Speede cameras

[musclebiker]

Just wondering what your view is on this matter. I think not because people only ever seem to slow down for the cameras and then speed up again.

[JonB]

I voted No, BUT, I think the reason you put is actually why they do work, because in some cases especially the fixed camera near my house is right near an accident blackspot and so whilst these people are slowing down for the camera they are going at the slow speed they should be on the brow of a hill with a junction to the left.

The police say speeding kills, yes, but i'm pretty sure dangerous driving and driving without due care or attention is far worse.
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[Ric]

all that anyone seems to do is either

A) know where they are slow past them

imo the good way, ie, they slow down people for schools, dangers etc

B) people ragg about then slam on the brakes

which i find just to be as dangerous as speeding all the time

i think they should be a shown deterant, with big signs

one of the cameras near me has a non reflective back, how harsh

[Kris]

Speed cameras haven't reduced deaths, in fact they actually slowed the decrease in deaths

And of course, if you don't have a licence, don't register your vehicle and don't buy tax then you are safe... sounds like a good idea to me x 10000000000000000000 etc

Still, just look at the apathy surrounding their use. We just roll over and take the punishment as usual.
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[Liverpoolrobb...]

i find that speed cameras never work i fly past them doing stupid speeds and they still never go off never had 1 ticket been hammering it thru them for 8 months!

[killa]

Speed cameras are good for producing income, nothing more, which in some aspects is a good thing.
Not sure how many there are now but have you seen the speed signs that light up if you are going too fast??
I think they are good, they always make me slow down and no one gets a fine.

Road accidents are going to happen more than often due to human error, if you think of the recent accidents you have seen (or been involved in, lol) they usually involve people not paying attention.
Junctions, roundabouts, changing lane accidents are all because of someone being a pleb.
Reduce the speeds everywhere, more 30 zones etc and you will still have plonkers running over children and hitting cyclists.
There are still hundreds of cameras still in the grey colours, some still hidden slightly, and this I think is very wrong.
The police have the best excuse for these cameras and that is that common sense dictates that speed does kill, any twat will know that but statistics show it isn’t all down to that.
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[mr.z]

I know of at least 3 accidents, one serious injury of a pedestrian because of speed cameras, people looking at their speedo are not looking where they are going.

And llike kris said, its not helped at all, the fact its makeing no possitive difference to the situation is totaly ignored.

The worst thing about the cameras is that in conjunction to not actualy helping anything, they are pi**ing drivers off, they aim only at those abideing by the law, and have no human decision behind them so circumstances are not taken into account... also has caused a rise to car/bike cloaning.

I dont think people should be speeding mind, but the cost of these per every two i'd imagine they could have a police officer trained and on the road doing the same job and doing it properly, then car theives, no incureance/licence scum will get whats comeing to them, at the moment they just sail through a 30limit camera at whatever speed they feel like
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[bilbo]

In my opinion if you're not speeding in the first place, you won't get caught by the cameras and the risk of an accident is greatly reduced therefore.
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[killa]

Very true mate, I do feel like a lot of people do pussy foot around about their speeding though, you all bloody do it, and sometimes it’s for a reason.
I speed some times not all, on roads where I can safely, I over take at speed sometimes I don’t see it as a risk.
In my area (could be the same for you) I have learned the cameras positions and have no trouble, but the cameras are there to catch people out, anyone who says different are either the police or some one very naïve. The cameras are on roads that are fairly long with minimum pedestrians but it is a 30-40 zone I think.
Points mean more to the driver than the 30 or so quid, why not take the money away from the penalty and people are going to follow the same principle.
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[map]

I've no real issues with putting camera in 30mph or single lane 40mph limits.

What I have to ask is why are they placed on say 40mph dual carriageway by-pass (it's a dual carriageway, it's a by-pass, it's meant to move traffic quickly ) and also on NSL straight bits of road that's probably the only safe overtaking bit for miles (Lincolnshire and Scotland seem quite keen on this ). These placings appear to be pure money making opportunties and belittle the true purpose of being at the appropriate speed.

