LIFE is about to become even harder for drivers. As if having a speed camera hidden around every corner isn't enough, Europe is demanding that British police are given the powers to perform random drink-driving tests and the police announce that they are pioneering a new camera to trap tailgating motorists.

They'll soon be more cameras along our roadsides waiting for us to put a tyre out of place than there were down the touchline of Saturday's FA Cup final waiting for Dennis Wise to be sent off.

Actually, these safety measures make much sense.

Britain's attempt to prevent the European Commission from introducing random drink-driving tests is peculiar. There may be valid arguments about whether random tests are the most effective use of police time but, as sure as eggs are eggs, if word gets round at Christmas that local police are testing every tenth motorist who passes, there will even fewer drivers gambling and driving.

There may be civil liberties objections but if you've not touched a drop then you won't have anything to worry about. Once closed circuit televisions were opposed on similar grounds, but now most towns have them and they make most people feel safer.

Britain may not like being dictated to by Europe, but sometimes Europe may have a point.

Tailgating is a motorway menace that could usefully be addressed. Driving too close, particularly in bad weather, causes accidents.

Before getting our whole-hearted support, though, we'll need to know what distance defines a "tailgater", and we'll also be interested to learn about what camera-sanctions will be taken against the lanehogger who sits smugly in the middle lane doing 55mph while queues of tailgating traffic build up behind him.

But if we are to have closed circuit cameras, speed cameras and tailgate cameras, might one day we have litter cameras? Roadside verges are full of garbage dumped by motorists - on Saturday, outside Darlington, a female passenger in a turquoise Vauxhall Corsa tossed a paper cup of Coke out of her window. It exploded into a sticky mess and now the cup and the straw will remain there all summer long as a monument to this lady's selfish laziness.