Island Echo always welcome letters to the editor, which may of course not reflect the views of the publication and its staff.
Letter to the editor – 6th September 2021
“Many road incidents are reported and covered by your goodselves but there appears to be many that are not and the evidence is written on our roads.
“Never in my lifetime have I seen so many and so widespread tyre skid marks. At blind corners and hilltops on narrow roads and both inside and outside of speed restricted zones they are there.
“We need, I suggest, a review of all speed limits (with perhaps a maximum of 40 mph) and more traffic cops.
Robert Drover
You think people that leave skid marks like those pictured, will obey speed limits? Unbelievable
That’s not skid marks that burn out marks 100%
Ohhh, quite safe driving practice then.
You idiot.
A lot of skid marks like this are left by tractor trailers with poorly maintained / adjusted breaking systems. Not just by boy racers.
Agree how many tractor trailer incidents turning over been a few or trailers with no number plate or brake lights most trailers have abs brakes unless before 2000 they don’t so skid marks will occur
if you want 40 mph go and live on the Channel Islands there is nothing wrong with the speed limit here if any thing the police need to nick the ones going too slow i meet someone going in to newport on sunday morning doing 20 mph in a 60 mph and he had over 15 cars behind him and when he got to a bend the brakes went on people like him should not be driving
Yes, this is a constant problem. We have many elderly retired drivers being over cautious, driving so slowly, frequently braking when there’s no need to, holding up traffic with people who are trying to make a living who need to get passed. This is what often causes crashes.
Refresher driving courses every 20 years might be an idea..to be re-educated or just made to ‘wake up’ a bit..
(Ps: I am 65).
So you’re saying people who are trying to make a living and need to get past are somehow forced into driving dangerously? Sounds to me like they are the ones who need a refresher.
– Not necessarily dangerously, but will be put into the position of having to take a certain degree of risk, just to get to their client or job in time.
I frequently overtake slow vehicles, just to travel at an efficient rate and to get things done.
Yes agree IsleOfWighter. Would prefer to do around 45 in a 60 (when clear) but forced to over take someone doing 30 and hitting brakes all the time.
Allow more time for your journey. “I was running late” is no excuse for endangering the lives of others
no – those who are too incompetent to drive at a realistic speed and not crawl along at such a slow pace, that they are a danger, should be removed from the road, so the rest of us can actually get where we need to be in a decent timeframe.
HA !! – That’s a different Isle of Wighter !
Mr ‘Allow more time for your journey’ – Should not have to take into account those obstructing the road by excessively slow speeds (some of them do it deliberately).
What an absolutely ridiculous idea, how on earth can i take my bike for a burn out at 40mph?
It is not a reduction in speed limit that is required, it is policing of the law and appropriate sentencing by the court that is required.
Bring back speed cameras, spread ANPR cameras all over the island and deploy a minimum during any shift period of six Road Policing units island wide, not a mixture of RPU and Firearms, they should be separate units.
Prosecute every offender to the letter of the law.
Problem solved.
I totally agree . Positive policing and heavy sentencing is the answer.
It may be that reduced speed limits are needed in a few areas but not overall.
Badly ridden Motorbikes are particularly problematic in that they are hard to police , having a small rear number plate that is hard to read as they speed past. Most bikers are fine but the maniac riders are potentially lethal.
We do need more speed cameras and ANPR cameras to aid prosecution of speeders
what about Beryl scooters there number plate is even smaller and will the speed cameras do the people doing 9mph in a 30 mph with 30 + cars behind them
same as a push bike, lines of cars stuck behind them causing delays to people trying to earn a living, won’t take them off the road though, even with better cycle tracks that they still won’t use.
That would never happen. What about people who are learning to drive? They wouldn’t be able to take their tests on the island as they have to go at 60mph as a test requirement. Get real.
I THINK A MAX OF 50 ON THE ISLAND WOULD WORK THE SPEED THAT BIKES GO ON THE MILITARY RD IS JUST DANGEROUS
SO DO CARS AND WE LOVE IT
hear hear
Yes mate. (Motorcyclist, and I love pissing off these utter retards)
One twitch and you could be in cold storage waiting for your funeral, bet your family would love that. Nothing retarded about wanting to stay on this planet a bit longer, plus all the bikes screaming along milly road adds fuel to the ‘ban the bike races’ brigade, races which i would love to see come to the island, making it harder to persuade the locals and Councillors otherwise.
That’s because you’re a moron. Yes I’ve probably been twice or three times as fast as you’ve ever been in your life, but I guarantee you I’m a better rider than you a driver.
Well thats one way to pi** everyone off by suggesting the most ridiculous idea in the world! We might aswell all just walk it’ll be quicker since most people can’t drive about 40mph anyway on this island and cause more danger by not being observant and talking to there passenger. Everyone ALWAYS blames speed but how many people have died in road accidents over here this year? How many were drunk? How many were on phones? How many were overtaking a slow car doing half the speed for that zone? Constantly looking down at your speedo to make sure your not speeding is more dangerous then driving 42mph in a 40 zone.
I agree with you Robert. Perhaps not having a complete 40mphblanket limit across the island, but certainly an increase in the number of roads with reduced limits where accidents ( inc fatal ones) happen, such as whiterails road, briddlesford road, long lane for example. And have a safer driving campaign. It’s about islands council we’re much more proactive about the appalling number of serious injuries and deaths on our roads
You have to be pretty naive to think that reducing speed limits will stop the burn up boys/girls leaving their skid marks all over the roads. As everyone knows there is very little road policing happening and once out in the countryside it is pretty much nonexistent providing the ideal playground for the idiots.
