I,m moving to swindon

[davepreston]

armagedon is coming or hell has frozen over one of the two. a bunch of politicians have had a good idea and implemented it, Swindon are scraping speed cameras! yes its true someone had the good idea that since speed cameras dont cut road deaths and are just a good way for the goverment to line there pockets they would take the money and use it for education, better street lighting and more police. i dont know about you but a concil that actually listens to people and takes action is a place where i want to live.

[Viney]

I was watching the news story on the lunchtime news and they have done a study to point out that only 6% of road deaths are attributed to speeding, the rest due to careless/wrieckless or tired driving!!

However, 6% is still a lot of people and families that have suffered because of it!

[Dangerous Dave]

Will they all be out of action by Saturday, I'm coming up this weekend to see the folks...

[davepreston]

yes many families have suffered and i am sorry for there loss but out of that 6% lots are the drivers who are at fault so if you educate the drivers the 6% figure would drop also the careless/ wreckless driveing numbers. unfortunatly driving is dangerous and will never be 100% safe but surely if you tackle the bigger problems you end up saving more lives overall.

[Woz]

study to point out that only 6% of road deaths are attributed to speeding,

You'll probably find that it's even less than that. 6% (or whatever figure they're touting this week) relates to exessive speed for the conditions NOT exceding the posted limit, ie: the road where I live is a 30mph limit but it's so narrow and there are so many cars parked on it that even 15mph would be FAR too fast. A crash at 25mph would be put down to exessive speed for the conditions but it would not be breaking the legal limit.

[hovis]

sorry to hear of your bad news

[Dangerous Dave]

6% of road deaths are attributed to speeding
Actually it is 6% had speeding as a factor, that doesn't mean that was the only or main cause.

6% (or whatever figure they're touting this week) relates to exessive speed for the conditions NOT exceding the posted limit, ie: the road where I live is a 30mph limit but it's so narrow and there are so many cars parked on it that even 15mph would be FAR too fast. A crash at 25mph would be put down to exessive speed for the conditions but it would not be breaking the legal limit.
+ 1

[timwilky]

speeding is one of those silly things. Most speeders are not driving dangerously, but are guilty of an offence. Doing 40 in a 40mph road may be legal and safe today, but tomorrow there may be thick fog and the legal 40 is positively dangerous.

Interesting my local plod has reduced yet again the number of traffic cops (http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Police-road-patrol-numbers-down.4622034.jp). We have in Lancashire 45 fewer traffic cops than in 1998 so god knows where they are spending all the extra money Gordon and his chums are supposed to be giving them. Ironically we have the 3rd highest rate of speed cameras. so I can understand why Dave wants to move. Especially as his area of Preston has more than it's fair share.

I have posted on here before about how a speed camera caused a speeding teenager to panic. Mount the pavement, hit my friends parents knocking him over the wall of a bridge into the river below and taking more than 3 years for him to walk again.

How did they respond to this. Reduce the speed from 40 to 30 and reset the camera to the lower limit. It did not address the reason for the crash. the camera itself. Ironically it points in the wrong direction to have got the kid who was speeding and he would have completed his drive quite safely had he not panicked and hit his brakes

[454697819]

speeding is one of those silly things. Most speeders are not driving dangerously, but are guilty of an offence. Doing 40 in a 40mph road may be legal and safe today, but tomorrow there may be thick fog and the legal 40 is positively dangerous.

Interesting my local plod has reduced yet again the number of traffic cops (http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Police-road-patrol-numbers-down.4622034.jp). We have in Lancashire 45 fewer traffic cops than in 1998 so god knows where they are spending all the extra money Gordon and his chums are supposed to be giving them. Ironically we have the 3rd highest rate of speed cameras. so I can understand why Dave wants to move. Especially as his area of Preston has more than it's fair share.

I have posted on here before about how a speed camera caused a speeding teenager to panic. Mount the pavement, hit my friends parents knocking him over the wall of a bridge into the river below and taking more than 3 years for him to walk again.

How did they respond to this. Reduce the speed from 40 to 30 and reset the camera to the lower limit. It did not address the reason for the crash. the camera itself. Ironically it points in the wrong direction to have got the kid who was speeding and he would have completed his drive quite safely had he not panicked and hit his brakes


that money has gone to bail out the banks...

