In it's May editorial in the newspaper "L'Officiel" entitled "Let them live!", Didier Ganneau let us know this : "The road represents less than 1% of the mortality in France."
Even if it does not want to treat on a hierarchical basis the "leaders" that are alcohol, tobacco, stress, domestic accidents or even the social fracture and its procession of suicides, it is wise to quote the example he gives by specifying that the road kills less than nosocomial infections.
And yet, facts are there, road repression (can one still speak about road safety?) reaches peaks and does not seem to have to calm before........... the next presidential elections at least! This overbid causes the appearance on the front media scene of associations that used to amuse us but now that can scare us because of the growing listening they get with politicians from all edges.
Among them, Apivir, Associations for the prohibition of the uselessly fast vehicles, claims the restraining of all terrestrial vehicles at 130KM/H. I won't tell you what such "ayatollahs of safety" inspire to me, as D.Ganneau calls them in his article. For the most curious of you, here is the URL of those right-thinking people : http://www.apivir.org You'll see, it is really sobering!
Another much more pernicious, and yet very foreseeable effect is the constant increase of offences such as driving without licence, without insurance and the hit and run offence. If the first one involves the second inevitably, it is incredible to see that the third one concerns not only road hogs driving without licence or insurance, but also people who, from the smallest hitch, freak out at the idea of considered as road offenders or, when the consequences of the accident are more serious, run away to keep clear of being banned from driving or even of imprisonment
The fear ot the gendarme has undeniably been replaced by the fear of prosecution and jail which are unbearable to the eyes of the common citizens who cannot see themselves as criminals as well as burglars, rapists or killers (and yet...) And that's precisely where the policy of unbridled repression fails. However, What actions are planned to solve this problem? None. Oh yes, sorry, the hardening of the penalties on the offences quoted previously! Lord are we reassured! This will undoubtedly encourage the offenders who run away to stop, for sure!
At the same time, the insurers keep not wanting to lower their fare and this, in spite of the governmental orders. Alleging that the vehicles are increasingly expensive, that the insurances fund requires each year more capitals due to the lack of an identified third party, etc, etc....
Indeed, here we are, in an "all for safety" system where the victim of an accident with a "escaping" third party has to pay for the damages on his vehicle if assured at the minimum, or to have a raise of his insurance premium if the vehicle is assured against all risks. That's the limit! Or should I say a heresy!
Whereas septicism was the rule a few months ago, today anger added with a deep feeling of frustration and injustice prevail with me. And only if it is only a shout, I don't think the situation will improve in the future. And when you see the declared unwillingness of all the protagonists, you get to wonder if their leitmotiv shoud not be : "Be solvent and shut up!"
Cordially yours
Fastfreddy
P.S.: Special dedication to Hubert (struck by cage driver who escaped) and to Reynald and his wife (struck by a motorcyclist driving without insurance)
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(not translated yet) Edito Avril 2011: « lairduncon »
