What's the best way to stop people from speeding again?

[AB Asks]

Speeding is the most common form of motoring offence. More and more people who are caught speeding are being asked to attend 'awareness classes' to make sure that they learn from their mistakes. Have you ever attended one of these classes? Are they the best way to stop people from speeding?

[crossroads]

Whats happened to the pink background?

Life in a vacuum sucks

[jake-the-peg]

If road pricing comes in they'll be able to match your speed to your location and send you a ticket in the post before you reach home.

This will also address the problem of congestion as half of us will lose our licenses in the first year.

[Electrochem]

I would suggest a return to the old fashioned Traffic Police Officer who used his common sense if someone was caught speeding. I do not agree with excess speed, but there are far more serious things happening on the roads, which never get seen. More Traffice Police on the roads would catch these.

I would like to see cameras introduced to catch the morons who continue to use their hand held mobile phones whilst driving along with tailgaters.

[jake-the-peg]

The revenue raised from speed cameras in 2003/4 was �20 million. That is roughly a thousand times less than the tax income from fuel duty and about 0.02% of the government revenue.

Put into context if you earn �20,000 a year that'd be like an extra stream of revenue earning you �3.27 a year.

If cameras are there to raise revenue they're doing a damn poor job of it

[jake-the-peg]

Nah I think you're onto a looser there - Even Jeremy Clarkson had to admit the revenue raising thing was a myth.

But they don't stop speed related accidents, the accident figures didn't drop over the country when they were brought in , just in the places that they were brought in to - it just exported the accidents elsewhere!

Like I say, long term if road pricing does make it to the UK they'll be able to map your position and speed and that'll be that. Just like they can look and see who's got no car tax but not declared SORN

[dan no1]

I got caught speeding in March of this year. I ring up to see if i could do the speed awareness course and they said 'no', because i was caught doing more than 40mph (i was doing 45mph on a 30 road), which i think is stupid.

[furrycheeky]

Being sent to attend a speeding awareness course is stupid. The person who was caught speeing only has to turn up, watch some videos, read some notes and say the right things. Then drive home speeding again.

In my opinion there should be less points available to play with. Getting caught once or twice has no bearing these days, and indeed many insurance companies put up with a few points.
It should be first offence is a warning and fine second time is ban. You've had your warning take the consequences.

We should not be on here debating if speed cameras are money or safety making. Either way IT DOESNT MATTER. The speed limit is the speed limit. If you abide by it you will not get caught by one.

[derekpara]

Speed awaremess courses won't make the slightest difference; practically anyone can be ' a good boy (or girl)' when they are beung scrutinised.
Good, safe, considerate driving is about experience and ATTITUDE, and the only way you will change a driver's poor attitude is by penalising him when he transgresses. ie, fines, suspension of licence etc.

[Reverandfunk]

I tell you what to all the do gooders on here who "never speed" next time your on a busy main road, do 29pmh and see the long queue of traffic behind you.

[derekpara]

I couldn't care less. I'll travel at 20 or even less if the conditions demand it. It may be your child who runs into the road.

[trevHCS]

One of the "best" ways to stop people going above the limit is those average speed cameras like they've got on part of the A14.

The weekend they were turned on the A14 jammed up solid and no doubt there were a pile of shunt accidents as you always get those in traffic jams.

When the traffic gets up some speed you get 2 lines of cars doing around 50 - 60mph, then some idiot jumps lanes, everyone brakes and you'll end up with another accident. Basically defeats the object...!


Please don't take Reverandfunk's advice if driving on main roads. For example I followed one this morning onto a relatively quite bit of the M6 at 40mph, but she managed to slow to 35mph by the time she got onto the motorway.

Perfectly legal, but doing it at 80mph would have been a lot safer than 35 even if it is illegal.


As for 29 in a town - now that's a different matter. The thing with those whole "speed kills" setup is that they aren't making a distinction between say town where 40mph probably is dangerous (in most cases) and 80mph down a motorway which isn't going to make much difference if you hit the barrier vs a legal 70.

Finally - if you want to stop me doing 85 down the M6 every morning....give me some stats that show actually it's only going to save me 3 mins compared to 70. Then I'll stop as I could do with saving the fuel.... :-)

[Toureman]

Speed awareness courses are simply way to avoid having points, they are just spouting government propagander and a waste of time.

You are told that speeding is the cause of 25% of deaths, the true figure is 7%.