[davepreston]

correction the bank managers wages

[maviczap]

After my encouter with a camera van yesterday, I don't think that they help either, because drivers slam on their brakes in the same way that they do for fixed cameras. So I agree with Swindon in that they don't improve safety.
There is a camera on the A14 eastbound, just before Cambridge, where I witnessed a crash, just before the camera. Someone must have paniced and the effect was a concertina effect, with one driver stepping on the brake pedal too hard. The car was right next to the camera in the outside lane.
Since they changed the cameras on the A14 going North of Cambridge from fixed to average speed, I've noticed that the traffic at least flows smoothly, not the slow fast, slow, fast of the old system.

Another example of cameras not working on the A14 is on the Haughly Bends, just before Stowmarket. Fixed camera didn't stop any more accidents happening, so they straightend the road and added a flyover to take the traffic off the road that previously had to cross the main road.

The purpose of the cameras was to slow the traffic down to 50mph, so that the cars needing to cross the carriageway had a reasonable chance of getting across.

[Paul the 6th]

i slow down for speed bumps. I speed back up a bit after camera's... unless there's a school nearby.

I can understand when they say that speed camera's save lives, but I've never seen any pedestrians crossing 50mph dual carriage ways where there's no footpath and a no pedestrians sign at either end.

[Mr Speirs]

i watched a report on this which stated that the real reason they are going to get rid of them is they had to maintain the cameras at cost of £320,000 a year whereas the central government took the revenue.
Swindon have quite rightly said 'Errrr na it's alright, we'll keep our £320,000 Thanks'
Unfortunately they now have put that £320,000 into their Icelandic bank account where it is steadily decreasing in value. :)

[yorkie_chris]

i slow down for speed bumps.

Quite good round here, most of them are the ones with gaps either side so you don't have to slow down at all.

[Dangerous Dave]

Well I'm in sunny Wiltshire, and on the way up through the county I went past five camera vans and one copper sat in a bush.

Are the Wilts Police trying to prove speeding is a major problem here???

[maviczap]

Nope, just trying to achive the targets set by the Chief Countstable :-)

[davepreston]

now everyone knows that the police dont have speeding targets! they just radomly decide to take officers of the street who doing nothing more than catching murders and theives and swamp a area that has had no accidents, where doing 90mph would be perfectly safe and particularly where nice people on two wheel genrally go past to meet their friends. did i forget to mention its normally behind a wall or tree to stop them getting sunburn

[maviczap]

Come to think of it, you might be right, I saw 2 officers one Sunday sitting in one of the remotest locations I have ever seen a mobile camera situated. They were tucked away behind some bushes trying to catch 2 wheeled folk enjoying a couple of sweet bends on a downhill section, followed by a nice uphill section.

Luckily a 4x4 driver flashed all the oncoming traffic, so I slowed. He must have been a two wheeled friend :-)

[Jayneflakes]

I have lived in Swindon (albeit briefly) and I can tell you it will take more that this to make me want to go back there!


Ewwwwwwww!

[Dangerous Dave]

I have lived in Swindon (albeit briefly) and I can tell you it will take more that this to make me want to go back there!
It is a bit of a dive isn't it....

[Foxy]

It is a bit of a dive isn't it....

A bit? I work there so have to go there, otherwise I wouldn't bother. Now that is one place where they could do with flattening the Chavvy town centre and re-building it...;)

[grh1904]

Move up to County Durham, we don't have any!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and have some of the best riding roads in the country.

[ThEGr33k]

I went down to swindon the other day and I saw no police on a sunday... I went the back ways on the nice roads. I guess there could have been some cops but I didnt see any :-?

Barnsley isnt bad as up here they dont seem hung up on speeding. Ive never seen a mobile van here. :cool:

[Dangerous Dave]

I went the back ways on the nice roads.
One thing Wiltshire does have is great back roads, I spent years on these as a young'n before enlisting.

Dorset is great, never have any problems with the Police down here despite the exhausts.

