---

Road Safety Bill [HL]

I support both the previous speakers, and remind the House that I am the President of RoSPA, part of the Safer Streets Coalition—which is 29 social justice organisations from all sectors of society, who have united to raise concerns about the impact of road danger on transport choice, health, social inclusion and quality of life. The Safer Streets Coalition welcomes the principle of graduated fixed penalty points. However, they had expected the mechanism to be used only to vary penalties upward, in order to change driver attitudes to speeding and to discourage repeat offending. This was indicated in the 2000 consultation, Road Traffic Penalties. The coalition strongly objects to a reduction in points and fines. There is no evidence that lowering the penalty for   speeding will improve road safety. Speed, whether   excess—breaking the posted speed limit—or inappropriate—driving too fast for the conditions—is a contributory factor in as many as one in three road deaths. Despite this, speeding is treated more leniently than any other offence that can kill and maim. The Bill’s proposals send entirely the wrong message to drivers. I firmly believe this, and ask the Government to think again on the issue.