Are the police failing law-abiding drivers?

How many times have you spotted an additional motorist chatting or texting on a hand-held mobile phone although at the wheel?

What about tailgating, hogging the middle lane of the motorway, or merely ignoring the speed limit?

They are all illegal acts but, according to the most recent RAC Report on Motoring, couple of of us in fact expect the lawbreakers to be prosecuted or even caught since of a lack of police to enforce the regulations.

So I guess that indicates I’ll have to content material myself with shaking my head and muttering dark oaths when I witness such transgressions. And their name is legion, particularly on the school run.

Road rage

Properly over half of motorists (60%) think there aren’t adequate police officers on the roads.

What’s much more, 40% reckon any person committing an offence, such as aggressive driving, will more than most likely escape conviction. No wonder law-abiding motorists are frustrated.

David Bizley, RAC technical director, says: “Motorists are tired of continuously seeing other drivers breaking the law and receiving away with it, so it is hardly surprising that they want to see a greater police presence on our roads to enforce motoring legislation a lot more efficiently, which would also act as a genuine deterrent.”

Sensible moves

Mobile phones are a specific bugbear: the investigation identified that 3 quarters (75%) of motorists frequently spot other drivers speaking on mobile phones.

A bit odd then that only 8% of drivers admit to employing a hand-held telephone on most journeys.

Still, there’s no doubting the developing concern about the perceived lack of comeuppance for the lawbreakers and the risk they pose to accountable drivers.

It’s also ironic, provided a current government crackdown on careless driving.

Ton of trouble

Last summer time, the police have been offered the energy to problem on-the-spot fines of £100, plus 3 penalty points, to drivers who commit careless driving offences such as tailgating or hogging the middle lane.

The fixed penalty for most other offences, like making use of a mobile telephone at the wheel, also went up from £60 to £100.

Candid camera

Of course, it is 1 thing providing the police further powers, it’s very one more providing the police additional resources. But at least there’s the trusty camera to monitor the road menace.

In fact, the only offences that motorists believe are successfully enforced are visitors lights and speeding violations, where you are a lot more most likely to be caught by a camera than a police officer.

In the survey, half the motorists with speeding points have been trapped by a speed camera, but only a quarter (24%) by a police officer.

Fast and loose

Speeding is absolutely the nation’s weak spot, with 40% of motorists admitting to breaking the limit on nation, urban and 20mph roads.

Drivers locate it even tougher to stick to the speed limit on motorways, exactly where 67% admit to driving more rapidly than the law enables, which could maybe clarify why 70% of drivers believe the speed limit on motorways must be raised to 80mph or above.

Could our require for speed have something to do with the reality that fixed speed cameras are not employed to enforce 70mph on motorways?

Whatever the cause, it’s certainly one particular law much more motorists are prepared to break – at least while there’s small hope of acquiring caught.

Are the police failing law-abiding drivers?