3 replies to this topic

[Purebob]

I avoided the M6 & drove home from Manchester down the A50/A34/A449 on Thursday. It wasn't the greatest road, but a lot more fun than the M6. Now I wasn't at all in a hurry, but I was amazed at how many speed cameras were placed on some stretches of that route. I counted 41 cameras in less than 90 miles with 20 being on my carriageway. Theres one stretch of the A34 in partcular -a lovely leafy stretch of dual carriageway that had six cameras in 3 miles.... Now like I said I was in no hurry, and I didn't get flashed but it occurred to me that if, as we say, (and as the ABD campaign says) these cameras had been replaced with unmarked traffic police I would certainly have been nicked fifteen times during that journey. This 'ability to read the road' we talk about told me that the A34 was typically perfectly safe to do approximately NSL for its entire , non-urban length, as I could in no way see the hazards that must have caused the accidents that in turn led to the speed camera placements. I'd have shredded past dawdling traffic not suspecting it was an accident blackspot. The cameras had limits posted all over them, while unmarked police do not. My point here is that Speed cameras do, occasionally at least, work. EVO type folks always espouse that they can tell when its safe to speed and when it isn't yet I would NOT have read any problems on that heavily camera'ed stretch - no junctions, no obscured bends, no pedestrian crossings, just occasional and well marked parking bays with crawler slips. It really made me think - I AM NOT educated enough to know in every case what an approrpiate speed is, and more to the point the only people I know who ARE so educated all crawl around at the limit or below ( an ex west Mercia Police persuit driver, an IAM observer and a Motorcycle instructor friend all spring to mind). The more people are educated to read hazards the less they speed IME. I think when we moan about speed cameras not being effective what we are really moaning about is the inflexible enforcement of speed limits because we like to drive fast and enjoy thrilling motoring , and we hate the fear of getting flashed. If cameras were replaced by uncover cops, many of us would lose our licenses inside a year. ready steady flame !

[Marco]

following your argument, I feel we should replace speed cameras with "Danger -Accident blackspot" signposts. I think speed cameras are bad for people -by driving around scared all the time it doesn't ever allow you to relax, and I'm sure that can't be good for you.

[CALYPSO_VXT]

Nobody likes Speed Cameras because being caught imposes fines, penalty points, increases insurance premiums and may lead to a ban. On the reverse they may actually prevent you from speeding in a dangerous area, prevent you from seriously injuring or killing someone and prevent you from spending a considerable period of time in prison. I'm not defending speed cameras but if you choose to speed and break the law, whether you agree with it or not, you have to face the consequences of your actions. Sometime you get away with it, sometime you get caught on on a the rare occaison something worse. It's up to us as individuals to make our own choice. I try to be observant and pay attention to the cameras. I try to give the police the benefit of the doubt and assume they are there to warn us of dangerous areas. However, I know this is not always the case. What gets me is when the police deliberately put cameras in safe areas or obscure them behind signs (see yesterdays Sun) in order to make money and for no other reason. I also hate unmarked police cars and sneaky police in hedges. My wife has been caught twice by a policeman jumping out of a hedge with a speed gun. Last time was doing 34 in a 30. I don't agree with them hiding to catch you out. If they want to reduce speed they should stand out in the open, in yellow coats so you can see them. It's far more effective at reducing speed and improving safety. IMHO jumping out of hedges is about making money. They want to catch you. There not interested in reducing speed or making roads safer. A few thoughts. Please don't me.

[mal_dun]

Wot P**sses me off are the drivers who brake when they come to a camera, even if they are already within the speed limit. A dual carraigeway I use every day has a ludicrous 50 limit and cameras. What happens driver running along at 45ish suddenly brake to below 40. That's where the potential for accidents exist. Too mant other driver are up the tail pipe of the car in front IMO. I frequently drive from Wilmslow to Derby via Macclesfiels and Leek. One stretch of the road (A54, I think) in Staffordshire has 18 cameras in 18miles.