Are cars a deadly weapon?

The worst e-mail I received this week was a rant from somebody (anonymous) against the extreme lengths that the police are going to in order to catch drivers who break the law. They have radars, unmarked cars, databases and heavy fines at their disposal, which he thinks unacceptable. He doesn't even dream of the lengths gone to in other countries. Imagine his reaction to investigating accidents properly with a view to prosecuting those responsible for manslaughter or assault with a deadly weapon. We will get there eventually.

Portugal has a ridiculously high death and injury rate from traffic accidents, not because of the law, but because there continues to be a minimal chance of being caught. Prominent people go on TV regularly to criticise lack of safety, but then go on to say that their larger, safer, more expensive than average cars are a reasonable exception.

The author of the e-mail gave the example of a friend who had to sell his car to pay a fine - perhaps if he received such a high fine he wasn't a fit person to own a car.

Something has to change. If "extreme" policing techniques can help I'm all for it. The self-styled intelligentsia must take note too - what they need is a high profile prosecution of a jet-set figure for a traffic offence.

This source of national shame has to be dealt with, and the sooner the better.