We can't be bothered to enforce some speed limits, apparently.
March 4, 2013 3:37 PM Subscribe
For the last month or so, the UK Parliament's All Party Parliamentary Cycling Group has been running a series of evidence sessions on cycling in the UK. Today's gem seems to have been from the rep from the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), who appeared to say that the police aren't interested in enforcing 20mph limits: “We are not enforcing 20mph speed limits at this moment in time". So now they've 'clarified' it, with the rather laughable suggestion that "Where drivers are exceeding the speed limit through wilful offending, we would expect that officers will enforce the limit and prosecute offenders."
It was pretty odd to hear the ACPO actually come out and say this - as one committee member apparently said, that's the law and we expect the police to uphold it. I guess there are things the police are more or less concerned to enforce, but it does seem odd that they appear to have made a complex value judgement "...However it is for local police forces to apply a proportionate approach to enforcement of 20mph limits based on risk to individuals, property and the seriousness of any breach." on something (vehicle speed) that seems pretty crucial to a functioning urban realm.
(FP - I hope this reads Ok and is of interest to someone! :D)
It was pretty odd to hear the ACPO actually come out and say this - as one committee member apparently said, that's the law and we expect the police to uphold it. I guess there are things the police are more or less concerned to enforce, but it does seem odd that they appear to have made a complex value judgement "...However it is for local police forces to apply a proportionate approach to enforcement of 20mph limits based on risk to individuals, property and the seriousness of any breach." on something (vehicle speed) that seems pretty crucial to a functioning urban realm.
(FP - I hope this reads Ok and is of interest to someone! :D)
This post was deleted for the following reason: bike/ped drama posts need to be made in a less editorial fashion. Maybe try again tomorrow? -- jessamyn
There's a stretch of road on my commute that - after approx 3 years - I have just realised is a 20 zone, not 30. There is a speed camera on it. I have never seen it triggered, even when people overtake while passing over the white lines.
Now, of course, there's the imp of the peverse screaming out to whip past it at 50 just to see if it triggers...
posted by ominous_paws at 3:55 PM on March 4, 2013
Now, of course, there's the imp of the peverse screaming out to whip past it at 50 just to see if it triggers...
posted by ominous_paws at 3:55 PM on March 4, 2013
The Mayor, who has promised to unleash a “cycling revolution” on the capital, is due to publish his cycle strategy on Thursday.
A spectre is haunting London -- the spectre of cycling!
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:00 PM on March 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
A spectre is haunting London -- the spectre of cycling!
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:00 PM on March 4, 2013 [1 favorite]
As a 'Merikan, I'm of the option that the solution to most problems are more laws and stricter enforcement of them. Especially when it comes to something as dangerous as cycling.
That is irony you smell, by the way.
posted by nowhere man at 4:08 PM on March 4, 2013
That is irony you smell, by the way.
posted by nowhere man at 4:08 PM on March 4, 2013
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On the one hand this announcement means freedom for officers to interpret the law in accordance with council's intent. Speeding is illegal because speeding in certain contexts is dangerous, and a person on the scene can best judge which behaviors are dangerous enough to warrant police intervention. On the other hand, this sort of discretion gives officers authority to arrest people they don't like.
posted by justsomebodythatyouusedtoknow at 3:47 PM on March 4, 2013