Relieved death toll not higher (From Bournemouth Echo)

Relieved death toll not higher

10:30am Friday 10th August 2012 in Letters to the Editor

CRASH SCENE: This non-fatal accident happened on the Spur Road

Reading the ‘Road death toll shock’ headline of the Echo on August 8, I am surprised and relieved that the toll is so low.

The standard of driving is appalling everywhere.

Tailgating is common practice on all types of roads and in all weather conditions.

I have witnessed idiots who even at speeds in excess of 80mph doing just this folly.

Undertaking on dual carriageways has become a common practice with no regard to safety in their rush to reach their destination Roundabouts have become very risky to negotiate with very few motorists indicating their intentions.

Drivers using side lights,(parking lights) in poor visibility instead of dipped headlights as stated in the highway code.

Then we come to the scourge of using mobile phones while driving even though it is against the law.

Where are the police? Reduced to the bare minimum by succesive cuts in their funding.

Then some idiot is suggesting that the speed limit should be reduced on rural roads to 40mph.

This will not make any difference at all in my opinion; if anything it will induce people to attempt more overtaking in areas where it is not safe to make this maneouvre. What is needed is vehicles that are less powerful or some system that restricts their performance.

Also some cars already have a system fitted where the headlights come on automatically in poor light conditions or indeed as in Volvo whenever the engine is running.

This should be fitted as standard to all cars

Kevin Diment, New Road Bournemouth