When the letter came, I couldn’t believe it.
Twenty-six miles an hour doesn’t feel like speeding, especially on a quiet Sunday morning near The Spaniards. It’s barely crawling.
I’d been caught by the massive speed-camera-saturated network of 20mph north London roads, and I was not pleased.
Facing a crazy high fine and points for speeding, I opted instead for the £90, three hour, digital speed awareness course. Speeders can choose from any of the online speeding schools – mine happened to be in Essex.
Arriving as demanded, bang on time, I logged onto my laptop, feeling a bit like my first day at school. My sharpened pencil and sheet of paper – both required – were at the ready as was my cuppa - optional.
For over two hours five reprobate drivers, sat and learned the rules together with our knowledgeable, enthusiastic and demanding teacher.
We studied the rules of the Highway Code, we looked at traffic signs, road markings, light signals, speed cameras, emissions, stopping distances and the dangers of going too fast.
I went away, certificated as clean, to consider how many of the rules I neither knew (there was no theory test in my day) or had just forgotten.
There are myriad rules on our roads and, as our teacher made abundantly clear, at 26 miles per hour, my driving was damaging the environment with excessive emissions and potentially harming human or animal life through my breaking the rules
Driving in the area has become a challenge with 20mph roads, HS2 traffic diversions, and the new bollards designed to keep cyclists safe but preventing parking for local shops and restaurants.
Finding a way to enable drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, public transport users, delivery people, businesses, older people or those with mobility issues to feel their transport needs are heard is a challenge for the council that I don’t envy.
When the speed course ended, and inevitably late for my next meeting, I dashed for the car setting my cruise control to a maximum 20 miles an hour.
North London life I told myself, is a journey, even it takes longer and is more stressful than I had originally planned.
Laura Marks OBE is founder of Mitzvah Day, chair of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust and an interfaith consultant – commongood.uk.com
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