Dear Sir,

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote to you concerned about the behaviour on our roads and the crashes caused primarily by speed. People I met in the street commented favourably, but nothing more. I had hoped it might generate some discussion, but no interest to date.

I now write to include parts of an article I read today (May 19, 2024).

Almost 30 years ago, a revolutionary idea changed the way Europe regarded road collisions. It has probably saved countless lives, but it has yet to be fully accepted by politicians.

In 1995, a serious crash occurred on the E4 motorway near Stockholm, Sweden. Five young people were travelling in a hatchback car when the vehicle went into a roll near the exit ramp for the Ikea store. The car smashed into a concrete structure supporting a street light by the side of the road, and all five passengers were killed.

“I am rather sure they were speeding, and as it was wet, they probably aquaplaned,” says Claes Tingvall. Almost 30 years on, he struggles to remember all the details — but he is sure about one thing: “The car was a three-door Peugeot 205 GTI, red.”

The above is the introduction. The following paragraphs are fast-forward extracts to where we are at now.

“At the same time, speed-limiting technology is approaching a point of great life-saving power. All new cars sold in the EU now come with Intelligent Speed Assistance as standard. Vehicles identify the speed limit on a stretch of road and either cut engine power if the car is speeding or give an audible warning. Drivers can override the function, or deactivate it altogether, but their actions will be recorded on a ‘black box-type’ device.

“In time, cities will have the opportunity to ‘geofence’ sensitive areas like schools to slow all motorised traffic down — something that effectively happens already with London buses, which are fitted with speed-limiting technology. Such a move would provide the ultimate example of transport authorities taking back responsibility for road safety.

“Of course, you need courage — a lot of courage,” says Tingvall. “The courage for someone in public authority to say, ‘This is where I draw the line between listening to politics, listening to science — and also human rights.’”

JEFF PAYNE

Southampton