4 step policy to save you from aggressive drivers
ANALYSIS, Global — In many Western countries, as well as elsewhere in the world speeding has become popular.
It gets dangerous when aggressive drivers speed in suburban streets where young children play. It is playing dice with school-children’s lives.
And I have lost count of how many times I have almost been run over in the city. Especially by aggressive taxi drivers.
My aging mother has also been almost hit by 4 wheel drives 3 times in a 6 week period last year crossing at a zebra crossing.
In Melbourne, Australia, aggressive driving is now the norm in suburban streets.
And recently Melbourne has had a horror summer of speeding crashes.
It’s a chronic public issue. The answer?
Easy. A 4 step plan. Simplified a little, but basically as follows. (This is written for Melbourne, but applies in major cities, with local variations.)
Step one, like in many European cities, drop the speed limit to 40Km/h or less in suburban streets, and urban areas. This was suggested by Professor Fildes from Monash university.
Step two, strictly enforce the limit. So more street and local policing.
We need to bring back local policing and less of this desk-based policing. In Australia , but less so in many countries, local policing has been made subservient to large groups of desk-based police.
Policing is done in the street, not the desk.
Step three, remove any aggressive commercial or taxi drivers. And have a 3 strikes policy. These encourage the negative behavior in an ‘anything goes’ environment.
If these professional drivers lose their license, and thus jobs, they will become less aggressive.
Also, at the same time, crack-down to remove the flood of illegal drivers.
This is a well-known topic of discussion in the Victorian taxi industry and their have been policy representations to the Victorian government regarding this.
Step four, fine pedestrians for jay-walking, or crossing illegally. Police are already starting to do this.
We all are to blame, because the system is breaking down. The agreed rules only work as long as everyone follows them. A traffic light is not adhered to as a set of rules any more.
The job of the Government is to govern. In Australia, in Victoria and NSW the government are not governing. There is no need for an enquiry for new ideas here.
These State Governments are instead making excuses. Time to stop. Do something.
You have a reasonable 4 step plan, 3 steps of which have been already presented to you by leading experts or your own public servants. Now go and do the plan.
Simple.
The 2thinknow position on change is:
Implementation, not ideas alone, is how positive change happens.
In Victoria, and globally, government’s who really want their cities to be capitals for Innovation would do well to remember this.
Christopher
Speaker. Author. Editor-In-Chief. Executive Director of Innovation, 2thinknow.
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