Road Safety Bill [HL]

The fact is that the current speed limit of 70 miles an hour is in disrepute because it is so widely ignored by motorists. I note that the percentage of traffic that breaks the 70 miles an hour limit is quoted at 20 per cent. I should have thought that it was much higher, but none the less, let us accept that figure for the moment. The present position is that a law is not enforced. You can drive quite happily past a police car at 85 miles per hour and the policeman will not stop you. In response to the noble Lord who has just spoken, clearly, this is not an official policy. But it appears to be a de facto operational policy of the police. Therefore, if faced with a law that people generally choose not to obey, and are not chastised if they do not obey it, we should set a limit that reflects advances in motor car technology—ABS breaks, better tyres and so forth—and enforce that rigorously. We know that enforcement technology is changing very rapidly. We have not seen too many so-called safety cameras—speed cameras—on the motorway network to date, but undoubtedly, the prospect of raising substantial sums of revenue from the motorists will arise. I noted in a newspaper this morning that one traffic camera on a motorway has raised £1.2 million. I am sure that the Government will not ignore that. With better enforcement technology, the issue of speed creep will go away. It will become known that if you exceed the new 80 miles per hour limit you will be prosecuted and there will be no escape. I am quite sure that the Minister will stand up and say that this proposal would incite people to drive faster. I am not sure that that is necessarily the case. I should have thought that a limit that has the support of the motoring public that is then properly enforced would be the answer, so I support my noble friend.