Speed does not cause crashes

The headline relies on emotively ambiguous responses from commissioned surveys such as ‘believe that...’, ‘could be that...’. Qualified Police traffic officers advise the major cause is the nut holding the steering wheel’.

‘Accidents’ are generally avoidable. Attitudes of mind (inattention, negligence, drink/drug impediment, fatigue, frustration and inappropriate speed - too fast or too slow for the conditions) cause ‘accidents’.

Speed, per se, does not kill or cause crashes - ask astronaut Tim ‘faster than a speeding bullet’ Peake.

Statistically, our safest roads are motorways, limited by politicians to an arbitrary 70mph, yet 80mph is perfectly safe except where there is no hard shoulder, during rush-hour, road works or inclement weather... when speed is reduced to 50mph.

The force of impact injures or kills. A driver ‘speeding’ (recklessly or safely?) at 40mph on an empty 30mph road at 4am on a quiet, sunlit July Sunday morning will suffer the same potentially fatal force of impact with a telegraph-pole as would two cars, doing 20mph, having a head-on collision in a busy urban street.

Indeed, statistically, most ‘accidents’ occur around 20mph in urban areas, or at road junctions on the open road. (Impartial data is available from the Transport & Road Research Laboratory and Government accident statistics).

Back to Terry Milford...All financial crises are self-inflicted – today’s is not through voting Brexit. Why would life be easier outside the self-protectionist EU customs union? State aid; independent trade deals...

EFTA long ago signed a mutually beneficial Canada FTA yet, after seven l-o-n-g years, protectionist France will likely refuse to ratify the EU-Canada and TTIP deals.

Terry, to save boring readers by re-running the EU campaign, if you itemise all your legitimate Brexit ‘grievances, alleged lies and biased propaganda’, I’ll happily address them.

I’m sure the editor will forward your letter.

Barry M Jones

Bixley Lane

Beckley

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