Not so simple

Blanket legislation may be convenient but has proved in the past to sometimes be, at best, an imperfect answer. Surely a first step is to analyse why the deaths and injuries listed since 2010 actually occurred?

Consider that not many years ago a lot more people cycled and walked to work yet cars then did not stop or handle anyway near as well as present-day vehicles. Yet a ‘20’s Plenty’ spokesman claims that injuries in road accidents to these two groups have increased but the speed limit has always been the same. This would then suggest that other factors are at work such as inconsiderate driving, aggressive cycling (like ignoring red lights), or pedestrians being increasingly careless.

Matters that could be addressed.

The assumption that something might be a good idea without looking at all the facts can be illustrated by the following example.

When a speed monitor was erected on the Pershore road in Hampton last year it recorded thousands of motorists exceeding the 30mph limit yet during that period no accidents occurred on this stretch of road.

Without looking at the facts in detail one could easily conclude that the speed limit was too low as there did not appear to be a problem. It is so easy to be misled!

One possible danger of a blanket 20mph speed limit could be cyclists and pedestrians being lulled into a false sense of security so, while fatal accidents would most likely decrease, minor or even crippling accidents could actualy increase.

LEWIS POTTER Evesham