Sidewinder: I wasn't having a go at the HGVs

- they're obviously necessary, up to a point.

As a result of changes in consumers I do think there's too much transported needlessly on the roads, though.

Who still goes to their local butcher/baker/greengrocer anymore rather than going to a supermarket? Who still takes a bus to a shoppping centre rather than driving to an out of town mall or buying items online to be delivered to their door?

I'm guilty of it too, but it all adds to the number of large slow moving lorries on the roads moving goods between large distribution centres.

Are most of the things we buy even made or grown in the UK?

Tesco's are selling organic apples from the USA FFS.

I'm afraid that apart from the still great but tiny British-owned manufacturing sector, most of the goods on the roads are only directly supporting the backbone of other economies, not ours.

The majority of the profits go offshore.

We can't expect to lead a lifestyle similar to the Americans in this cramped little island of ours.

There are simply too many of us in the major urban areas.

(Incidentally, it'd take the resources of another 27 planets if everyone wanted to live like the average American.

)

I agree the current rail network is obviously not up to the job after the poor decisions made in the 60s and 80s.

I do think more use should be made of it, though.

HGVs aside, better use could certainly be made of the motorways.

Driver education is the key to the lane discipline problem I feel.

I was glad to see a police car on the M6 the other day using it's rear LED display to advise a driver very publicly to

'USE CORRECT LANE'

=D>

I wish we saw more of that.

As for the speed limits, speed doesn't kill, it's the inappropriate use of speed that does.

Again, that's down to driver education.

Frankly, I doubt most of us would pass a more stringent driving test like the ones the Swedes use if we were to take it now, or even the standard one for that matter.

I remember Clarkson witnessing a driving test in India, though, where apparently there's a guy in Calcutta who's registered blind but has a licence, so it could be worse!

[/rant]
