Safe Speed Forums

I'm as frustrated as the next person by the classic scamera (inappropriate speed limit and hidden camera) but I wonder what others think of the following:
Leaving Aylesbury northbound on the A418 there is a stretch of wide single carriageway with good visibility, 40mph limit, which I think can often be exceeded safely. The road rises slightly and at the top of the rise is a highly visible GATSO. You can't miss it, even at night, and it's only necessary to ease off the loud pedal to dip under the limit at this point.
This camera isn't going to raise much revenue.
Just beyond the camera, the road narrows, houses are much closer to the road, there is frequently on-street parking, there are side roads joining, a pelican crossing, local schools, etc, etc. I have never felt it safe to exceed 40mph through this stretch.
My point is that the GATSO provides a very effective early warning of all these hazards.
Should we speak out in favour of helpful, well-sighted cameras?

My views are on the following page: http://www.safespeed.org.uk/cameras.html

In a nutshell, every camera now contributes to the destruction of road safety values AND we have a more effective alternative (vehicle activated signs).

So no. There's no such thing as a good speed camera.

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Paul Smith
Our scrap speed cameras petition got over 28,000 sigs
The Safe Speed campaign demands a return to intelligent road safety

Don't know Paul - the speedcam site has a few pages of them - look under "Vandalised Gatsos"

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Mark

I hear what you're saying.
But, as you said, it's not safe to exceed the limit on the stretch of road following the camera, and so you don't. Is it unreasonable to assume that, a) the vast majority of drivers will do as you do and slow down for the increased hazard levels, and b) the few that won't are unlikely to be deterred by a camera and will simply speed up again after the camera?
Wouldn't a vehicle activated speed sign be far more effective in warning drivers who are unfamiliar with the surroundings of the increased hazard level ahead?
And, if a camera is really needed in that situation, then wouldn't it be better to site it within the area of increased hazard, so those caught by it would be the ones who deserve to be caught?

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Only when ideology, prejudice and dogma are set aside does the truth emerge - Kepler

Or, as we've discussed before, a VAS warning of the hazard and reinforcing the speed limit followed by a GATSO to catch those who don't slow to an appropriate speed?

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Science won over religion when they started installing lightning rods on churches.

We should have VAS with more than simply "Slow down" or "Your speed is" - it would be better if they displayed warning messages that were relevant to the hazard. It would be nice if these VAS were linked to some sort of control room so the message could be changed as appropriate (i.e if there was no significant hazard at the time it didn't display anything)

There’ll always be a few who can’t/won’t apply appropriate speed, so I believe some form of speed enforcement is still needed in vulnerable areas (exactly the opposite of how we currently have it), but we know that making drivers look at their speedo (especially in such vulnerable areas) isn’t the way to do it. Also, allowing drivers to speed up from/to inappropriate speeds away from cameras isn’t desirable. Some could argue that SPECS is the solution, but who wants a driver’s attention to be permanently fixed on their speedo?

There is no good stand alone speed camera. Used in tandem with VAS warnings is better but it’s still not the best solution.

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Views expressed are personal opinions and are not necessarily shared by the Safe Speed campaign

Is there such a thing as a good speed camera?

One that's on fire?

See http://www.safespeed.org.uk/forum/posti ... st&p=61526

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I think if the policy had been at the outset to site speed cameras carefully at a limited number of key places, then there might have been a point. It’s been the wholesale, willy nilly expansion of speed cameras that has undermined their usefulness.
There’s one close to the entrance/exit of our local hospital which I think has a sobering effect on drivers and probably helps ambulances turn in and out more safely.