The idea
Calculated to reduce road traffic accidents and fatalies, implementation of the current national road strategy has seen a rash of graduated speed restrictions spring up country wide. The purpose of these restrictions being to constrain vehicles to lower speeds as they approach built-up areas. This is an excellent method of governing entry to those restricted areas.
However the manner in which this idea has been implemented is ill conceived. The restriction is unnecessarily applied to traffic travelling out of those same built-up areas. At the point where they would previously have been entering a national speed limit zone, motorists are now restricted for a further distance. This encourages frustration and bad road manners in drivers, with many attempting to overtake rashly and putting other road users in danger. This of course makes them law breakers and subject to legislation. In turn, this puts greater pressure on our overworked policing & justice systems and added burden on the tax payers pocket.
This same idea has been successfully adopted elsewhere internationally with the graduation applied only to traffic entering restricted zones – not those leaving. The governement should consider lifting this needless restriction.
Why is it important?