Town Switches Off Speed Cameras

[Dukesy 0]

Thoughts?

 

BBC Story

[Dream Catchers 0]

At the end of the day all these devices do is take pictures of people breaking the speed limit, they're not actually managing the speeds and they're not educating people.

Hallelujah they finally admit that cameras don't actually reduce accidents.

 

Jim

[shifty 0]

I live in Swindon and we still have a couple of mobile vans that are still trying to catch the moterist :damn:

[Dream Catchers 0]

I live in Swindon and we still have a couple of mobile vans that are still trying to catch the moterist :damn:

It says in the editorial that mobile cameras will remain in use.

The move does not mean the town will be left without any speed cameras as Wiltshire Police will continue to operate mobile units.

 

Jim

[McCardle 1]

The move does not mean the town will be left without any speed cameras as Wiltshire Police will continue to operate mobile units

 

Yes, far more sporting to have civilians and 'laptops' (not proper PC's) hiding in unmarked vehicles, horse boxes and battered old transits. The national safety partnership motto of being a high visability deterant rather than a money making opportunty seems to have fallen by the wayside by the removal of these high profile cameras in favour of the more stealth, mobile approach. If it can't be seen, how can it be a deterant?.

 

Of course i'm not saying that speeding isn't a crime and shouldn't be policed. But what I am saying is that there are PLENTY of other offences and crimes which should be policed just as obsessively as motoring offences. Lets get some of these mobile units and unmarked vans fitted with hidden CCTV cameras instead of speed cameras and out profiling and monitoring high risk estates and areas with high numbers of crimi-nails. You know those types of individuals who terrorise entire estates and are well known to the police but never seem to get prosecuted, usually due to lack of evidence. Seems these cameras and unmarked vans could play a huge part in evidence gathering and eventually have the same clear up rate as those motorists tried and convicted of a variety of minor offences whilst on the road.

 

Unless of course society deems that catching the motorist doing 57mph in a 50mph zone, 22 miles away from the nearest school on a bright sunny day is a higher priority than catching drug dealers, robbers, and children being shot / knifed on the streets??

Edited August 1, 2009 by McCardle

[Dream Catchers 0]

Around here the mobile units are run by Drivesafe and the ones I have seen have always been Transit High Tops and full of the orange and yellow chevrons - very visible. However they do tend to park near road works, so are really easy to mistake as works vans .

When I looked on their website a few months ago there were pictures of them and it also said that they would always use high vis vans. Looking on the site today I can't find any pictures of the vans, but they have pictures of the new police cars, the plastic Smart cars with POLICE in small writing on the front, looks like the plastic police are getting plastic cars LOL.

 

Another thing that I have seen are grey camera vans parked in side streets recording the bus lanes, these are local council camera vans, why not put them on the said drug dealers and habitual nuisance neighbours?

 

Jim

[exbutlinred82 0]

Havin a good run at the moment!!

 

 

Only got three points......9 is the norm for me!!

 

 

Man....do I hate those speed cameras???There are loads of these new monitors going up warning you what speed you are doing round here.Invaraibly the person in front of me is in the red.

 

SO ....How come YOU LOT don't always get clobbered like me??

[Dream Catchers 0]

SO ....How come YOU LOT don't always get clobbered like me??

Just behind the steering wheel I have a little white needle thing that points to numbers on a dial, as I drive it moves and points to different numbers, also on lamp posts and things I've noticed some little round signs with numbers in, what I do is make sure the needle thingy doesn't point at a bigger number than the ones in the circle, when I can't see the circle numbers I make sure the needle doesn't point past the number 30 on my dial.

 

OK, that's the principle, however being careful when you break the speed limit helps too.

One bit of advice, if you do get pulled, don't actually admit to doing 74, just say you MAY have being going slightly too fast, and be SICKENINGLY POLITE. Grovelling to save your license isn't anything to be ashamed of :joe:

 

BTW I've never had any points, I got an endorsement in the mid 80's though, so the above advice does work, as I am as guilty as everybody else letting that needle go a little too far when listening to Bat Out Of Hell :devil:

 

Jim

[McCardle 1]

Just behind the steering wheel I have a little white needle thing that points to numbers on a dial, as I drive it moves and points to different numbers, also on lamp posts and things I've noticed some little round signs with numbers in, what I do is make sure the needle thingy doesn't point at a bigger number than the ones in the circle, when I can't see the circle numbers I make sure the needle doesn't point past the number 30 on my dial.

