SELF-INFLICTED INJURY
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• It's never hard to shoot yourself in the foot, but at times we could almost believe that the road transport industry uses a rifle with a telescopic sight just to make sure it does the job properly. At a time when hauliers and drivers should be doing everything in their power to present a positive, professional image the industry's reputation is being undermined by the actions of what can no longer be simply dismissed as a minority of so-called cowboys. Yes, we're back on the old chestnut of speed limits and the people who ignore them (see pages 2425). How many times have you heard expressions like "don't speed, but don't miss that boat" or "don't go over your hours, but be back here by Thursday"? Last week in Parliament MPs blasted truck drivers for speeding and tailgateing: drivers of 38-tonners came in for particular attention from Transport Minister Christopher Chope. The call for top speed limiters is already echoing around Westminster — sooner or later the men down at Marsham Street will doubtless take heed and reach for their statute books.
Of course it wouldn't stop there. If the British Government adopted limiter legislation it would be well placed to say to the European Commission: "Of course we will consider proposals for a lower motorway speed limit for trucks; we already think they go too fast. That's why we made them fit top speed limiters."
The argument that speeding on single-carriageway A-roads is potentially more dangerous than speeding on a motorway will no longer wash. Congestion on British roads has reached thp stage that deliberately exceeding any posted speed limit in an HGV is acting irresponsibly. Period. Campaigns to combat speeding come and go. Who remembers the most recent attempt, which was backed by both trade associations under the rather ironic banner "No Need to Speed"? Short-term assaults on the conscience inevitably produce short-term results. If the road transport industry wants to have any say in its legislative destiny it will have to convince public and Parliament alike that it can be trusted to behave responsibly.