Spped Cameras

[Ducati]

Speed cameras on A roads/dual carriageways are nothing more than glorified piggy banks.

 

Discuss!

[Cockney_si]

Only if you break the speed limit between them.

[Ducati]

To clarify - they are nothing to do with road safety, but are merely there to raise reveune.

[jake-the-peg]

It's probably unfair to tar all areas with the same brush but I think it's clear that some areas have rather extremest views.

I think it's also clear that chief constables are not properly accountable the to communties they serve and if we had the chance to elect candidates that had been previously vetted by the home office we might see better public service.

By the way despite over 3,000 people a year dying on our roads we have one of the worlds best road safety records in the UK. Mostly attributable to madatory seatbelts and strong public support against drink driving I'd suggest.

[Impret-Sir]

It is certainly true that they contribute little to road safety, just to catching people who are speeding and punishing them, which is not the same thing at all. You can drive as badly as you like, on the wrong side of the road if you want, blind drunk and blindfolded, but under the limit, and you will be fine, but go at 35 in a 30 limit in broad daylight on a clear straight road with no traffic for miles, and you run the risk of a fine. Plus, of course, OK, you get fined, but didnt stop you actually breaking the speedlimit, it just puniushed you after the 'harm' was done. The answer? Less speed cameras, more traffic police.

[Waggers]

Speed cameras are not designed to catch blind/drunk/stupid people and they do not claim to do so. The arguement is absurd.

The concept is really quite simple. Do not break the speed limit and you will not get fined. If everybody drove within the limits these cameras would make no money. Not hard to grasp really is it.

[Impret-Sir]

Waggers, the argument is not absurd, the argument for speed cameras must surely be that they contribute to road safety, otherwise why are they there? (unless it is to raise money), my point is that straying a few miles over the speed limit is not as dangerous as many other bad driving habbits that we all encounter every day, yet they go unpunished because a camera has no discretion and no judgement. A recent DfT report found that excess speed was the seventh most likely contributory factor in UK accidents, plus, despite the proliferation of cameras on UK roads we still have the highest percentage of road deaths per head of population of any country in europe, and it is falling more slowly than in any other country. Deaths have fallen by just 4% here, compared to 12% in France and 22.9% in Germany, whereas revenue from cameras continues to rise, it was �68.8m in 2002/3, with a surplus after operating costs of �14.6m for the treasury.

[Grunty]

Impret-Sir  Do you have references for your assertions?  In particular the DfT report and the road death comparisons with other countries.  I am not doubting what you say, which is similar to my own opinions, but would be interested in the original documents

[Zen]

Following the Governments freedom of information act you can now get access to speed camera offences registered in the last 12 months.

Did you know that every time your car goes past a speed camera, even 1mph over the set limit it is registered and put on a database?

You only get a ticket if you are way over the limit or, (this is the bit that we didn't know) if you receive over 20 near misses, you will be classed as a serial offender and get a ticket the next time you go just over the limit.

This is why you hear of people being done for 34mph in a 30 limit area whilst others doing 39 do not.
You can check what has been registered against your vehicle at the
following
address < http://www.e-database.co.uk/ <http://www.e-database.co.uk/> >
You will be asked for a password but just click on the need a password link and you will be given one for future use.
If there is any data on your vehicle you can click on the camera window to see a copy of the photograph.

[Impret-Sir]

Grunty, I do not have personal access to the whole of the DfT report. The figures I quoted were taken from a publication of the association of british drivers, of which I was a member until recently. The truth about speed cameras and road death statistics and more, (like the fact that in 1980 the percentage of police resources given to road patrols was 15%, today it is only 5%), can be found on their website, www.adb.org.uk

[c00ky83]

It's not the cameras that are wrong - it's the speed limits.  The thing is, on a 40 road some numpties think they MUST drive at 40, even round bends.  Hence, if one bend is unsafe at 40, they'll reduce the whole road to 30 then put a speed camera on the straight (usually downhill!) bit and cash in!

[Gef]

Yawn not again. I do not necessarity disagree with ducati but why not just stick to the limit. A few minutes makes no difference.

[handya]

EVERYBODY SPEEDS, Whether it be 2 mph over the limit or 20. I strongly believe that it is more dangerous to constantly keep an eye on your speedo than to pay full attention to the road ahead. Speed cameras encourage people who are used to the roads they are situated on to slow down briefly before speeding up when the threat of a fine has passed. I have noticed whilst on my travels recently that there appear to be more of the afformentioned money grabbing machines in the parts of the south of england that attract tourists. I obey the speed limit like everybody else but no matter how visible these boxes are if you are constantly checking your speed you aint gonna see them. Its a tax on tourists and it aint fair.

[Ducati]

Must admit - I quite like the forward facing Truvelo (sp?) cameras - they are a bikers dream!!!!

 

You have no idea of the sense of satisfaction I get when I ride toward one (one in particular which is near me on a safe dual carriageway just after a gentle bend, so it is slightly unsighted), standing on my pegs with two fingers raised proudly aloft.

 

Childish I know, but it does give me a real sense of satisfaction.

[Gef]

Perhaps the fines are to pay for the people who wipe up idiots like Ducati off the road.

[Ducati]

oooooooh, get her!

[UsAndStuff]

"You have no idea of the sense of satisfaction I get when I ride toward one (one in particular which is near me on a safe dual carriageway just after a gentle bend, so it is slightly unsighted), standing on my pegs with two fingers raised proudly aloft.



Childish I know, but it does give me a real sense of satisfaction."

Need we say more?
I don't really care if Ducati wipes him/herself out while doing 100mph on a dual carriageway, I do feel sorry for the people who are left to deal with the aftermath, the police, ambulance, hospitals, relatives, friends, not to mention the of motorists who are inconvenienced while the road is closed while the police try to work out what happened.

Have a look in the dictionary for limit, and I don't think it will say "applies to most people apart from the odd one who doesn't feel like sticking to it"

While I don't agree with cameras replacing police patrols as they seem to do, I don't have a problem in sticking to the speed limit.

My final words are, Ducati, if you want to go speeding round, either pay for a track day, or expect the speeding ticket through the door.

[Ducati]

Thank you - once again the absolute paragons of virtue on this site have righted the wrongs that us evil criminals do!

[dickiedubs]

I think some of these cameras have been placed purely to make money. A classic <a target='_blank' href="http://gadget-and-gizmos.blogspot.com/2005_06_09_gadget-and-gizmos_archive.html#111831933217294925">Speed Camera In Notts</a>

There are ways of legally detecting these cameras???