Reducing congestion at a stroke

Politicians around the world have been trying for years to reduce congestion on the roads. There have been numerous schemes, the most well known of them being "congestion charging", where a levy is charged if you wish to drive within the most congested areas. There is debate about the fairness and effectiveness of these solutions. Opinion is so polarised that there is no prospect of there ever being any consensus.

However - I have a solution. It occurred to me as I was driving back to Yorkshire on a very wet M1 on Sunday evening.

It is a uniquely British solution, and is simple and effective. In fact, it's so breathtakingly simple, I'm amazed I've never heard of it before. The legislation for this already exists too. It's a logical extension of the issuance of a Section 59 notice, but with immediate confiscation, no warnings.

Rule 1. If you are caught by a police officer with your front OR rear fog lamps on, when visibility is obviously greater than 100 metres, your car will be confiscated and crushed. There is no right to appeal. (see Highway Code sections 226-237)

This will remove thousands of cars from the road at a single stroke, virtually overnight. If you're impressed by that, wait; it gets better.

Rule 2. If you are caught with front OR rear fog lights on, but still tearing down Lane 3 of the motorway in excess of the speed limit, your car will be confiscated and crushed, as in Rule 1, but you will not be allowed to remove your personal effects first, AND you will receive a 5 year driving ban.

Rule 2  is specifically aimed at the idiots who think that the visibility is bad enough that fog lights are needed, but it's still apparently good enough for them to blast down the motorway at 90mph, 6 feet from the car in front. These are most frequently Audi drivers, but also seen with the lesser-spotted Mercedes, and the Common White Van. With reasoning and hazard perception skills like these, these morons are too stupid to be trusted with a car, and I would recommend consultation on compulsorily sterilising people who break Rule 2. The gene pool has enough turds in it, thank you.

I'm willing to have a small wager too, that implementing these rules would also reduce the number of accidents on our roads.