[ThEGr33k]

There are some fantastic roundabouts down in swindon, the less used ones obviously. MAN you can fly around them with MAJOR lean angles :D

[Foxy]

There are some fantastic roundabouts down in swindon, the less used ones obviously. MAN you can fly around them with MAJOR lean angles :D

LMAO yes there are :cool:, have you been on the Magic Roundabout?? ;)

[Dangerous Dave]

MAN you can fly around them with MAJOR lean angles :D
Yeap, they haven't changed for over 15 years which is great!

LMAO yes there are :cool:, have you been on the Magic Roundabout?? ;)
It's a doddle, when people say they find it confusing then I say they shouldn't be on the roads! It is one roundabout after another, how confusing can that be as all the traffic still goes one way around! Mind you Swindon is has its fair share of idiots on the road still.....

[Foxy]

Yeap, they haven't changed for over 15 years which is great!


It's a doddle, when people say they find it confusing then I say they shouldn't be on the roads! It is one roundabout after another, how confusing can that be as all the traffic still goes one way around! Mind you Swindon is has its fair share of idiots on the road still.....

Yes Swindon does have it's fair share of idiots on the road and half of them do not know which lane to use at roundabouts. I cannot imagine what the Magic Roundabout must be like at rush hour:confused:.There are quite a few roundabouts on my way to work Jct 16 to North Star House but I haven't spotted any speed cameras at all.

[ThEGr33k]

LMAO yes there are :cool:, have you been on the Magic Roundabout?? ;)


Yep, only the once. I was lucky because there wasnt much traffic and I only went to the next exit... It is a little daunting though, I can see why people dont really like it.

[Dangerous Dave]

Jct 16
I had a bit of a road rage incidnet there this morning, well I stuck two fingers up and hurled some abuse.... :smt076

Some muppet was in the Wroughton lane and tried ramming me out of the Wootton Bassett lane (which is the one he wanted) as we entered the roundabout from Swindon. Nearly had his mirror off....

[davepreston]

i'm just down from the lake district on a good day thats mint abite scary in a few places

[Foxy]

I had a bit of a road rage incidnet there this morning, well I stuck two fingers up and hurled some abuse.... :smt076

Some muppet was in the Wroughton lane and tried ramming me out of the Wootton Bassett lane (which is the one he wanted) as we entered the roundabout from Swindon. Nearly had his mirror off....

Yes I know EXACTLY what you mean. That roundabout is the main one where people haven't got a clue about which lane to get in and I also get a little road rage :smt076 at that particular spot he he :D

[davepreston]

my mate stopped at the lights after he nearly got hit yesterday then preceed to remove the cars wing mirror handed it to the driver informing him as he doesnt use them he might as well not have them on the outside of the car, he might be getting a visit from our friends in blue soon me thinks

[Foxy]

my mate stopped at the lights after he nearly got hit yesterday then preceed to remove the cars wing mirror handed it to the driver informing him as he doesnt use them he might as well not have them on the outside of the car, he might be getting a visit from our friends in blue soon me thinks

LMAO :smt044 that is what Dangerous Dave should have done :D

[davepreston]

i dont think it should be called road rage for bikers i prefer self defence or driver education

[Dangerous Dave]

LMAO :smt044 that is what Dangerous Dave should have done :D
I have anger issues, I am trying to be a bit nicer to people, but I would have inserted it into him a few months back.

[Sean_C]

The magic roundabout is ok, I try and beat people by going round the other way sometimes.. I quite enjoy a few of the roads around there, my girlfriend lives in faringdon and my uncle and aunt in brinkworth so I'm down there a fair bit.

[Dangerous Dave]

I quite enjoy a few of the roads around there, my girlfriend lives in faringdon and my uncle and aunt in brinkworth so I'm down there a fair bit.
Ahh... the A420, still littered with Gatso's?

Nice road through Brinkworth.

[Sean_C]

Ahh... the A420, still littered with Gatso's?

Nice road through Brinkworth.

Yeah, unfortunately. I know where they all are though. Tis quite a nice road sometimes ;)
There's a double whites bit in some trees on the oxford half of it, which is fun when it's empty, but mainly its just a bit dull.

Yep I enjoy the brinkworth road. I need to do a bit more exploring down that area though, and above swindon too.

I went north through south marston going to a party one time (:smt012) and that's definitely a small bit of road to avoid. Chicanes and all sorts for "traffic calming".