The mobile ones are the worst though. Seen them on the motorway (FYI a motorway is probably the safest types of road). What's that about if not just making money?

Problem speed cameras (sorry that's safety camera in government speak) have now is that they're all tarnished with camera=money. So the ones that do do some good are often ignored. It doesn't help when police forces are using these to cut traffic police. I for one would prefer to have a traffic car around to spot anything stolen or driven irresponsibly (e.g. talking on a mobile). That'd make me feel safer.

Just my thoughts
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[killa]

Yesterday I saw a fiesta panda following a WRX Scooby, the guy was on a mobile going very slow through a village, the kid pulled over to keep talking and the copper went round him looking like he was annoyed at being stuck behind him!!
WTF?!
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[musclebiker]

[Kris]

For the people that reckon that speed cameras are a good idea around schools - that's the last place I'd want to put one. The idea of cars rolling along with driver's eyes fixated on their speedos whilst not concentrating 100% on the road seems more dangerous to me. Plus, speed cameras can't stop the unlicensed cars hurtling along through there can they? No, they just take a pretty picture which is completely useless and sidestepping the problem.

For the people that reckon we should just not speed - fucking genius . Have you never been in a situation where accelerating (perhaps to get out the way of another vehicle etc) would be safer? And what are you going to say if they place all these cameras everywhere then reduce the speed limits significantly? Have you ever tried to do long motorway distances at 70mph? It can be very, very boring leading to more mistakes due to reduced concentration.
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[musclebiker]

Well said

[mr jamez]

Speed cameras have their uses, I believe they can be placed for example outside a school to make it safer, however people should be driving slowly and carefuly in situations like that anyway. The problem is, cameras are put where they are to make money, if they believe the camera will not catch anybody (even if the road is hazardous) then it will be put somewhere else. From police figures, something like 5% - 10% of accidents are DIRECTLY atributed to speed, seeing that this is such a small percentage it seems ridiculous that the 'safety' campaign almost totaly focuses on this.

Speeding is easy to police and make a lot of money from, I also despise the fact that the current safety campaign advocates that if you are traveling at or under the speed limit you are a safe rider/driver. Even though you could have just gone through a camera at 29mph under the influence of alcohol, with no licence and four bald tyres.

[map]

[Kickstart]

Hi

There are claims that 1/3 of accidents are speed related, but they are very quiet about what "speed related" means. It includes any accident from overtaking, misjudging someone elses speed, loss of control, etc.

Around 5% of accidents are actually caused by excessive speed over the speed limit, as such that would be the greatest effect that speed cameras can have.

On the other hand people react to cameras, either standing on the brakes or staring at the speedo. Or they do what I have done and just use different roads (probably far more dangerous roads) to avoid them.

Road deaths are going up, so it seems relying on cameras is having no real effect. There were some stats that gave the number of accidents at speed camera sites in Birmingham, before and after installation. The number of accidents increased

One noticeable effect of cameras is that there are far less traffic police around and obvious vehicle defects are seen every day. Told a lady in a Rover today that neither of her brake lights were working (only the high level one worked), but seeing thay is really not that uncommon. Seeing cars with non working headlights is also very common.

There are a few studies around showing that where cameras have been installed accident levels have dropped. However they ignore the fact that it was normally an unusual blip in the accident figures that gave them the excuse to install the cameras and as such the accident rate is almost certain to drop down again. They would have had much the same effect by painting the curbs pink.

You can see on here how the figures were fiddled to justify the scamera partnerships.

All the best

Keith
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[Gingernut]

My personal opinion, not based on any statistics or anything, just my own impression when out on the road, is that when put in the right place speed cameras do work, such as the A616 after woodhead pass in the peaks, its a dodgy stretch of road and has a high fatality rate but the addition of specs cameras does seem to make the road feel safer. Also in road works on the motorway, I can fully appreciate their use to protect the workmen. I also acknowledge that a lot of speed cameras are blatantly placed as revenue generators and it is these that tend to cause harsh braking and possibly increase accident rates.

