Safe Speed Forums

Thank you Johnny. That's exactly what I meant. It isn't illogical IMO Paul because you suggest that we may return to the same attitude as before the cameras introduction. I don't think we would.

Speed cameras have made things worse but it doesn't follow that taking them away will see a return to a previous good driving record. You have to be careful not to shoot yourself in the foot here IMHO.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

If you have a dangerous bend or rat-run which really is bad what are your options to safeguard the public at large?

Pillows/Cushions in the road. - Wide based vehicles won't have a problem, nor will motorcyclists or *those who drive a company vehicle about which they don't care.

Bumps the width of the road. - A nightmare for emergency vehicles and doesn't affect the last group of the above*.

Cameras to check the legality of the vehicle. - This was my first suggestion. Obviously won't work for those driving illegally but at least the vehicle can be traced and taken out of service one way or another, hopefully.

Speed cameras. - There can't be a driver in the country who doesn't know exactly what they do, badly, so now that they have been foisted upon us it is a deterrent because you never quite know where one will be lurking. They don't need to carpet the whole country but just instil the fear that there may be one ahead so you just never speed anywhere. (That's the theory - doesn't work)

Training. - I go back to how do you educate a moron. Although I was taken literally, I was referring to Mr. Hyde not Dr. Jekyll and there are plenty out there from all walks of life and education.

So, to go back to Vistaed's original question, I think In Gear has offered the most immediately doable advice.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Deterrence has almost nothing to do with it. Cameras don't deter the nutters, and anyway the speed limit has only a small effect on safety. Most of us are adjusting speed to the conditions, which is what safety requires.

Within the 5% of injury crashes that involve a speeding vehicle probably about half have a nutter element and most of the rest have an inexperience element.

Anyway the proportion of crashes involving excessive speed isn't going down - it's going up.

And anyway with < 10,000 cameras and 380,000 km of roads, cameras are only on a tiny percentage of the road network.

10,000 (cameras) * 0.5 (km for a camera site)
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380,000 (km of roads) * 2 (roads are bidirectional and cameras are not)

=> 0.66% of roads have cameras



I'm bloody careful, thanks. Cameras are making things worse, day by day, week by week, year by year in the mind of the driver - and it's the mind of the driver that is the true road safety battleground. While cameras remain, so will the dogma and the damage will continue.

Once the cameras are gone the recovery process will start immediately. There will be no 'silly season'. The whole idea is bunk. Road safety never did and never will depend on speed limits.

(And if that seems fierce, then I apologise. I seem to be having a bad day. )

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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

Simple....put a real live copper there instead.

Motorways are a perfect example....a hell of a lot of drivers tailgate, make last minute lane changes (especially in heavy traffic), and generally get "slack" in their attitude.
Stick a Trafpol car in the inside lane at the obligatory (for them) 60mph, and watch EVERYBODY's driving become "textbook" while they are in view of the Trafpol.

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What makes you think I'm drunk officer, have I got a fat bird with me?

"roads are bidirectional and cameras are not"


There are several installations in northants that do both directions at the same time, with one unit.

I'd considered that but dismissed it because there's more chance of seeing the pope in a brothel than see any funding for PCs patiently waiting around the clock at all the black spots.

I've seen places, like petrol stations, where an old police car is parked to supposedly deter people from running off without paying or slow drivers down on the main road. But all that happens is that people get used to seeing it there and ignore it.

At another petrol station, I have seen a cardboard cut-out of a PC in the window. Well, I guess some psychologist has worked out that although it is what it is, people are still freaked out by it.

So there you are then, PC blow-up on yer dangerous roads perhaps although where I live the kids would draw a willie on it, or worse.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Just playing devil's advocate for a minute Paul; are you saying you would never countenance the use of a speed camera at all anywhere?

I only ask because, as much as I hate them, I wondered if a speed camera on a dangerous bend in a residential area could possibly have some limited use?

I know drivers would speed up again afterwards but if they slowed them down on a dangerous bend, and I'm talking somewhere with a genuine regular dangerous problem, then perhaps they could be of some use in some places?

abusus non tollit usum - misuse does not nullify proper use.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.