Motoring Defence League

Time was when freedom to use the Queen’s Highway was the RIGHT of all law-abiding subjects, a right jealously guarded by the Country’s Rulers.

This RIGHT now seems in danger of becoming a PRIVILEGE. With each successive spate of new regulations for the motorist to observe, there appears an ever INCREASING number of restrictions on the use of the Queen’s Highway and, thereby, LESS freedom of the subject.

Restrictions there must be or chaos results. But those restrictions must never become more important than the end for which they were imposed. There seems to be creeping into governmental thinking, whether of local authorities or Parliament itself, the idea that the restriction is all, and the power to restrict is itself a good thing. Of this, mis-use of power is born.

The Motoring Defence League has been formed in an attempt to reclaim for motorists the freedom of the Queen’s Highway. It starts from the pre-supposition that all unnecessary restriction on individual liberty is a bad thing. All restrictions should be shown to be necessary. If not they should be questioned and opposed.

Every motorist should recognise that to be in possession of a motor car is to be in possession of a potentially lethal weapon and treat it as such. In so doing, however, the law-abiding motorist is entitled to expect that he will not be treated as though both himself and his motor car were undesirable on the roads of the Country.

Let it be clear, however, that the League does not support careless, thoughtless or foolish motorists. It will champion the rights of all careful and thoughtful motorists who may find themselves oppressed by, interfered with or bewildered by authority, without just reason or purpose.

The power of the League to discharge this, as we believe, most necessary task, depends on numbers. We ask you to join NOW. We need you—we believe that you, if you value your fast vanishing freedom, need us.