 

Out of the many people who get caught slightly over the limit, very few of them are deliberately speeding, usually by a very small percentage because they were concentrating on the road ahead. Unfortunately cameras and busybodies (usually those who are at war with the world because they failed the traffic warden / police enterance exam) don't excercise the same common sense discretion as a Police Officer might on occasions where the offence was purely an oversight. BAM - £60 and 3 penality points. Shame they can't turn around offences involving drug dealers can car thieves so quickly innit.

 

Sometimes admitting that your eyes were glued on the speedometer rather than the road, can on some occasions leave you open to a DWDC&A charge. Personally I try to keep my eyes focused on the road ahead. At this time of year far too many little darlings are straying onto roads unsupervised whist their parents sit watching Jeremy Kyle. Even a glance at the speedometer can add meters to your braking distance, even at 30mph and that decision may mean the difference between stopping in time, or not.

 

This is one reason why cameras and suddenly coming across a white van on a bridge can actually CAUSE accidents. People look down at their speedometers in panic and in the same split second they don't see the cars suddenly braking ahead of them.......BANG!.

 

Usually the problem is that in a queue of traffic some drivers are unable to maintain a safe distance:speed ratio usually meaning that the lead car is doing 27mph, followed by the 2nd car doing 25mph, and constant braking down the line because they are all too close. So if you happen to be several cars down at the back, inevitably its 14mph time, and most modern cars simply are not happy at those speeds, even my cruise control doesn't work until 28mph. People get frustrated and that is when they do silly things.

 

The same applies on single carriageways with 40 or 50mph speed limits. If you are behind a transit van or similar, then they are limited by law to 30mph and 40mph respectively. Again, they often hold up queues of cars which are able to do the higher legal speeds and effective staunch the flow of traffic. Again, in peak holiday times, even 60mph limits can be snarled up, and down to 25mph at the back of the queue because of a caravan or other slow moving vehicle. After 30 mins some drivers are at boiling point and start trying to overtake several cars and take needless risks - this is when accidents occur, which probably wouldn't occur if the traffic was moving at the legal speed limit.

 

Unfortunately these attempts to raise money improve road safety actually on some occasions do the complete opposite and are not a solution, but part of the problem.

 

Governments in most of Europe have the right idea. Better lane disclipline, wider, much better roads with dedicated lanes for slower vehicles and slighter higher limits on motorways along with better driver education, including penalties for those who drive too slow as well as those who drive to fast. Pedestrians can also be charged with endangering themselves and motorists too, its called Jaywalking. Why the hell doesn't Victorian England have such laws?.

 

Oh, and I don't have a gripe. My license is still clean. I'd just like to see other criminals 'Nip'ed' and off the streets just as often as the motorist seems to be.

Edited August 1, 2009 by McCardle

[gadget 0]

Watching Jeremy Kyle should also be made a criminal offence...

[Dream Catchers 0]

The same applies on single carriageways with 40 or 50mph speed limits. If you are behind a transit van or similar, then they are limited by law to 30mph and 40mph respectively.

Incorrect.

The lower speed limits for vans only apply to the national speed limits. These are 50 on a single carriageway (60 for cars) and 60 on a dual carriageway (70 for cars), on other roads the signed limits apply.

 

Source

 

Jim

 

[McCardle 1]

Incorrect.

 

As you are Au fait with law, perhaps you could also be good enough to answer this one.

 

Is it still law, to correctly restrain children under a certain age / height in either a child seat or approved booster seat, and technically illegal and a prosecutable offence for children under these requirements to just use the standard fitment adult seat belt?.

 

If so, there must be just as many of these other offences being commited every day as those motorists wondering slightly over the speed limit. Around the lakes on a nice day you lose track of the amount of kids head's you see hanging out of the window, and untethered toddlers bouncing around without any selt belts on at all in the back. Yet, i've not once seen drivers pulled up for these negligent and potentially fatal offences......even when they pass on ANPR check or speed camera van

 

I wonder if the financial rewards for these offences are not as attractive as catching speeding motorists, or is it down to the fact that to correctly check that a child passenger is restrained means getting out of a nice warm comfy Volvo and physically checking, where speeding only means sitting in a layby and letting a machine do the work. Hmmm.

