28 Mar 2009.
For immediate release.

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Drivers Lambast Government ‘Safety Adviser’ Qualifications
Call for Panel of Genuine Experts to review speed limits
The Association of British Drivers has expressed alarm about the level of knowledge and expertise shown by Government advisers on road safety.
 
Many ABD members are highly qualified experts in road safety and driving, who are frequently horrified by the pronouncements that emanate from the DfT and various Roads Ministers, most especially when it comes to speed and speed limits 1. You have to wonder how often these people actually drive 2.
 
“This basic paucity of expertise among government advisers is extremely worrying.”, said former Class 1 Police Driver, Keith Peat. “Not only do these advisers affect our road safety, but much of their advice results in thousands of needless prosecutions, too. I often wondered who was behind these poor decisions, and when I found out how little they knew about real driving I was shocked but not surprised.”
 
“This nonsense should be swept away and a panel of genuine experts appointed to review speed limits — people who know how to drive a car safely and who understand how speed limits should work as a road safety tool.” said ABD Finance Director and Advanced Motorist Hugh Bladon.

 
 
NOTES FOR EDITORS
 
1. In a recent response, Jim Fitzpatrick, Transport Secretary, demonstrates a highly dangerous lack of understanding and expertise in respect of the effects of speed; in particular, a failure to grasp the difference between driving too fast, an element of dangerous driving which can often be below a speed limit and speeding, which simply means driving above a posted number. As a result, the government advisers, who are now advancing a system of automatic car control (ISA) do not understand that any system based on 'speeding', like ISA, will not know when a vehicle is travelling too fast if within the speed limit and in these circumstances the dumbing down, foot to the floor effect, would be far more dangerous than full driver control.
 
2. "I once met the Head of Safety at the DfT and he expressed surprise that the traffic lights infesting motorway junctions worked 24/7 rather than just at peak times when they were needed, like they did 20 years ago. Clearly, this individual has not ventured onto Britain's roads in any meaningful way for a very long time, yet he is in charge of road safety policy. It's shocking." said ABD spokesman Nigel Humphries.
 
 
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