ANTI-ROAD SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
April 18th, 2005 Posted in UncategorizedI was browsing through the motor trade newspapers and monthly magazines this morning when I stumbled across a gem of an article. Entitled ‘Protect and Survive’, the reporter describes how car manufacturers are being forced to design cars with added safety features to protect pedestrians and cyclists from serious head and leg injuries. Such suggestions have been airbags on the OUTside of vehicles (bonnet/windscreen) as well as foam-stuffed bumpers and rising bonnets.
However these solutions are deemed too expensive and so a pressure group has come up with a cheaper alternative - protective headgear and clothing for pedestrians and cyclists to wear that detect approaching vehicles and when a vehicle is detected, hidden airbags held within the headgear and clothing burst into life and protect that person’s head and legs.
An ingenious idea, but can you really imagine someone wearing a hard-hat with a rotating camera just in case they get hit by a car? And what about near misses? Cross the road in London today and somebody is going to try to run you down. Consequence? Inflating and exploding airbags EVERYWHERE. You’d be walking down the street and then BAM! Someone’s airbags explode because they walked too close to a car stopped at a zebra crossing. This would be entertaining, chaotic and amusing mayhem. I’m all for it.
According to the article, the pressure group is currently lobbying the government to make this protective clothing mandatory, as well as suggested cycling proficiency tests and traffic awareness exams for pedestrians.
And the name of the pressure group? The name of the people behind the cost-effective yet ridiculous safety campaign? Anti-Road Safety Enforcement, or, if you prefer, ARSE…
