The police decision to lower their tolerance of speeding on Bay highways is welcome and timely.
Western Bay police today warn anyone caught travelling 5km/h or more over the limit will be given a ticket - which means they will also be fined and receive demerit points.
The move is part of the
police's winter campaign targeting State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Ranges. The campaign will run to the end of August and follows a similar crackdown last year that resulted in crashes dropping 63 per cent and no deaths recorded.
The tolerance crackdown this year applies to all highways and is a marked departure from the usual 10km/h buffer motorists are given.
The tactic has a huge amount of merit. Last year, it was introduced nationally for Queen's Birthday Weekend and only one person died on the roads - the lowest toll in 54 years. The result speaks for itself.
Any law-abiding driver in this region knows just how dangerous speeding drivers can be. These thoughtless idiots tailgate and take huge risks by overtaking in silly places, putting innocent people's lives on the line.
They show no regard for the law or anyone else and seem to think they own the road.
And it's not just young hoons at fault. There are some otherwise respectable members of our community who get a slightly ugly streak when they climb behind the wheel of their shiny four-wheel-drive and hit the gas.
The problem is there are only so many traffic police out there and it is clear these traffic offenders are taking a calculated risk they won't get caught.
We know excessive speed is one of the key factors behind road smashes. Drink-driving and not driving to the conditions are others.
Many motorists speed at times, by accident or knowing they have some leeway and believing they are causing no harm. But the new tolerance campaign tightens the noose. It has the ability to snare even those motorists who are normally law-abiding but inadvertently creep over the limit.
This move is the right thing to do and should hopefully make drivers more aware of their speed on the open road and make our roads safer. If the campaign is a success it should be rolled out on all roads at all times.
