YP Letters: Make our highways safe and efficient by tackling speeding

Is enough being done to tackle speeding?

On a pittance of a pension, my old diesel car (inherited from my late father) is worth about £1,000 and is only used for absolute necessities, such as the 60-mile round trip to visit my younger brother (with dementia and Parkinson’s), in a care home in Nelson.

To save fuel, I stick religiously to speed limits (slower if needs be), and patiently drive on motorways and dual carriageways at 60mph.

If I get stuck behind an HGV, I’ll happily follow it until there’s ample space to overtake them, so as not to impede the vehicles which invariably ‘fly’ down the overtaking lane at 80 or 90mph, often tailgating vehicles that slow them down.

For short journeys, I use my bicycle. I also use it on fine days and for long journeys.

I’ve cycled to visit my brother twice.

The effort of cycling doesn’t bother me. In my 69 years, I’ve toured and raced extensively, so I’m fit enough to get around locally, quicker than I can in my car.

There’s no parking charges, and no waiting or walking for buses. Cycling is truly a door-to-door transport.

What bothers me are drivers who drive at excessive or inappropriate speed, use mobile phones and park in cycle  lanes.

I’ve been hit by drivers on no fewer than 10 occasions and at worst I have been left fighting for my life, with serious head and brain injury.

In addition, five pals I once trained and raced with have been killed. To reduce air pollution, Britain should be a ‘no speeding’ zone. It’s not enough to only treat drivers who speed at 50mph in 30mph zones and 100mph on motorways as the ‘baddies’ – where asthmatic children are concerned, every speeder is a ‘baddie’.

Just as we need cars to be totally safe and efficient so we need our highways to be totally safe and efficient – like our airways.

There should be zero tolerance of excessive and inappropriate speed. Common sense and common decency should surely dictate that banning ‘speed freaks’ should come way ahead of banning diesels.

Hands off

From: Paul Morley, Long Preston, North Yorkshire.

Julia Mulligan has made a complete mess of trying to run the police service. Heaven help the public if she’s let loose on the fire service!