It certainly doesn't seem to have taken on board the hostile reaction to the reduction of speed limits on parts of Northbourne Avenue, London Circuit and Barry Drive from 50km/h to 40km/h in 2021.

That decision, which caught thousands of motorists unawares, resulted in so many fines being issued it was difficult to process them all in a timely manner.

On the very first day the speeding cameras were switched from 50 km/h to 40 km/h more than 1200 drivers were caught. A total of 15,195 motorists were fined between July 5 and July 31. Of these 3279 were fined at least twice.

It was, from the ACT government's point of view, what Minder's "Arfur" Daley might call a "nice little earner".

While the government, which has a well-established track record of refusing to acknowledge mistakes, defended its decision vigorously on the grounds of public safety, the community outcry was so great that it led to a parliamentary inquiry into the matter.

While that inquiry supported the eventual extension of 40km/h speed limits to other urban areas, it recommended that thousands of the fines already issued be waived, that better advance notification be given ahead of future speed zoning changes, and that a permanent fine waiver process put in place to assist those who lacked the capacity to pay.

Although there is little doubt the latest decision to lower residential speed limits is motivated by the best of intentions Canberrans are entitled to ask if this is the biggest road safety problem facing the city right now.

While, as those advocating for an even lower 30km/h speed residential street speed limit claim, the lower the speed of the impact the less likely a pedestrian hit by a car will be killed, the fact remains that such events are relatively rare.

A much more serious problem, given the deaths of Sue Salthouse, the then ACT Senior Australian of the Year just two years ago, and of Matthew McLuckie in May, is that of drugged-out drivers putting the entire community at risk.

Sue Salthouse, a 71-year-old disability advocate, died when a 35-year-old Evatt man, Mitchell Laidlaw, rear ended her wheel-chair accessible motorcycle while he had methamphetamine in his system. Laidlaw, who pleaded guilty to culpable driving causing death and drug driving, had his bail revoked on Friday after being charged with further counts of drug driving, driving while suspended, driving an unregistered vehicle and using number plates not properly issued.

Matthew McLuckie was killed in a head on collision with a drug affected teenager who, while on an intensive corrections order, had stolen a car as part of a two-day crime spree.

Mr McLuckie's father, Tom McLuckie, is campaigning for tougher sentences for repeat drug and drink drivers, excessive speeding, collisions causing injury and death and deliberately driving at police.

While the outcome of his meeting with the Attorney-General on Friday is not yet known, hopes of action are not high given Mr Rattenbury has already pushed back against calls by the Australian Federal Police Association for similar measures.

This will leave many Canberrans wondering why the government wants to target sober citizens trying to get too and from the shops or to work while failing to crack down on those whose irresponsible actions endanger every road user. Surely we can walk and chew gum at the same time and target both suburban speeders and drug drivers.