LIKE all public services, the police are under intense pressures regarding finances and manpower.

Interesting, then, that they should be using scarce resources to concentrate on the supposed ‘fatal four’ driving offences, namely speeding, drink/driving, using hand held mobile phones and failing to wear a seat belt.

Responsible drivers do not need to be told to wear a seat belt (not all vehicles are even fitted with them), or to use their hand held phones only when safe to do so. They know what, for them, is a safe speed.

And they would not even consider driving when their judgement was impaired either through alcohol, drugs, illness, tiredness or any other cause. The irresponsible will carry on regardless, even if they know the risks they are taking.

For many decades the police have conducted purges during the weeks before Christmas to check drivers for illegal alcohol levels. Typically, well below 10 per cent were found guilty, crash rates were at average levels.

Albert Einstein once defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

A PHILLIPS Salisbury