Recently, I wrote about letting go of small transgressions. This is mainly from a personal perspective of staying sane. If you get annoyed by every irritation and minor problem on the road, you would be mad most of the time.
But, although I’m personally keen to let go of small transgressions, I’m very glad to hear the news of more fixed penalty notices for dangerous road use. (on the spot fines)
Lane hogging, tailgating, using the advanced stop box, going through red lights may all lead to more on the spot penalty fines. This will make it easier for the police to give penalties, without having to go through the court process. There will be stiffer financial penalties for driving without insurance, driving without seatbelts e.t.c.
When there is a fatal accident, there is often a call for stiffer penalties, longer jail sentences. I’m not convinced this is much help. My perspective is that it’s too late. But, if dangerous motoring habits are penalised more frequently, it may encourage better road use and prevent accidents in the first place. In an old post – how to encourage cycling, I think more active policing of bad motoring behaviour is one positive step.
On the subject of lane hogging, I was driving on the M40 from London on Saturday evening, and although there were few cars on the road, it was amazing how many were ‘happilly’ stuck in the third lane. One car was doing 60mph in the outside lane, much to many people’s annoyance. Over 50% were completely disregarding the idea that after overtaking you should move on to left hand lane. The road was mostly empty, apart from a few cars in outside lane.
But, as a cyclist, lane hogging is a very insignificant irritation. When you’ve been passed too closely by a double decker bus, you yearn for the times when you’re biggest concern on the road is people going slowly in the outside lane!
If you’re biggest problem on the road is people hogging the middle and outside lane on the motorway, try cycling and you will realise how lucky you are!
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I am a bit more cynical on this one Tejvan, whilst I wholeheartedly agree with them, I cannot see how they can be policed effectively.
The amount of people I now see using mobile phones whilst driving is quiet staggering and it seems like every other car or lorry on the motorways. The police were going to stamp this out but seem to have failed quiet spectacularly, so I will not hold my breath in anticipation for these latest crackdowns.