Hit them hard!

Sir,

As a regular reader of Motor Sport since 1945, may I acquaint you with my first experience with the Police and a Magistrates Court after having held a lull clean driving licence since 1950 and averaging 35,000/41,000 miles a year on business and pleasure motoring continuously since that dine, trying heavens hard to always observe the law and thus having to exercise extreme discipline of mind and responsibility at all times on the road as extensive motoring all over the U.K. is vital to my business.

When stopped by radar police on the A449, Wells Road, Malvern, I was as baffled then as I am now (kindly see my plea of mitigation attached). However I did not argue or become “difficult” and was informed “The Chief Constable will either caution you or place your offence before the local court for sentence” however my crime resulted in my first ever endorsement of my licence and my first fine of £15. Thus after 23 years of continuous high mileage, blemish-free motoring, I am treated in exactly the same way as a teenager deliberately speeding to impress a girl friend with his “Virility” in his first year of motoring. If my stain free record and sense of responsibility does not qualify for a “caution” from the police perhaps one of your readers in a police force could enlighten me what would so qualify.

I feel as though sentence has been passed by an inhuman machine rather than men/women with reasoning powers. I wonder why they must enact the farce of bringing my case to court to be “judged” by those possibly not even holding a driving licence and unable to show any discretion on penalties taking into account the discipline and responsibility the average law abiding citizen must exercise at all times on the congested roads of Great Britain.

To say I feel bludgeoned by the Malvern Police and Magistrates is mild understatement. No degree of consideration or allowance for the hundreds of thousands of miles safely and responsibly motored over 23 years has been given; on reading of the mild sentences handed out to thugs, vandals, child beaters etc., it would seem that a serious, conscientious, responsible motoring citizen is considered a far worse criminal titan any of these and quite unworthy of any careful consideration other than the savage execution of the law.

( Name and Address supplied.)

(This proves a point we have been making at frequent intervals for a very long time. However, the solution could well be in the hands of motor vehicle drivers there are quite a lot of us! E D. )