"Clampdown" on "Boy Racers"

pst88

It probably won't make a difference to most people's standard of driving. How often do you even see a police car on your daily commute? I'd say probably about 5 times a year? Without a massive increase in police cars out on the roads there'll be noone to enforce it. And surely everyone slows down and behaves when they see a police car only to speed up and drive like a dick again when the police are out of view.

scrumpydave

Well I like the idea of motorists finally being punished for illegal behaviour. The current system leads to widespread breaking of the rules so why not try something different? And I don't recall any of the coverage I've seen on this stating that this would only apply to non Tory voters.

Driving is a privilege not a right.

bails87

[quote="scrumpydave"]Well I like the idea of motorists finally being punished for illegal behaviour. The current system leads to widespread breaking of the rules so why not try something different?
Driving is a privilege not a right.[/quote]

Why do motorists break the law? Because they won't get caught!

People drive slowly past speed cameras because the fine might be relatively small, but there's a very high chance that you'll get done for it. They drive like d1cks everywhere else because although the penalties are higher, there's a miniscule chance of being punished.

And I don't recall any of the coverage I've seen on this stating that this would only apply to non Tory voters.

That was tongue in cheek. After the Transport Secretary's comments that the rules shouldn't really apply to 'decent' law breakers, but they should apply more harshly to 'boy racers'. So 20 year old in a corsa doing 40 in a 30 zone/undertaking/not indicating = fine. 50 year old in a Range Rover doing 40 in a 30 zone/undertaking/not indicating = no fine because he's not a 'boy racer'?

rick_chasey

Indeed, the comments suggest if you shack up in a expensive exec car in a suit with a respectable accent you'll be treated more lightly than a gurning skinhead in a hoodie driving a banged up nissan micro for the same offense.

snailracer

Isn’t there a bit of chicken-and-egg about the “not enough police” argument? Before these new rules came in, it simply wasn’t worthwhile even trying to enforce most “minor” traffic infringements because it wasn’t cost-effective for the police to take someone to court over a bit of tailgating, for example. So, police cars end up only being used for big-ticket problems e.g. theft, collisions, etc. which are thankfully rare, so doesn’t call for many police cars.

Now that FPNs permit punishment without (usually) the high costs of going to court, it becomes economically feasible for the police to devote more resources to minor traffic offences – which are much more common, so a case could be made to devote more resources to police them.

It’s like the analogy with traffic wardens. Parking fines are FPNs: cheap to issue and enforce – therefore employing lots of traffic wardens to issue lots of parking fines is economically feasible. If every parking offence required the warden to go to court, no council would bother employing them - just imagine how bad the parking would be!

W1

snailracer wrote:

Isn’t there a bit of chicken-and-egg about the “not enough police” argument? Before these new rules came in, it simply wasn’t worthwhile even trying to enforce most “minor” traffic infringements because it wasn’t cost-effective for the police to take someone to court over a bit of tailgating, for example. So, police cars end up only being used for big-ticket problems e.g. theft, collisions, etc. which are thankfully rare, so doesn’t call for many police cars.

Now that FPNs permit punishment without (usually) the high costs of going to court, it becomes economically feasible for the police to devote more resources to minor traffic offences – which are much more common, so a case could be made to devote more resources to police them.

Just having more police will decrease the number of offenders. You'll notice that when a cop car is on the motorway, everyone drives well! Ditto I never see a moped in an ASL if there's a police car at the front. So in many respects, if there are more traffic police about, there are fewer offences and the serious ones are worth taking to court and the need for FPNs is reduced.