10:00am Wednesday 17th March 2010
By Reader's letter
As the wife of a police traffic constable, an intensive-care nurse, a car driver and a bike rider, I was heartened to read Bryan Lawson’s comments in respect of selfish and dangerous drivers (Scourge of the “selfish drivers, Letters, March 13).
Heartened, because I felt commonsense people like him were becoming a thing of the past. However, Bryan, I would like to share something with you. My husband is regularly verbally abused by motorists as he carries out his duties such as controlling speed and mobile phone use, because these people don’t think road traffic offences are serious or a real crime.
Not a real crime, I suspect, until it affects them. When you commit a road traffic offence, you break the law. It is as simple as that. However, what isn’t simple is when people die because of it.
I don’t find it simple, when life support is withdrawn from a road traffic victim. My husband doesn’t find it simple telling family their loved ones won’t ever step through the front door again.
So, if you are one of the many people who feel road traffic offences are not “real crime”, think about it. Think about the many people who have died unnecessarily; who should still be alive today.
Exceeding speed limits and using mobile phones while driving is dangerous. It can, and does, have devastating consequences. As for people driving without fog-lights, headlights, seatbelts and appropriate child seating – how do you begin to state the obvious to these people?
Claire Worrall, Pocklington.
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