School speed limits don't make sense
THE other day, contemplating some of life's great mysteries (as one does), my mind turned to the subject of speed limits, particularly those near schools and specifically those near my home. Les Baissieres, between the junctions with Pont Vaillant and that with Rue du Friquet, is, by Guernsey standards, quite a straight and wide road but has a limit of 25mph. Pont Vaillant, from the same junction to the one with Verte Rue, is a narrow, twisting road but has a limit of 35mph. If we are trying to teach our young people to make decisions based on reason, logic and common sense, is this a good example of adult thinking to show them as they go to school?
As I contemplated further, I wondered about speed limits near schools in general. For many years Guernsey has (or had) lowered the speed limit on some sections of coast road to protect children visiting the beach. If they are at the beach, the children cannot be at school, so why are the speed limits near schools not raised from 25 to 35mph during school holidays? UK motorists have more recently become used to variable speed limits and advances in technology make it fairly easy to make sure that motorists would be aware of the changes. I feel sure that most motorists would be more conscious of and compliant with limits that varied for good reason than those that remained low without any justification.
On a further matter of road safety, I wondered if the powers that be have ever considered borrowing an idea from the French and raising the level of the road surface at troublesome junctions with filter-in-turns? It would not need Alpine slopes. A platform 2-3 inches above the normal road level would be enough to deter those who drive straight through filters at speed, assuming that it must be their turn.
BARRIE PAIGE,
La Haute Maison,
GY6 8BP.
