WHEN will they ever learn? I refer of coarse to the spate of road accidents during the recent spell of foggy and icy weather.

Every year it’s the same: pileups, cars in ditches or overturned.

Drivers sit in their warm cars listening the radio or whatever, oblivious to the outside temperatures until they hit a patch of black ice then all panic sets in and they lose all control of their vehicle.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a 4x4 or not, rubber on ice knows no boundary.

Also, how often do you see these wallys driving in fog with no dipped headlights, or only using sidelights?

Even those who use fog lights often do not turn them off when the fog lifts.

It’s illegal to drive with fog lights on unless visibility is less than 100 yards or the equivalent in metres.

Regarding the new laws which come into effect shortly regarding the use of mobile phones whilst driving, they won’t make a jot of difference.

Unless the law comes down heavy on offenders they will continue to carry on in their old ways. It needs a real deterrent such as confiscation of their vehicle, a five-year ban, a £1,000 fine and be made to retake the driving test again.

Should they kill a person whilst texting or on the phone, then all the above should apply plus a ten year prison sentence.

These may sound harsh to some folk but unless we stop treating these offenders with kid-gloves the problem will only get worse.

COLIN FOUNTAIN

Dorchester

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