The Highland Council and Scottish Government’s proposals to reduce speed limits risk criminalising the everyday driver.
What’s worse, it hands the police a golden ticket to ramp up revenue from speeding fines.
When speed limits were first introduced, the average car was a clunky Morris Minor, a far cry from the technological marvels we drive today.
Back then, seatbelts weren’t even mandatory, and anti-lock brakes were the stuff of science fiction.
Fast forward to now, and the average car has more computing power than the Apollo missions.
Modern vehicles come with adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance, and automatic emergency braking.
Despite these advancements, we’re being told to slow down even further.
It’s not speed that’s the problem; it’s bad driving.
A lower speed limit won’t stop reckless overtakes, tailgating, or drivers glued to their phones.
Instead, it punishes those who are careful and alert, turning minor infractions into costly penalties.
Safety campaigners claim reduced speed limits save lives, but they ignore how modern safety systems already prevent accidents.
In truth, the focus should be on education and enforcement against genuinely dangerous behaviours.
Blanket reductions treat all roads as if they’re equally risky, which they’re not.
Rural A-roads differ vastly from urban school zones, yet these proposals paint them with the same broad brush.
This one-size-fits-all approach is lazy policy-making.
What we need are smarter, variable speed limits tailored to the conditions, not an arbitrary reduction to appease statisticians.
Slowing everyone down to a crawl is not progress; it’s regression disguised as safety.
Let’s face it, these proposals aren’t about safety but control and cash flow.
The irony is that speeding fines often go back into the system, funding more surveillance and enforcement rather than driver improvement.
If safety was truly the goal, resources would go toward better driver training and advanced vehicle checks.
Speed limits should evolve with technology, reflecting the safer, smarter cars on our roads today.
Lowering limits sends the wrong message: that we’re incapable of driving safely without heavy-handed oversight.
It erodes public trust and paints responsible motorists as villains.
We don’t need a nanny state policing every mile per hour; we need policies that respect modern realities.
Raising awareness about safe driving practices and cracking down on the genuinely dangerous would be far more effective.
These proposals are out of touch, treating a 2024 car like it’s still 1955.
It’s time to challenge this outdated thinking and push for sensible speed limits that align with modern capabilities.
Driving shouldn’t feel like a trap; it should reflect the freedoms and innovations we’ve achieved.
The road ahead shouldn’t be paved with fines and frustration but with fairness and common sense.
Raise the limits, not the stakes.
