The great speed camera debate.

ok so whats your thought on speed cameras? seen any crafty ones around lately? are the forces going to stop using them altogether? the reason for this thread is i was watching 5th gear yesterday on dave and V B H said in Sweden the cops are hiding speed cameras in wheelie bins! they showed you one and they really are crafty!

My 2p worth

Originally Posted by -Ralph-

Cameras are bad 'cos they don't work, ie: they don't contribute to overall road safety. I'm sure we can all come up with an example of where a camera has reduced accidents, but for every one that has there are ten that haven't.

Gatso's, Truvelo, etc - slow traffic down for 100 yds. Anyone who gets caught generally deserves the ticket for lack of observation rather than speeding itself.

Camera van's - slow down those who know it's often there for a short stretch of road, and catch everyone else unaware's, except those who never, never break a speed limit. I know people who have been caught by them for a minor speeding offence, even though that's the worst offence they have ever or are ever likely to commit. I even know a taxi driver in his late 60's who adheres to the limits rigidly as he needs his license to work and that's just the way he drives anyway, but has made a simple mistake with a newly imposed speed limit and got a ticket.

Helicopters - same as camera vans, just a lot more bloody expensive and IMO using a helicopter for that purpose is a massive waste of taxpayers money. In my mind it's as bad as MP's cheating on expenses.

Average Speed Camera's - WEYHEY! Finally a camera that works and slows everybody down over the full length of the stretch of road they are implemented on, and 'cos it slows everyone down the camera issues no tickets and generates no revenue, and contributes to improving road safety. I'd be pretty p'eed off if they were implemented everywhere, but not because I have to do the speed limit, but because it then becomes mindless enforcement and a big brother type issue, but implemented where there is a need along with a realistic speed limit and suddenly I'm applauding the people I pay my taxes to.

Variable speed limits - As average speed camera's with a bit of intelligent queueing theory built in that results in better traffic flow and shorter journey times for me, applause again!

All of the above - you can be 14yr old, drunk, on drugs, on a phone, in a stolen car with no MOT, whilst carrying a dead body in the passenger seat, and so long as your not speeding the camera will let you cruise on by.

Police man jumping out of a bus shelter with a speed gun, and pulling people in before writing a ticket to every speeding motorist 'cos that's what he's instructed to do - see camera vans, but at least they'll catch drunk drivers too.

Police man in any scenario, allowed to make his own judgement about the conditions and the speed - Excellent, applause again , but haven't heard or experienced that for too many years now.

And thats just the opinion of a lowly citizen, just in case any of those who I pay my taxes to are interested, or happen to be reading.....

Originally Posted by kwak zzr

ok so whats your thought on speed cameras? seen any crafty ones around lately? are the forces going to stop using them altogether? the reason for this thread is i was watching 5th gear yesterday on dave and V B H said in Sweden the cops are hiding speed cameras in wheelie bins! they showed you one and they really are crafty!

IMO, they are only there as a cheap alternative to officers on the streets, they do not catch uninsured drivers, untaxed vehicles, drink or drug drivers, illegal drivers etc etc
There is a stretch of the bristol road in brum, by bournville college, they installed speed cameras along there and the accident rate went up by quite a bit.
Its a sticky plaster over the problem of deminishing driving / riding standards where speed is wrongly diagnosed as being the main problem, mild speeding in itself is not dangerous, its the place and or conditions you do it in.
20-30 MPH over the speed limit on a motorway or dual carriageway in good conditions, with minimal traffic is not dangerous.
50 MPH on urban roads, past schools, busy junctions etc can be dangerous because it's difficult to continually assess the surroundings safely.
Hidden speed cameras will do nothing but alienate drivers from the goverment even more and not get the road safety message across.
Phil

My own view is that they divert a driver's attention from the road ahead onto his/her speedo. Studies have shown that the average driver (i.e. most of us, no matter how good we think are!) diverts his/her eyes to the sppedo three times during time it takes to pass the markings on the road. That can't be right. Or safe.

I'd rather be judged by a uniformed copper any day of the week.

just money making the cheapest way possible init.

[Spiderman]

i saw an article where in the US (where else ) they have cops dressed up like full on army snipers, lying down in grass verges and getting speeders that way. What a waste of time and resources.

Cops now days are used more as revenue collectors than law enforcers.

A great example of the effectiveness of Gatsos has to be this week, when they've had a few coppers with a speed gun on the A3 in London...100m after the existing Gatso...

Originally Posted by Spiderman

i saw an article where in the US (where else ) they have cops dressed up like full on army snipers, lying down in grass verges and getting speeders that way. What a waste of time and resources.

Cops now days are used more as revenue collectors than law enforcers.

Yeah I've seen them do that in South Africa too - proper sneaky!! Bet they have a right laugh at what the cops have to do here!

Anyway don't start me on speed cameras, the whole 'speed kills' thing is such a load of old tosh...if that's the case how come I ain't dead yet after years of 'reckless abandon'??

It's people driving like a spanner* that causes accidents, it's just that they find it harder to measure and fine that...


*no offence meant to spanners

[Bri w]

i wouldn't mind if they were positioned sensibly, e.g. outside schools, in residential areas etc.

I see little sense in sticking them on country roads, especially those that have had a 50mph limit set even though they are well capable of being driven at 60mph safely.

As for revenue collection; just how much do they make after the cost of siting them, servicing them, administrating and checking the photo's....pennies i'd guess.

I dislike them, even though I rarely speed, but that's because of reasons others have pointed out, meanly the fact they're not safe at all.

Haven't Swindon done a pilot of getting rid of them?