Safe Speed Forums

A little bird tells me that this will make news today:

http://www.innovations-report.de/html/b ... 84674.html

UWE design graduate shows speed cameras in a new light

Speed cameras may be unpopular with motorists – but by redesigning them to include illuminated speed signs, could they be seen as contributing to improved road safety? Graduate Steve Harris from the University of the West of England's Creative Product Design course believes so, and unveiled the new design at the international Traffex exhibition in Birmingham in April.

He is taking part in a new UWE scheme called the Graduate Consultancy Scheme to place recent graduates in industrial settings to share the best in design knowledge.

The UK's main manufacturers of speed camera housings, Portishead-based Crown UK, contacted UWE for help in changing public perceptions about their products, and increasing awareness of the safety benefits of speed cameras.

Under the supervision of Creative Product Design course leader, Tod Burton, Steve started by looking at the appearance of the camera housing, but then began to explore all the issues involved in the design and operation of speed cameras. He said:

“Talking to police authorities and other end-users of the equipment, I discovered all the design problems that needed to be addressed, such as ease of maintenance and installation, providing road safety messages, and the impact of digital technologies, as well as cost.”

The company was so impressed with this approach that the initial six-week placement was extended for a further twelve weeks. A range of new designs was proposed and in the end the company opted for a design known as StreetSmart, in which the camera is incorporated into an illuminated speed sign and is more likely to be viewed as safety equipment that protects the neighbourhood in which it is installed.

The managing director of Crown UK, Ian Woodbury, said:

“I was impressed by the psychological impact that speed camera housing design could have on the community and authorities. Giving the housing a softer image and incorporating other road safety features without doubt emphasises the safety angle.”

The range is now in prototype production and undergoing testing at a roadside location as part of the Home Office approval procedure.

Tod Burton said: “This has been a real success story for Crown and for UWE's Graduate Consultancy Scheme. We have shown how product design thinking has the power to influence a manufacturer's bottom line, a critical advantage at a time when British manufacturing faces global competition.”

UWE's Graduate Consultancy Scheme organises placements lasting around ten weeks with small or medium sized manufacturers who benefit from a dedicated graduate to work on a specific project, with input and supervision from expert staff from the relevant course. The scheme gives the graduate valuable experience that could enhance their employability – in fact two graduates on the scheme have already been offered permanent employment with the manufacturers after their placement ended.

***

The Safe Speed take on this is:

No amount of fiddling with public acceptability will influence the abject failure of speed cameras as part of a road safety policy. Let's scrap the lot, right now, for safety's sake.

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

How very odd! Every time Cumbria SCP runs a public survey, the vast majority of the public love 'em to bits! I think the scamera manufacturers could save themselves a lot of money re-designing camera housings by just asking CSCP how they do their surveys!

Seriously though, back on the CSCP board I suggested putting a big speed limit sticker on the back of each housing. One of the big problems in unfamiliar cities 9especially urban dual carriageways) is that they can often be 30 or 40 limts (or both within a short space) and to the unfamiliar driver, trying to find his way round in the rush housr, the simplast thing to do is to stick to 30 everywhere - causing a great deal of frustration among the locals! This would help a lot and be a great deal cheaper than an illuminated sign! I think the Tories adopted that vire too didn't they?

Personally it makes no difference to me how they dress this up.
They can stick fluffy smiley faces and sweet smelling perfume on them, but itll never make them acceptable to me.
They still take photos and they still scam innocent drivers.
If i had my way every CC in the uk who supported their use would find himself with one stuck up his rear end, and scamera partnership managers along with their disgusting employees would be breaking rocks in a quarry with a toffee hammer for the next 20 years for what theyve done.

They will NEVER be acceptable, never.

_________________
"Safety" Scamera Partnerships;
Profitting from death and misery since 1993.

Believe nothing- Question everything.

I find most of the ones on here quite acceptable:

http://www.speedcam.co.uk/gatso2.htm

_________________
Fear is a weapon of mass distraction

Would think that the insurance companies class them as a high fire risk though

_________________
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 agree with hairyben , they really are the best type and the mobile ones should self destroy when 1st used.