regatta. It was an ideal opportunity to observe police tactics in catching speeding motorists as my unlucky friend was booked for exceeding the speed limit on two occasions.

The first was for travelling at 70km/h at Raymond Terrace when he sped up slightly to merge with the inside line of traffic because a police car was blocking the outside lane; the other was for travelling at 65 km/h in a 60 zone at 4am on a clear moonlit night at Bulahdelah after just leaving the 100km zone.

We were travelling in a light truck towing a boat and had driven 2300km without going above 90 km/h - concentrating on not exceeding the limit.

In fact ... I had been calling out speed signs to the driver because in many areas the limit would change without any apparent change in road conditions.

My friend is a hard working, law abiding tradesman who has got to a point in his life where he can take a weekend off to enjoy his favourite sport.

I am a doctor in an emergency department, aware as anyone of the horror of road trauma. I can state categorically that we drove with utmost concern for safety and a commitment to stick to the speed limit.

However, we now have a situation where, as well as having our butts kicked in the sailing regatta, we have had our butts kicked by the police for driving at a speed that I defy any driver to say that they have not driven on many an occasion.

We now have a hatred of the police and the state government and my friend probably will lose his licence.

Are we all to be made criminals by this crazy campaign?

Not once did we see a police car on the open road or set up on a dangerous stretch of road. Every radar was on a straight downhill section of the Pacific Hwy just after, or before, the change in speed limits. It was obvious they were out to catch responsible drivers travelling at safe but marginally illegal speeds by trick means.

Safe driving involves a complex process of judgment where we adjust our speed to the road and the weather conditions. The vast majority of drivers have mastered this process and make such judgment calls subconsciously at every bend in the road.

When they overtake or change lanes they may temporarily exceed the limit for safety reasons. When they are leaving a built-up area on a clear open road with no hazards in sight they may speed up before the 100km/h signs because it is clearly safe to do so.

Similarly when entering a town they don't suddenly slam on their brakes to reduce speed because of a risk of a pile-up behind them.

To set up in such areas to catch responsible drivers is wrong and mean spirited. Apparently 15,000 drivers were booked that weekend. I would guess 80 per cent of them were driving safely and will never be responsible for, or likely to cause, a road accident.

Despite what police claim, there wasn't an increase in speeding this weekend, just an increase in the number of motorists booked for driving the way the vast majority of us drive every day.

That's $3,000,000 for the government and lot of bitter citizens who were intent on enjoying a beautiful long weekend. But who cares - they were exceeding the speed limit weren't they? How about we hang the lot of them.

- SIMON LESLIE,

Stanwell Park.

© 1998 Illawarra Mercury

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