Thats my view anyway
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[Akiraprise]

We don't have those bloody Gatso contraptions from where i'm from, however we get the plod out with their doom rays, in only a few places, I allways know where they are and ALLWAYS get flashed before approaching the site. Me being on a 50cc there's not THAT much difference from going the speed limit and absolutely ragging it along, however whilst in a higher speed I concentrate alot better and less likely to have a crash, I've only come off my bike when going slowly.

[ts50x0]

the idea that speed kills is just something that the government have made up to make us beleive they are doing something to reduce accidents, while they are making loads of money at the same time,(everyones a winner). but what actually kills is dangerous driving, speeding can be put into that catagory but it is very rare that an accident is cause directly to breaking the speed limit.

[Villers]

Im the same, only time I see any camera action is when touring or on the motorway. As far as the mobile vans go, sitting on a motorway bridge is bloody irresponsible. A fact is that people dont stick to speed limits especially on a motorways, and the panic 'stamping on the brakes to save your licence' on a motorway can have far more catastrophic results than someone doing 90 in a 70.

I watched a plod outside the school a hundred yards from my house, hiding around the hedge with his gun pointed at the oncoming traffic. The road is a 20 limit and I have no problem with this limit being enforced at all, its more than fair! Trouble is that perhaps he might catch a few speeders and slow them down, but with a visual detterent he would slow ALL traffic down. He may catch a speeder but if that driver hits a kid while speeding thirty yards beofre the pig pulls him over then thats no consolidation for the parents and family of the child. That goes back though to the slowing down and speeding up effect of speed cameras.

I speed, I wont lie because I do it and Im not ashamed. Its not unknown for me to hit three figures just on my way home from work in NSL's and dual carriageways. I never speed in 30's etc especially in built up areas. This doesnt make me an angel I know but if I was to be caught doing 45 in a 30 then I deserve a good kicking. If I want to do 70 in a 60 then I feel we should have a little more leniency. I have no problem with fines, just points and bans.

[ts50x0]

the idea that speed kills is just something that the government have made up to make us beleive they are doing something to reduce accidents, while they are making loads of money at the same time,(everyones a winner). but what actually kills is dangerous driving, speeding can be put into that catagory but it is very rare that an accident is cause directly to breaking the speed limit.

[stinkwheel]

I have seen sensible uses of speed cameras, but only rarely.

One such is on the A90 at the Fochabers turn-off (May have put an underpass in now). They had a staggered crossroads going across a dual carriageway. It was bloody dangerous, loads of deaths on it.

They dropped the limit through the junction to 50mph. They also fitted a speed camera immediatley before the junction on each side of the dual carriageway. They put a HUGE flourescent sign on the back of the camera and three 'speed camera' signs before it. The only way to make it more obvious would have been to fit a big neon arrow pointing at the thing.

This had the desired effect. Traffic slowed for the camera and was still doing a reasonable speed (although starting to speed up again) as it went through the junction, rather than the 90mph that people usually drive on that road. Made the junction a hell of a lot safer.

I can't fault that. In contrast, you then get 20 miles along the road and there is another Gatso hidden behind a roadsign halfway along a 3 mile straight bit of dual carriageway. Cue much throwing out of anchors when people see the road markings, a complete hazard.
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[Kickstart]

[mchaggis]

Speed cameras piss me off. If I'm going past a school and there are kids about, I almost always tend to be doing about 20 mph anyway. All other speed limits are rather pointless imo. 30 limits make sense because there will be pedestrians and the like about. I ride, as I'm sure that most people will, at whatever speed seems sensible. Riding about the Peaks yesterday, I went for miles on some wiggly stretches of NSL not getting above about 35...

As I have trouble speeding in anything but 30's, I feel aggrieved at having to worry about making sure that I'm not by accident. It's a bit like having a big finger pointing at me saying "Guilty!" despite the fact that I'm not.

It's a bit like the feeling when a police car sits behind you for miles and just doesn't do anything, as though they're just waiting for you to make one cockup before jumping on you. I just find them threatening and appearing to be chomping at the bit to abuse their power.

I guess I'm just paranoid.
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