Helicopter on A40 for collision within average speed cameras

Helicopter on A40 for collision within average speed cameras

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andy118run

866 posts

205 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
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TwigtheWonderkid said:
Dave Finney said:
Can you confirm that the A40 was definitely completely "shut numerous times" due to collisions, and not simply backed up with only 1 lane open, or shut due to works?
Last October it was shut following a fatality at Swakeley roundabout. A few years back a plane overshot the runway at Northolt and it was closed. It was shut about 2 yrs ago when a cyclist was killed, again on the stretch by Northolt Airport. It was shut a few months back between Loudwater and High Wycombe due to a vehicle fire. I work in Bucks and live in London. I use it, against the flow, every day. It's been completely shut many times over the years, and I've had to divert.
I used to live around there (Ealing) and my then wife to be resided in South Ruislip.

I used the A40 frequently - often several times in a day - and total closures of the road (ie. a police car parked across the road with a helpful police officer directing cars off via a slip road, or preventing you from entering it via a slip road) was a frustratingly common sight.

Blue Oval84

5,276 posts

160 months

Wednesday 25th November 2015
quotequote all
Having driven through plenty of roadworks I can honestly say that I've never thought average cameras make things less safe.

The A23 roadworks that went on forever were covered by a 40mph zone which seemed to do a marvellous job of keeping the traffic moving through the narrowed lanes. I'm convinced it would have been slower without the average cameras.

Vee

3,094 posts

233 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Dave Finney said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Dave Finney said:
Can you confirm that the A40 was definitely completely "shut numerous times" due to collisions, and not simply backed up with only 1 lane open, or shut due to works?
Last October it was shut following a fatality at Swakeley roundabout. A few years back a plane overshot the runway at Northolt and it was closed. It was shut about 2 yrs ago when a cyclist was killed, again on the stretch by Northolt Airport. It was shut a few months back between Loudwater and High Wycombe due to a vehicle fire. I work in Bucks and live in London. I use it, against the flow, every day. It's been completely shut many times over the years, and I've had to divert.
GOOD NEWS "injuries are not thought to be life-threatning"
http://www.getwestlondon.co.uk/news/west-london-ne...

Thanks TWK but I was thinking of examples where the A40 was completely closed due to a collision within what is now the average speed camera system, all your examples are outside the average speed camera system and none of them near where you live. So have you also never experienced the A40 was completely closed due to a collision from the Polish to the end of the raised section?
The average speed section has only been live for less than a month.
Earlier this year it was closed when a collision sent a car through the fence of RAF Northolt (eastbound).
In the summer it was closed westbound outside the RAF due to a big collision with a fatality.

Like Twig, I live in London and work in Bucks so go against the flow.
The introduction of the average speed section has definitely improved the flow of traffic. The morons who do 70-80 up to the Target roundabout section and then slam on the brakes causing an overreaction behind them have reduced almost completely.
The cameras are justified and the reasoning for putting them in should be public information somewhere.


lbc

3,212 posts

216 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Last October it was shut following a fatality at Swakeley roundabout. A few years back a plane overshot the runway at Northolt and it was closed.
I used to commute on the A40 in the nineties, the year's, not speed, but speeding at 90 leptons was not unusual back then.
Apart from the plane crash, the A40 used to run quite well apart from the queues to get off at Hangar Lane.

The Mad Monk

10,474 posts

116 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Dave Finney said:
You are joking, aren't you? Speed cameras may introduce many factors that could contribute to collisions including sudden braking, bunching, distraction, tiredness, and that's not even considering the reduction in Traffic Police to pay for them.
Methinks Mr Finney is axe grinding.

http://speedcamerareport.co.uk/

devnull

3,745 posts

156 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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If I'm honest, on a Day to day basis, the A40 General flow has Improved IMHO.

Looks like the OP is trying to find an excuse for another "independent report". Note, independent, not unbiased.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Dave Finney said:
You are joking, aren't you? Speed cameras may introduce many factors that could contribute to collisions including sudden braking, bunching, distraction, tiredness, and that's not even considering the reduction in Traffic Police to pay for them.
Sudden braking and bunching are fare more likely to occur when people are going too fast in the first place, not when they're being forced by cameras to go slower. Distraction and tiredness are not caused by cameras. Reduction in Traffic Police is the only one you have mentioned that is valid.

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Dave Finney said:
So have you also never experienced the A40 was completely closed due to a collision from the Polish to the end of the raised section?
Over the years there have been numerous occasions when the A40 has been shut coming out of town late at night due to serious accidents. The Westway has been closed completely forcing me to head home thru Harlesdon, Stonebridge Pk etc. It's been shut from Gypsy Corner. The section up to Park Royal has been closed. The Greenford flyover was shut about 3 yrs ago when a Range Rover overturned.

Sorry, but you're talking tripe in saying it's never happened before. I recall going back as far as the late 70s an race between a Corvette and a Lotus resulted in the Corvette leaving the Westway altogether and ending up 30ft below in Ladbroke Grove. It was shut for about a day then whilst police investigated the death.

Guybrush

4,330 posts

205 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
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CGJJ said:
I drove into London on the A40 this morning at 3am because the M25 was closed otherwise I would
have been on the M4.

