Carnage
Grandad February 9th, 2012
There was a little snippet of news that almost slipped by unnoticed this week.
Our Minister for Transport and Traffic Jams wants a review of speed limits.
In at least one news report, reference was made to the “carnage” on our roads. Considering that last year, road deaths here were at their lowest level for donkey’s years, I’m not quite sure where that carnage is supposed to be taking place. I looked up “carnage” in Merriam-Webster, and apparently the strict definition is “great and usually bloody slaughter or injury”. There is nothing like adding a drop of exaggeration to the pot, is there?
Yesterday, I drove a road I hadn’t been down in a while. It’s a nice road with lovely views off to one side. From the motorists perspective, it is absolutely dead straight and dead flat for about a mile and a half, or maybe more. As usual, I put the boot down and immediately Roger [my SatNav] started whinging about my exceeding the speed limit. Sure enough the limit on this road has been reduced from none to 50 [or 30mph in old money]. Why? There must be a reason, surely? Well, about halfway along there is a junction to a narrow winding lane that few people use. There is also a farm, whose entrance can be seen from either end of the stretch. Apart from those, there is absolutely nothing except hedges and fields. I can only presume that in the near future they are going to place a speed camera on it to earn some extra cash?
Speed limits here are a joke. I have mentioned before how dual carriageways often have much lower limits than narrow winding country lanes with grass growing down the middle. There is no reason or logic to them whatsoever to the point where they probably contribute healthily to the “carnage”. There is nothing like driving behind an old biddy who suddenly slams on the breaks because the limit has dropped from 110 to 50 for no reason.
the minister should abolish the fucking things altogether as they are a fucking menace.
Then he should abolish himself.
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