The Bedfordshire and Luton Casualty Reduction Partnership has launched a publicity campaign focusing on the anti-social nature of speeding.
Using radio advertisements and bus back posters, the campaign aims to make drivers think about their own driving and consider whether they are part of the problem.
Caryl Jones, the partnership’s communications manager, says: “When you mention ‘anti-social behaviour’ speeding motorists do not necessarily spring to mind.
“However, speeding is a major source of community concern over ‘accidents waiting to happen’, affecting people’s safety and quality of life. Local communities in Bedfordshire consistently identify speeding traffic as a priority for Bedfordshire Police to address.
“Our latest public opinion survey showed that speeding and driving too fast for the road conditions is considered the single greatest risk to safety on our roads and yet many people admit to speeding themselves.
“We know that speed enforcement is effective at deterring speeding but the police cannot be everywhere all the time. We need to affect drivers’ attitudes towards speeding to encourage greater compliance with speed limits.
“At the end of the day, drivers are in control of their speed so it’s important for people to recognise that if they are not part of the solution then they are part of the problem.”
For further information contact Caryl Jones on 01234 716335.
Dear Nigel, my anti social driving had got nothing to do with anyone, until I knocked down and killed a 12 year old boy, 3 years at her majesty’s pleasure and a ban still being served. All that has got something to do with breaking the speed limit? To use an advertising slogan i saw while in Ireland recently “the bigger the speed the bigger the mess” I now realise that those people do understand that. It’s just others who think “It won’t happen to me” will never see that one day it might.
John Birmingham
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This once again confuses “speeding” (exceeding an arbitrary limit) with “too fast for the road conditions”.
The former cannot be said to be antisocial since many speed limits are unnecessarily low on many highways when driving in good conditions.
Conversely, driving legally at or near the limit in poor conditions (fog, snow, ice etc) can be quite dangerous and leads to many accidents.
Arbitrary speed limts are not the answer. Better road policing is – this will not be achieved with cameras.
I might also point out that “speeding and driving too fast for the road conditions is considered the single greatest risk to safety” is rather nonsensical. How can two separate behaviours be a “single” risk?
JohnR, Sandy.
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To suggest that driving at 29mph is social, but driving at 31mph is anti-social is surely absurd, it’s like saying someone playing music in their garden at 69dB is social but someone playing it at 71dB is not, things are never that black and white. What matters is whether people are showing due consideration to all other road users.
Hilary, Sandy
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What has anti social driving got to do with breaking the speed limit? Clearly many anti social drivers ARE breaking speed limits, but the vast majority of those doing so are not affecting anyone else. When will you people understand that?
Nigel Foster, Luton
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