 

Over years, I've also seen photographs of overloaded vehicles on here ranging from hatchbacks to MPVs all, piled to the ceiling with heavy bulky disco equipment, which in the event of an accident or heavy breaking to avoid an accident would probably smash the drivers' skull across the windscreen, just as dangerous and possibly as much of an offence as speeding is and far worse than those road safety adverts you see on TV with unbelted rear passengers.

 

Presumably these DJ's are taking these risks with a view to trying to avoid the need to buy a vehicle which can't travel as fast in a NSL :joe:

 

Around here the mobile units are run by Drivesafe and the ones I have seen have always been Transit High Tops and full of the orange and yellow chevrons - very visible. However they do tend to park near road works, so are really easy to mistake as works vans

 

Then you are lucky. Some forces in the UK aren't quite so honest and open.

 

Source:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-56...eed-camera.html

 

Absolutely disgusting. If they can go undercover to catch the speeding motorist, then they can put undercover officers on every trouble spot and by now there shouldn't be a single drug dealer left on the street.

Edited August 1, 2009 by McCardle

[Dream Catchers 0]

Is it still law, to correctly restrain children under a certain age / height in either a child seat or approved booster seat, and technically illegal and a prosecutable offence for children under these requirements to just use the standard fitment adult seat belt?.

I'm no lawyer LOL.

I think you are right though.

If so, there must be just as many of these other offences being commited every day as those motorists wondering slightly over the speed limit. Around the lakes on a nice day you lose track of the amount of kids head's you see hanging out of the window, and untethered toddlers bouncing around without any selt belts on at all in the back. Yet, i've not once seen drivers pulled up for these negligent and potentially fatal offences......even when they pass on ANPR check or speed camera van

 

I wonder if the financial rewards for these offences are not as attractive as catching speeding motorists, or is it down to the fact that to correctly check that a child passenger is restrained means getting out of a nice warm comfy Volvo and physically checking, where speeding only means sitting in a layby and letting a machine do the work. Hmmm.

Again I think you are right, easy targets once again.

 

Over years, I've also seen photographs of overloaded vehicles on here ranging from hatchbacks to MPVs all, piled to the ceiling with heavy bulky disco equipment, which in the event of an accident or heavy breaking to avoid an accident would probably smash the drivers' skull across the windscreen, just as dangerous and possibly as much of an offence as speeding is and far worse than those road safety adverts you see on TV with unbelted rear passengers

Presumably these DJ's are taking these risks with a view to trying to avoid the need to buy a vehicle which can't travel as fast in a NSL :joe:.

There is a gross weight limit for cars (2,000Kg IIRC), my X-Trail is 1.500Kg before I get in it, it won't take that much to overload it

 

Jim

 

[D.X 0]

Don't speed and you wont get prosecuted. What do you really gain from going 5mph over the limit anyway. Maybe you get to your destination a few minutes earlier but what's so amazing about that that it's worth risking your license and maybe someone's life.

 

Everyone's in such a rush these days, it doesn't get you anywhere in the long run. In fact, stressing over sitting behind slower vehicles probably raises your blood pressure and takes a few years off your life. If getting to a destination is so important, set out earlier.

 

If the police could set up cameras to catch thieves and rapists then they would. You can't really use that as an excuse. If you get caught then just take it on the chin. I was caught by a van on a bridge doing 50mph through 40mph roadworks but what can I say. I could cry like a baby and blame everyone but myself but what good would it do. I was in the wrong.

Edited August 2, 2009 by D.X

[Dream Catchers 0]

I think everybody who gets a ticket will hold their hands up and agree they were in the wrong.

The comments about catching thieves and rapists is about using covert methods to catch them. I am sure that it would go a long way into not only deterring drug dealers but also help to prosecute them if the police/council used their cameras to watch known offenders. It would also help with the problem of unsociable neighbours.

The reason they don't do it though is because it doesn't generate revenue, unlike speed cameras and videoing bus lanes.

 

Jim

[vokf 0]

I've had a few points from driving a bit too fast.

 

I don't have a problem with Cameras, if you want to buck the trend then adhere to the speed limit (it is a limit-not a goal!). If no-one exeeded the limit, then these cameras would soon be pulled down as it would be too costly to keep.

 

Not many crimes can be caught so easily, the best tactic is to slow down and not drive so aggressively.

Driving is one of the most dangerous things we'll do when working, and sitting in the inside lane will keep your fuel costs down too!

If you've ever had to brake HARD at 80Mph, you'll know that the 2 second rule should be a 4 second rule!

