Does speed kill?

Dear Mr. Editor,

I regret to say I have watched Officer Crestanea Johnson, of the Bahamas Police Force, give her little speech on speeding once too often.

Officer Johnson, speed in and of itself can neither cause accidents nor kill people. Speed merely gets you from point A to point B quicker.

Ma’am what does cause accidents and, from time to time, kill, are, in the main, mechanical malfunction, inexperience and stupidity,

Further I would like to say that posting officers on the John F Kennedy Drive to book people travelling at 55 mph on a road specifically built for SAFE speed smacks to me of deliberately and artificially boosting monthly bookings.

May I be allowed to suggest that if the intention is to create a safer driving experience, then it might be a better idea to actually book people for dangerous driving?

I can make three suggestions:

1. I again refer to JFK Drive or any other multi-lane highway, where an horrendously high percentage of drivers pull onto the right hand lane and cruise along at 35mph forcing following traffic to illegally and dangerously weave from lane to lane in order to continue at their planned 45mph; I’m sure I read in the Highway Code that the right hand lane is a passing or turning lane the cruising lane is the left hand one!
2. Another offence mentioned in the Highway Code concerns night time driving and the use of bright lights, or main beam. The majority of New Providence streets are reasonably well lit and therefore there is very little need for brights and even on an unlit street in traffic the only vehicle allowed to drive on bright lights is the first one and even then that driver is required to dip lights when another vehicle approaches.
3. And lastly, most Bahamians, and here I must include police drivers, refuse to use their indicators, you know that little switch located just behind the steering wheel, again the use of which is something our Highway Code tells us is a legal requirement.

Thank you for your considerations,

H. Armbrister