March 3, 2013Dear Sir,I read with interest the statement from the Police Service regarding clamping down on traffic offences and the subsequent Letters to the Editor on the subject, most recently the letter suggesting that we should raise the speed limit. I cannot agree that, because so many people ignore the limit, we should change it. I normally drive at about the legal speed limit. I am constantly overtaken, mainly by men on motorbikes but also by many cars, vans and taxis. They would do this regardless of any speed limit. They pass on yellow lines, on bends, on the brow of hills and in the face of oncoming traffic. This behaviour without doubt teaches our young people that the law can be flouted with impunity, a lesson which is soon transferred to other, even more antisocial actions.Surely if we are serious about encouraging visitors we should not be making changes which will exacerbate the one negative on which most visitors comment, namely the road traffic. I would suggest that the police are on the right track, as it were, and that there should be more prosecutions for offences. Of course, under our present system of penalties many of the fines would probably go unpaid which rather reduces their effectiveness as a deterrent. How about impounding the vehicle until the fine is paid, and, in the case of more serious offences such as drunk driving or causing injury by careless driving, confiscating the vehicle? This would send a message that we are serious!To change the subject slightly, though we are still with vehicles, please excuse me if I have little sympathy with those seniors complaining about having to pay tax on their large cars. I believe that one of the objectives in the year one Cambridge syllabus requires the students to be able to differentiate between “needs” and “wants”. It is unfortunate that some of our current senior population missed out on this particular piece of learning. It seems relatively simple. In Bermuda many people probably need a small car in order to bring home the groceries and travel from place to place in bad weather or at times that public transport does not suffice. Many people want a big car, perhaps to show that they can afford it, or because their neighbours or friends have one, or for a variety of other reasons. I would favour doubling or trebling the registration tax on the largest cars, both increasing government revenue and perhaps reducing the type of traffic that upsets our visitors. Those who need a car can get a small car, those who want a large car can pay. If, for medical reasons, a senior needs a large car, then producing a medical certificate each year at registration could earn them the same waiver as they would have for a smaller car.JOHN MORBEYSmith’s