 

Driving home at 1am in the dark, on possibly strange roads when tired, with a fully loaded car/van is not an ideal environment for speeding.

 

I'd much prefer some cameras that catch dangerous drivers (chatting on the phone, tailgating, etc etc), but until that happens, speed cameras are a 2nd best.

 

I no longer travel the UK, so my driving is limited to home to day job (M25/A1, so lots of traffic!), I still see many near misses each week.

 

Jason

 

[exbutlinred82 0]

I'm sorry but the limits are ridiculously low.

 

 

If they gave us a chance I would adhere to it??

 

 

 

 

Hands up any DJ who has never bent the rules??

 

 

 

LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!

[exbutlinred82 0]

Should we also deal with Speed Humps??

 

 

Probable conversation with Martian??

 

 

 

m= martian.....h = human

 

 

m- Now let me see if I have this right??

 

h - OK

 

m - Your governing bodies spend billions of your eathly credits making uprisings in your carriageways to delibrately cause billions of earthly credits damage to your means of conveyancing.

 

h - Yes....this is correct!!

 

m - You are indeed ...a very backward race.

 

 

 

 

 

"They peel them with their metal knives........"

 

 

 

Am I losing it???

[vokf 0]

I'm sorry but the limits are ridiculously low.

If they gave us a chance I would adhere to it??

Hands up any DJ who has never bent the rules??

LIAR!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

You'll find you are given a chance - prior knowledge of the speed limits. We should be driving UNDER this speed.

 

I think they are too low sometimes,and too high sometimes...

70Mph in poor conditions is stupid...

70Mph on an empty road, modern car with alert driver is probably too low -but unfortunately leaving it to drivers discretion is tricky.

 

 

Most 30Mph residential roads should be 20Mph, there is far too much going on at short proximity to drive at 30. Dogs/Kids/Wayward chavs/Reversing Cars etc.

 

I openly admit to driving too fast. My current 3 points are a testament to that. I'm trying to keep it down.

If anything, I'll keep more of my 40p/mile in my pocket (as claimable from the tax man).

 

I've recently see 2 bad accidents on the M25, both caused by driving too close at high speed - basically poor driving!

Apart from the horrible injuries incurred by those involved, this also held me up for over 2 hours on my 30min drive - just so they could go just a little faster!

 

 

 

[D.X 0]

I'm sorry but the limits are ridiculously low.

 

Some are ridiculously high. 30mph near schools and on housing estates is too fast. Some are 20mph by me now. 60mph on single carriageways is stupid too as it presents a 120mph impact speed in the event of a head on collision. 70mph is fast enough on a motorway but 80mph wouldn't be such a bad thing if the road was quiet. Variable motorway limits should be enforced depending on the conditions.

 

25% of all car journeys are less than 2 mile and 56% less than 5 mile. Even if you could teleport to your destination you'd still only save 20 mins at the most. In reality you'd probably save a minute or two if the limits were increased. Hardly worth the risk.

[TonyB 0]

I got to 11 points quite a few years ago (all speeding). Had a little Peugeot 106 XT that went like a bat out of hell and stuck to the road like glue. Got to 11 because I appealed against one and lost so ended up with 5 points + £200 instead of 3 points + £30.

 

Had to sell the little PUG before I lost my licence and got a dead slow Renault diesel but it taught me to drive more carefully. I used to enjoy driving and would just go out for a drive if I felt like it but these days only use the car for essentials as its no fun anymore

[McCardle 1]

Anybody who holiday's in parts of Europe will realise by now how much our driving liberties are erroded in the UK compared to other countries. I once took a holiday in Germany and decided to drive as it was shortly after the panic and chaos of 9/11. Once out of France I don't think I saw a single speed camera, fixed or mobile for 900 miles of Autobahn. It was also amazing too, that in the several times I travelled the same route I was never held up an accident even though some cars were reaching (legally) speeds of 150mph+. If speed kills, then these unrestricted stretches of road should have the highest death toll in Europe, yet in reality they don't, I saw more accidents, traffic chaos, speed cameras and idiots on the Uk side of the journey.

 

The lack of cones and roadworks was also absent too. It seems that no other countries follow our lead of peak time roadworks, miles of cones with nothing happening and that obligatory bank holiday 'emergency' road repair which never seems to happen in the winter.