No Robert, that’s not the answer, what is required is for people to drive responsibly and not like idiots that includes drivers of cars and bikers. I had someone (f*****g) idiot overtaking me along Ashey Road just past the garage by the bridge that’s just begging for trouble and risking death
These kind of skid marks are probably done at night by idiots wheel spinning and braking sharply in places they probably wont be caught by police,
The tyre marks are not tractors you can visibly see that!! These are youngsters that deliberately go out and do this! I’ve actually seen it. They have absolutely no fear of getting killed by loosing control of the car.
Putting in place deterrents such as 24hr working speed cameras and a sufficient supporting police resource would be much better. Oh, hang on, the ones we had have all been decommissioned over recent years making speeding a less risky business for those doing it of getting caught.
Just one problem, a very big one, you can make the speed limit what you like, but there is no money available to police the speeders! If there was the present speed limits would work
A lot of these so called skidmarks are from burnouts, and NOT speeding, any body with half a brain can see that.
Anybody with half a brain can see that the skidmarks are not caused legally…..
Probably match the drivers underkacks.
Let me enlighten you, I didn’t once suggest they were caused legally, I merely stated the ‘skidmarks’ shown in the picture are from burnouts big difference. Not a lot of speed involved. But then I guess the article was calculated to stir some interest, and unfortunately its brought you out blinking in the daylight of the real world.
No enlightenment required, (says I, blinking in the daylight)
Have you ever seen a burnout go wrong? Amazing how easy it is for the bike / car to get away from you.
Particularly if it is a front wheel drive hairdryer. All that popping and banging, dump valves whining. Ohhh to be young again…
What’s the point of that ? No one takes any notice of the speed signs now! So what. Difference is that going to make lol
Put posters up in garages of every driver done for drink/ drug driving, make all over 65 re sit driving test, get speed cameras up and working on lanes the kids use as race tracks
What a ridiculous idea re-testing the over 65’s i would never pass.
Come on wich silly counsellor has come up with this brain dead idea?
Look if you want to get in the history book do something worthwhile not a brain dead idea.
Why did you delete my valid comment for. Useless having input on this site. 40mph speed limit island wide is the most naive, idiot thing I’ve heard this week, and I hear a lot. Would like to know who the writer of this letter is and wonder if he’s someone who tends to hold you up doing 30 down the middle road every day!
This is clearly a major issue on roads country wide not solely on the Island, what I suggest is this. When a driver gets to a certain age 70 maybe remove their license the elderly are provided with free bus travel so getting around shouldn’t and wouldn’t be a problem. Yes the buses would be busier but in general the roads quieter. I know this sounds draconian and agest but it’s simply and idea not a slur on the driving ability of the elderly in general.
There are what are commonly called Island 40’s, they drive everywhere at 40 – in 20 zones in 30 zones in national speed limits, they are a danger to all. The marks in the photo are youths mucking about, not only dangerous at the time but generating flat spots on their tyres which will affect handling and road safety. Dare I say Cyclists (groups from clubs in pelotons) are one of the biggest dangers to road safety on our narrow country lanes.
The biggest danger on narrow country lanes are drivers assuming nothing is coming the other way and driving too fast without clear visibility, why bring cyclists into it? the article is about speed limits.
Hello Bod
People who can’t drive safely at 50 or 60 should not be driving. Just because you can’t do it don’t make everyone else suffer. You reduce the speed you reduce the capacity of the roads and cause traffic jams. bad drivers do speed but they also crash at under the speed limit. How will this stop people accelerating hard down Monkton street or up St Johns Road? And don’t get me started on people jumping traffic lights. More traffic police. Also going too slow is just as bad. People doing 30 along the downs road where 50 is fine. Creating tailbacks behind them.
We don’t need a reduction in speed limits we need old drivers re-tested and taken off the road.
Oh wow that’s a joke so when you / if you reach a certain age you will be happy for your licence to be taken away from you ?????
Yes there are bad drivers but across the board …..
Tailgating is the worst offence , and then not driving to the road conditions….
Overtaking bikes on blind bends …
Pulling out of junctions without due care and attention…
The list goes on ….
It’s quite laughable when the kiddies say that older drivers need to be taken off the road. Lets be honest, anyone who has passed their test on the island does not have a clue about driving in the real world.
It would benefit all to have an ‘urban only” clause on the licence and the car black boxed or governed to 40mph. so they don’t put other drivers at risk.
If you were to drop an island test passed kiddy into the middle of London, hand them the keys and say now drive home they would freak and be crying for Mummy before they got out of Central London, let alone navigating the M25…
Perhaps he’d like lots of e scooters instead.
Which are already breaking laws.Council could sort the floating bridge fiasco first. Before other hare brain schemes.
Why not ban cars altogether. They are definitely dangerous. Better yet, all vehicles, dangerous to life.
What am I saying, banning vehicles is a joke, people would still die of other causes. Making children should be banned because it inevitably leads to death!
Why can’t people just drive to the road conditions?
I drive within the speed limits and still find cars sitting on my tail trying to push me to go faster ….
30 is 30 dependent on road conditions 40 is 40 dependent on r c ….
And just because a road says 60 mph you don’t have to do 60 mph…
And whilst I am having a winge …..
When overtaking bicycles please don’t do it on a blind bend …
Patience is a virtue ….
Unless there has been a sudden upsurge in deaths caused by speeding drivers nothing needs to happen. Black lines on the road mean nothing. Why are there so many people who create issues when none exist?