[davepreston]

anger management all you need is petrol, lighter, angle grinder, baseball bat and a gatso camera. when your finished you will be in a zen like state and youve made the world that little bit better

[Sean_C]

Expanding foam works wonders, so I hear..

[Dangerous Dave]

Spine road is good, Brinkworth-Cirencester, but you may also want to venture south a bit (Wootton Bassett, Lyneham, Calne, Chippenham, Colerne, Melksham, Devizes, Trowbridge, etc... as all these places have good roads around them).

[Dangerous Dave]

anger management all you need is petrol, lighter, angle grinder, baseball bat and a gatso camera. when your finished you will be in a zen like state and youve made the world that little bit better
I have better toys to play with at work, keeps me sedate.

[Foxy]

Spine road is good, Brinkworth-Cirencester, but you may also want to venture south a bit (Wootton Bassett, Lyneham, Calne, Chippenham, Colerne, Melksham, Devizes, Trowbridge, etc... as all these places have good roads around them).

Yes I go along through Wootton Bassett, Lyneham, Calne, Chippenham, Colerne and it is also a nice ride to go on further after Chippenham via Rudloe Manor or even Corsham to Bradford on Avon and there are some nice pubs in Bradford on Avon to stop off for a bite to eat or even just a drink before heading back :cool:

[Sean_C]

Spine road is good, Brinkworth-Cirencester, but you may also want to venture south a bit (Wootton Bassett, Lyneham, Calne, Chippenham, Colerne, Melksham, Devizes, Trowbridge, etc... as all these places have good roads around them).

Do you mean the A429?
The road from Cirencester back to Faringdon doesn't look too bad either. As least part of it.

THe roads south of swindon look good fun, I need some brownie points first though :rolleyes:

[davepreston]

i'd like to see gatso vs barrett light 50 or even the minime would be a laugh you should " borrow one " for a day

[Dangerous Dave]

Do you mean the A429?
The road from Cirencester back to Faringdon doesn't look too bad either. As least part of it.
No, the main road from Wootton Bassett to Cirencester/South Cerney) which goes through Ashton Keynes (B4696 I think).

i'd like to see gatso vs barrett light 50....

....you should " borrow one " for a day
It is a toy I have available

http://savvysurvivor.com/supplementary/barrett82mod.jpg

[yorkie_chris]

Be a laugh to see how many miles the round goes after going through the camera...

[Sean_C]

No, the main road from Wootton Bassett to Cirencester/South Cerney) which goes through Ashton Keynes (B4696 I think).


It is a toy I have available

http://savvysurvivor.com/supplementary/barrett82mod.jpg

Ahh right.
I've just won some braking wave discs off ebay, so whatever happens with robinsons foundry, suzuki, and my failed brand new discs, I shall be out and about terrorizing the area fairly soon :D

[davepreston]

its not terrorism its customer satisfaction feedback

[Dangerous Dave]

Be a laugh to see how many miles the round goes after going through the camera...
We have a 15m mound behind the range filled with all sorts of left overs (bricks, barrels, etc) and I have only seen two escape out the other side and be implanted into the brick wall.

[yorkie_chris]

And how much energy will that absorb compared to a gatso? Only one way to find out :-D

[Dangerous Dave]

And how much energy will that absorb compared to a gatso? Only one way to find out :-D
I'll go home and find out, I'll have to do it after next week though as it might have a negative effect on my psychiatric evaluation.

[yorkie_chris]

Good thing is you could do it from really long range too. I know the camera boxes are pretty heavy but I don't think they'll stand up to what was originally an antitank round.. (edit: or even anti-aircraft... f###it it'd still make a mess..)

[Dangerous Dave]

Good thing is you could do it from really long range too.
I can shoot 1350 metres, but I have a guy that can shoot further and is very familiar with the Barrett....



...and yes it does make a mess as not all targets are armour. :-$

[yorkie_chris]

What sort of grouping you get at that range? Not like you need to be in 5" for camera killing.

[Dangerous Dave]

What sort of grouping you get at that range? Not like you need to be in 5" for camera killing.
Me, well I just play with the Barrett as I had a sniper in the team back then as I had other things to keep me busy but he could get you within 5"....

There are a lot more things that come into play at these ranges!