Monday 29th January 2007

Scamera plague set to spread

Ireland is about to suffer UK's Gatso blight

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Gatso: they're breeding...

The Irish are about to experience the blight of speed cameras that currently plagues the UK's beleaguered motorists.

According to the Irish Examiner, some 70 companies have expressed an interest in running the speed camera operation that the Irish Government is setting up.

The story reckoned that some 600 cameras could be monitoring the small island by the autumn, with the ability to check up to 11.1 million cars a year. It will be a bit of a shock to the system, given that there are only about 20 cameras in Eire right now, and only three of those are working at any one time.

Road safety campaign Safe Speed pointed out that the revenue generating potential of the cameras is a major motivator for setting them up.

Campaign founder Paul Smith said: "Make no mistake, speed cameras are big business -- in fact if it weren't for commercial interests they would never even have been developed in the first place.

"Speed cameras in the UK have proved to be a massive blunder that has made road safety worse. Neither road deaths nor hospitalisations have fallen significantly for a decade and they should have done because engineering safety improvements are much bigger than the growth in traffic. The problem is that the side effects of speed cameras -- and the over-simplified messages that come with them -- are quite simply making drivers worse.

"I urge the Irish government to scrap their speed camera plans before it's too late."

One suspects that Smith's words will fall on deaf ears.

Story link

• 70 companies ‘interested’ in operating speed cameras

[Mista_V]

Unlucky guys,

All Irish motorists might aswell just bend over now....

[Strawman]

Supposedly starting in March, what is worse is that the majority will be covert i.e. hard to spot, goodbye licence for a lot of people I suspect

[puggit]

Don't let anything stand in the way of making money, even road deaths

[gezkc]

Article said:

The story reckoned that some 600 cameras could be monitoring the small island by the autumn, with the ability to check up to 1.1 million cars a year.

Shouldn't that be 11.1 million cars a year?

[cooperman]

Just got back from a super weekend in Waterford.
How sad that the beautiful country of Eire will now be infected with the cash-cameras.
Ah well, any of my family there will be most welcome to register, tax and insure their cars at my address in England and use them there to be camera-immune. That works both ways, of course.

[manek]

gezkc said:

Article said:

The story reckoned that some 600 cameras could be monitoring the small island by the autumn, with the ability to check up to 1.1 million cars a year.

Shouldn't that be 11.1 million cars a year?

Quite so. Now fixed, thanks.

Manek
PH Editor

[711]

It makes me laugh when the point of view is mooted "...but it's not about the money."

So why are there 70 companies bidding to participate in this pathetic excuse of a road safety project, it it's not about the money?

Would seem a bit of a mistake to install these devices in a location where it'slikely a good stock of small arms and semtex is still hanging around

[Gooby]

From all reports there is still quite a lot of weaponry hanging around in Ireland. Lets hope some of it is put to good use. Not quite how the govt want the weapons de-comissioned!

Edited by Gooby on Monday 29th January 13:03

[lathamjohnp]

Having lived in Ireland for some time now (after 30-odd years in the UK), this comes as no great surprise.

There are almost daily reports of young people dying in single vehicle accidents on small country roads, usually late at night. The "something must be done" lobby feel that greater enforcement will do something to reduce this carnage. Unfortunately, by the time they realise that it makes no difference, the scamera lobby will be as strong here as in the UK, and the toothpaste will be out of the tube.

Unfortunately, the average Irish citizen knows FA about cars or driving, due to high car taxes, lack of indigeneous sports car industry/circuit-based motorsport, crap motoring press, and previous history of poverty combined with better things to do.

The government and media here trott out the phrase "speeding and drink driving" like they are the same thing.

I have two endorsements on my "virtual Irish licence" which they'll give me at such point as I hand over my UK licence. Both times I was stopped for speeding, the laser-wielding officer neither breathalysed me, nor gave any opinions or advice on safe driving - they just wanted to meet quotas and had no interest in promoting safe driving practices. I have had no accidents or near misses in many years, despite the fact that I pay little attention to speed limits, prefering to drive safely to the conditions.

All depressing, but rather familiar.

The thing that I find most irritating is that a small, dynamic, pragmatic country such as Ireland should find it necessary to follow the most stupid policy decisions in the UK (it's former oppressor) despite those policies having proven ineffective to anyone with half a brain.

At least the Guinness is good...

John

Edited by lathamjohnp on Monday 29th January 14:22

[scoobiewrx]

You see this is the problem with western countries that love motorsport. I know for a fact the Irish are bigtime into Rallying, F1, etc... and for their trouble they now get a shedload of Scameras so the Irish Governmenmt can employ another way to ponce more money out of the people. They pay enough out there for motoring as it is.

The mroal of this story is if you want to avoid Scameras....live in a country that can't afford them or doesn't allow the use of any forms of motorised transport. TOSSERS!!!

[b11ocx]

Although, somewhat amusingly, the Irish Police have caught quite a few people on their current cameras.... of which 10% were cars they could not trace.

I feel the licence amnesty that went on a few years ago may have been ignored by a few people :-)

[Ireland]

Not a money grabbing exercise?

Yeah, right.


As it is we are shafted by the hand-held guns which are usually set up at locations that are "easy pickings".

I'm sure these will be no different.


Somehow, I reckon the sales of black bin-liners may increase in the next couple of months.

[who me ?]

Gooby said:

From all reports there is still quite a lot of weaponry hanging around in Ireland. Lets hope some of it is put to good use. Not quite how the govt want the weapons de-comissioned!

Edited by Gooby on Monday 29th January 13:03

But just how the motoring public would like to see the weapons of wallet destruction de-commissioned

[anonymous-user]

with any luck the provos will find something good to shoot at now...