IT''S ONE RULE FOR THEM. AGAIN.
10 August 2005 - Safe Speed

Three cases reported yesterday indicate damaging bias in court sentences in speeding cases.

Dr Robert Moy a Consultant paediatrician lost his appeal against sentence in Warwick Crown Court and now faces a 6 month driving ban for speeding.

Conservative MP Keith Simpson has been banned from driving for two months by Norwich magistrates.

Metropolitan police officer Jamie Smith, was not disqualified by Thetford magistrates despite driving at 100mph.

Paul Smith, founder of the Safe Speed road safety campaign
(www.safespeed.org.uk) said: ''News of these cases will further damage public confidence in the Police. The problem is that many responsible motorists are angry about unnecessary speeding fines and the Police are getting the blame. The Police public relationship - one of the best in the world - has been nurtured since 1829 when Robert Peel founded the modern Police force. Speed cameras are undoing almost two centuries of care month by month by month.''

''Damage to the Police public relationship is just one of a series of very serious side effects of speed camera policy. For the latest side effect we''re hampering a senior doctor in the course of his work. This madness has to stop and stop now. It''s not as if speed cameras are making the roads safer - science is gradually waking up to the problems and the DfT has called a halt on approving new speed camera sites. It''s nowhere near enough - but it is clearly a start on the absolutely inevitable return to intelligent roads Policing.''

''Safe Speed is working extremely hard to force the authorities to examine the overall effects of speed camera policy. It''s nowhere near enough to claim that marginal benefits at speed camera sites justify the programme when there are negative side effects as far as the eye can see.''

''It is absurd to suggest that these three responsible members of society were causing danger by their actions. The speed limit is not a safety limit - it is just an arbitrary legal limit. Assuming that the legal limit is a safety limit is an extremely critical mistake made by our policy makers. I doubt very much that any of these three deserved to be banned.''

www.safespeed.org.uk

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