So Huhne and Pryce have gone down in one of the more bizarre falls from grace in public life. Everyone can pick their jaws off the floor and then look round. Is there any point swapping going on in Cranfield? If there is, Trouble in Cranfield is saying nothing and I can assure you the Broad Green Control Room would clamp down pretty fast.
However, there are plenty of infringements of the speed limit and here I have to put my hand up. Once, on Flitwick Road at the southern end of Ampthill, wide and not looking very thirty-ish. Once, on Station Road in Marston - that bit where the houses run out and you think you are out of the woods, as it were. But you aren't. After those two, a decade ago, I was pretty damn careful because nine points can get a six-month ban.
And, more recently, in some place in Northumberland which had a wide approach road and I was chattering away, paying no attention. That's the one where I had the chance to sign up for what is known as the naughty boys club, four hours, without coffee at a public facility in Cambridge looking at videos of cars going too fast. Part of it was aimed at the constituency which thinks speed limits, especially 30, are a waste of time. That's not me. The rest of it was about spotting hazards and showing that if you are sticking to the limit you can handle these.But when I have broken the limit it is pure inattention which is why the illuminated speed indicators are useful.
The odd thing is that the presenter, an ex police officer, refused to be drawn on what the real speed limit is on motorways. We all know it's over 70 but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. However the biggest worry is 40 in a 30 zone and that has to be enforced. The real irony here is that Huhne was nabbed on a motorway and these don't have a lot of cameras. But he'd already clocked nine points and seemed to think a ban would stop him getting into parliament. He'll wonder all his life why he didn't just take the hit.
However, there are plenty of infringements of the speed limit and here I have to put my hand up. Once, on Flitwick Road at the southern end of Ampthill, wide and not looking very thirty-ish. Once, on Station Road in Marston - that bit where the houses run out and you think you are out of the woods, as it were. But you aren't. After those two, a decade ago, I was pretty damn careful because nine points can get a six-month ban.
And, more recently, in some place in Northumberland which had a wide approach road and I was chattering away, paying no attention. That's the one where I had the chance to sign up for what is known as the naughty boys club, four hours, without coffee at a public facility in Cambridge looking at videos of cars going too fast. Part of it was aimed at the constituency which thinks speed limits, especially 30, are a waste of time. That's not me. The rest of it was about spotting hazards and showing that if you are sticking to the limit you can handle these.But when I have broken the limit it is pure inattention which is why the illuminated speed indicators are useful.
The odd thing is that the presenter, an ex police officer, refused to be drawn on what the real speed limit is on motorways. We all know it's over 70 but he couldn't bring himself to admit it. However the biggest worry is 40 in a 30 zone and that has to be enforced. The real irony here is that Huhne was nabbed on a motorway and these don't have a lot of cameras. But he'd already clocked nine points and seemed to think a ban would stop him getting into parliament. He'll wonder all his life why he didn't just take the hit.
2 comments:
I get wound up every day by speeders in Cranners, plus careless driving. I nearly got knocked off my bike near the CoOp last week. Grrrr!
My worry is out of the village heading for the uni. Big trucks coming up your backside. You really have to do their thinking for them and maybes drop back a bit
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