Original Article

Brake, a road safety charity, urged police to investigate whether Etri Mobile Services, a company that provides a text service about possible police checkpoints, was guilty of perverting the course of justice by helping drivers to dodge checkpoints.

Ms Williams, Brake’s chief executive, said that Etri was one of a growing number of companies offering services that make it harder for police to catch dangerous drivers. “Whether it’s tipping drivers off about speed cameras or alerting them to checkpoints, these devices are making our roads more dangerous,” she said. “They encourage drivers to see dodging the police as a game, but they result in more road deaths.”

Edmund King, president of the AA, said: “The responsible motorist has nothing to fear from police alcohol checks and therefore has no need of this service. Drivers shouldn’t play Russian roulette with their own lives and those of others. Fear of being breathalysed is an important deterrent and anything that makes people more complacent should be condemned.”

Of course you shouldn't drink and drive but in all honesty I know where the local checkpoints normally are and if I'm out and about at those times when they can normally be found I will avoid them like the plague and will drive a couple of miles out of my way just to avoid them!

Sure I don't drink and drive, the car is fine, it's insured, road tax is paid, I have a valid driver license, I have no weapons or drugs so I should have "nothing to fear" from being pulled over and breathalysed as the president of the AA so nicely points out. Yet I don't take pleasure in being pulled over and wait god knows how long for they finally get everything checked and sorted and I can finally continue on my way!

Same with speed camera warnings. I don't tend to speed (on purpose) and if I speed (on purpose) it's 99.999% on the motorway doing less than 80 mph. So not something I consider to be a huge road safety risk, yet I still have camera warnings on my sat nav, which nicely beeps if I come near a location that either has or is know to have fixed / mobile speed checks. Never ever had a speeding ticket and I've been driving for almost 10 years now and only had a sat nav for the last 3, yet I still find it a comforting thought that there is a little beeper that tells me to watch my speed, just in case.

So what do you think, do these services make the roads more dangerous or is it all just spin to gather some much needed media attention at the beginning of the year to ensure the different targets are met?

(On a complete side note.... anyone noticed they changed it from drunk driving to drink driving in their campaigns?)

(Edited by Chambler 01/01/2009 22:58)