 

Speed doesn't automatically mean dangerous driving, indeed it is possible to cause accidents through driving recklessly even BELOW the posted speed limit or cutting into the path of a faster travelling vehicle, either because they are too busy trying to control the kids in the back, yakking on the phone or just haven't figured out how mirrors and the accelerator peddle works.

 

In fact most of those sudden slow downs and inexplicable queues on motorways, are caused by people further up the chain cutting into traffic or moving over to let slip road traffic onto the motorway and in doing so have no intention of keeping up with the existing flow in that lane. All of the drivers in the lane behind slam their brakes on, and a domino effect occurs with each vehicle slowing less than the one in front, until, 1/2 mile back, you have a queue. You are more likely to be involved in a shunt when this happens, than you are from doing a steady 85 - 90mph on the Autobahn on a sunny day.

 

Apparantly the 70mph speed limit was introduced back in the 1960's when 70 mph was an impossible speed for most traffic on the road and cars and road technology were in their infancy. Not surprisingly either, it was eventually made a country wide law by an MP - Barbara Castle who didn't even have a driving license.

 

Lets face it, I agree with Martin. Very few people on here will be doing :nono: . But he wasn't alone, because some MP's, Footballers, TV stars and Off Duty PC's seem to think the limit is three figures and also have difficulty keeping track of dear old non driver Babs' legacy also.

 

Yes, 30 and 20mph limits are needed around places where there are schools and public crossings, but I can see no reason why this 42 year old speed limit cannot be reviewed and increased on motorways. Even better still, a 'variable' and enforced speed limit which is determined by the current weather and traffic conditions. This would cost nothing, as there are already matrix displays, CCTV cameras and traffic / weather monitoring on ALL UK stretches of motorway.

Edited August 3, 2009 by McCardle

[exbutlinred82 0]

 

Very few people on here will be doing <=70mph on EVERY motorway journey they have EVER made. One of my foreign relatives when visting the UK on several occasions even thought that the UK speed limit was 85mph because that was what most of the traffic around him seemed to be routinely doing

 

 

 

I think the boy has got it!!

 

 

If the Government can't be bothered to change a ridiculous speed limit on the motorways then I feel less inclined to stick to their other limits.

 

 

If somebody talks :cense: to me some of the time I tend to think the rest of the time they are talking :cense: too.

 

I will continue at my own speed slowing down past schools and built up areas but doing 85/90 on the Motorways like most others.(except when my partner is in the car.....bit neurotic!!).

 

POST EDIT - Don't keep trying to bend the rules here either! :nono:

9) Do not substitute letters within vulgar/obscene/forbidden words with punctuation marks or other symbols. Some Internet Service Providers (ISPs) parental software controls and School or Company networks still recognise many of the disguised words and may block access to the forum from their networks.

[mattmcc 0]

 

Apparantly the 70mph speed limit was introduced back in the 1960's when 70 mph was an impossible speed for most traffic on the road and cars and road technology were in their infancy. Not surprisingly either, it was eventually made a country wide law by an MP - Barbara Castle who didn't even have a driving license.

 

 

 

 

I also read that motorways were designed for 70mph, as in the camber on bends is set for cars doing 70 or lower. Don't know if this is true as I've seen many cars going a lot faster than that around relatively tight bends on a motorway.

 

Were we stay, there aren't so many speed cameras but lots and lots of signs that tell you your speed. They are great, except after a few dull days, when their solar panels don't recharge their batteries. It has slowed me down a little in the car. However, my brother in law and myself were really pleased when one of them flashed up 30mph when we went passed on our mountain bikes!

[DJ Ben 0]

70mph is fast enough on a motorway but 80mph wouldn't be such a bad thing if the road was quiet.

 

How many people do you see driving at 70? Most will be 80-85. It's still a fairly acceptable speed, and most police will let you off for the lower.

Until - you increase the limit to 80mph and people start travelling at 90-95mph.. some will even notch it up to 100.

Some of these drivers will never have driven this fast before and will have no idea of stopping distances (because it's not covered in Highway Code, because it's illegal!) so will evidently become an automatic danger to other people. Then the crashes will start happening, more road deaths and more statistics.

 

The standard of British driving is shockingly awful. You only need to venture into Europe (avoid France... not good either) to see just how bad we really are. The problem is, that everyone thinks they're brilliant - and ignorance leads to arrogance, and arrogance leads to accidents.

 

I think we should keep the speed limits as they are.

 

(and yes, before you ask... I've been caught too!)