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Opinion : Are older drivers a problem on Wycombe’s roads?

| September 26, 2016

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Did you know this is National Older Drivers Awareness Week?

Well, according to an article that appeared on the news section of this site from Monday 26th to Friday 30th September 2016 Transport for Buckinghamshire (TfB) will be promoting the benefits of driving assessments to motorists and their families across Buckinghamshire.

I think it’s a good idea giving older drivers the opportunity to brush up on their driving skills indeed anything that promotes road safely is a positive step forward.

However from my own experiences driving around the roads of Wycombe it isn’t the older drivers who are a danger on the roads instead it’s the young drivers and motorcyclists.

Yours truly has lost count of the number of times that I’ve seen a motorcyclist perform a dangerous manoeuvre whether it be overtaking on the inside, speeding or weaving in and out of stationary traffic to get to the head of a queue.

Then there are the youngsters in particular groups of men who drive around the residential roads of the town in convertible vehicles with the roof down and loud music blaring out as they speed along with little regard to other road users.

It’s a shame the law enforcement authorities don’t clamp down on the dangerous antics that take place on the roads of Wycombe but sadly enforcement appears to be limited to fixed speed cameras which can be seen from far away and the occasional roadside check.

Sitting down with someone in their 80’s and pointing out their mistakes is very easy, of course sitting down with a hot headed twenty something is harder as they are likely to reply to any criticism with offensive language and disregard for the advice given.

If your humble servant was in charge of policing there would be covert mobile enforcement vehicles out and about on the roads with cameras to record the driving standards of those travelling in front and behind as well as looking out for drivers who are on the phone while motoring along.

The punishments handed out by the courts for driving offences are, in my opinion, far too lenient. If someone is caught speeding then instead of issuing a fine or putting points on their licence they should be banned for a couple of years.

Perhaps if the penalties were stiffer the reckless ones in society would think twice before breaking the law?

Anyway, I’m looking forward to the time when we get ‘National Younger Drivers Awareness Week’ or ‘National Motorcyclists Awareness Week’ as from what I can see these would be far more beneficial than spending lots of public money tacking the experienced drivers whose only misdemeanour is getting old.

What do you think?

*My blogs are published every Tuesday and Friday evening around 8.00pm here on the WycombeToday.com website.

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