On 3/21/06, Fastfission <fastfission(a)gmail.com> wrote:
But we can note, if it is true, that it is not
currently adopted by
any authorities, that no tests of it have been done, and that it has
been soundly ignored by experts in the field.
It's not easy to define what is or is not a "consensus" in a field
(the lack of published controversy does not indicate consensus at
all), people with a reasonable familiarity with the literature of a
field can usually give a good sense of how something has been received
or ignored or what-have-you.
I think the fact that this hasn't been taken up by any recognized
experts in the subject is a verifiable fact, and telling enough for
most people.
Ok, having now also looked at the website and looked for references to
it in the news, I can conclude that it's mostly a case of bad science
with a lot of fast talking. One of the guy's major arguments against
speed cameras is, believe it or not, that the rate in reduction in
road deaths slowed down since their introduction. You might wonder
what he expected to happen if road deaths every hit zero.
Strangely, he has actually been cited by a couple of reputable
publications, including the BBC, which perhaps mistook him as a
spokesperson for motorists? Really a very strange character though,
especially the constant references to having spent 5000 hours
"researching". He also claims to be an "advanced road safety
enthusiast"...whatever that is.
Steve