How Authorities Lose Public Support

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Topic: Cars And Vehicles

How Authorities Lose Public Support

By Charles Street 2008-03-02

South Australian authorities are hoping to cut their road death toll. That is a fine and noble purpose. But at times you wonder just how much they know about influencing the public. They make many mistakes. Their chief error is wheeling their own preferred barrow in the face of public dissent. The public aren't stupid and their support can't be won like that. If authorities don't much care what the public think, how can they be surprised to discover that they are unable to influence people's minds when they need to?

Recently three people were killed in a horror smash on Henley Beach Road at the inner Adelaide suburb of Brooklyn Park. An initial news report stated that police believe the car was traveling at 120 km/h. That has not been confirmed, but judging from the wreck it may have been accurate.

In a later news report in the (Portside Messenger 27/02/08) the West Torrens Council CEO has stated that numerous measures need to be taken to prevent further accidents. Among them, he mentioned lowering the speed limit to 50 km/h from the current 60 km/h.

In the eyes of the public that is ridiculous. Would that mean that a high speed smash on that section of road would in future take place at only 110 km/h instead? Or would it mean that drivers would obey a 50 km/h speed limit whereas if the limit is 60 km/h they will feel relieved of that obligation and go right ahead and travel at 120 km/h with fatal consequences.

In South Australia government bodies have had a fixation on lowering speed limits with different agencies doing different things. The result is confusion as you drive from one suburb to the next. There has also been a fixation with speed cameras booking people as often as possible. Authorities insist that this is not simply revenue raising, but how do they think it looks?

How do these government agencies expect the public to have confidence in them? Or don't they even care? Is this truly democracy?

Charles Street is a concerned citizen of Adelaide, South Australia. This author contributes articles to www.mindesque.com