What I can tell you is that with 50 then 40 set on my cruise control it was very very safe and very very boring.
Bored drivers are probably less safe that drivers who are not.

ads

1,368 posts

256 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
I also think in heavy traffic average speed cameras can be dangerous. Most of the time when I have been going through a stretch of average speed cameras at the speed limit there is always someone sitting right on my back bumper. The latest was a coach.
You then get the drivers who don't understand average and brake hard approaching the camera, even though they are doing the speed limit, and speed up after.

Not sure if they cause more accidents but can see how they might. smile

sidekickdmr

5,065 posts

205 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Dave Finney said:
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Dave Finney said:
Can you confirm that the A40 was definitely completely "shut numerous times" due to collisions, and not simply backed up with only 1 lane open, or shut due to works?
Last October it was shut following a fatality at Swakeley roundabout. A few years back a plane overshot the runway at Northolt and it was closed. It was shut about 2 yrs ago when a cyclist was killed, again on the stretch by Northolt Airport. It was shut a few months back between Loudwater and High Wycombe due to a vehicle fire. I work in Bucks and live in London. I use it, against the flow, every day. It's been completely shut many times over the years, and I've had to divert.
Thanks TWK but I was thinking of examples where the A40 was completely closed due to a collision within what is now the average speed camera system, all your examples are outside the average speed camera system and none of them near where you live. So have you also never experienced the A40 was completely closed due to a collision from the Polish to the end of the raised section?
Where do I start?

You come on here saying that the ave speed cameras CAUSED the accident (no idea how you jumped to that conclusion), and say its never happened before, but then dismiss lots of accidents OUTSIDE the average speed camera section as not being your point.

You must see the irony in that?

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Guybrush said:
CGJJ said:
I drove into London on the A40 this morning at 3am because the M25 was closed otherwise I would
have been on the M4.

What I can tell you is that with 50 then 40 set on my cruise control it was very very safe and very very boring.
Bored drivers are probably less safe that drivers who are not.
Maybe we should all drive at 100mph thru 30 limits. The thrill of living on the edge, driving at high trying to spot possible hazards will surely lead to a reduction in accidents. rolleyes

Some of the stupid arguments against speed cameras do nothing but harm to the anti speed camera debate. Drivers get bored sticking to the limit so are more dangerous, and you have to drive with your eyes glued to the speedo are 2 of the most stupid.

giantdefy

684 posts

112 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Some of the stupid arguments against speed cameras do nothing but harm to the anti speed camera debate. Drivers get bored sticking to the limit so are more dangerous, and you have to drive with your eyes glued to the speedo are 2 of the most stupid.
+100

tuffer

8,849 posts

266 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
A speed camera of any type has never caused an accident. a driver reacting badly to seeing a speed camera on the other hand.....

TwigtheWonderkid

43,248 posts

149 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
tuffer said:
A speed camera of any type has never caused an accident. a driver reacting badly to seeing a speed camera on the other hand.....
Surely one must've blown over in a gale and struck a vehicle! Perhaps we can add that to the fking daft argument list.

caelite

4,273 posts

111 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
TheEnd said:
SPEED CAMERA FORCES HELICOPTER TO LAND
Pretty sure there was a story a few years back of a hand held speed unit triggering the electronic warfare suite on an low flying RAF jet and causing all sorts of interesting paperwork. biggrin

giantdefy

684 posts

112 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
caelite said:
Pretty sure there was a story a few years back of a hand held speed unit triggering the electronic warfare suite on an low flying RAF jet and causing all sorts of interesting paperwork. biggrin
http://www.snopes.com/horrors/techno/radar.asp

Jim1556

1,771 posts

155 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Anyone crashing or causing an accident on a straight fking dual carriageway/motorway should be banned for at least 6 months!!! rage

Unless it's a mechanical obviously...

CGJJ

857 posts

123 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
TwigtheWonderkid said:
Maybe we should all drive at 100mph thru 30 limits. The thrill of living on the edge, driving at high trying to spot possible hazards will surely lead to a reduction in accidents. rolleyes

Some of the stupid arguments against speed cameras do nothing but harm to the anti speed camera debate. Drivers get bored sticking to the limit so are more dangerous, and you have to drive with your eyes glued to the speedo are 2 of the most stupid.
"Maybe we should all drive at 100 mph thru 30 limits"

There you go,exaggerating to make your point.

No,driving at NSL on a road that was NSL until a few years ago,at 3am in good conditions without other traffic present
is what I was alluding to.

But carry on with your posts sir.

GPSHead

657 posts

240 months

Thursday 26th November 2015
quotequote all
Sportidge said:
Dave Finney said:
Speed cameras may introduce many factors that could contribute to collisions including.... tiredness
Speed cameras causing tiredness?

That's a new on on me..... confused
If a driver is forced to trundle along a free-flowing dual carriageway, at a speed significantly below its design speed, for miles on end, then do you think this is going to make them:

1. More alert;
2. Less alert;
3. No change?

Why are some people so averse to even considering that speed cameras may have any side effects? Sadly, it seems that for every person who instinctively hates the idea of a motorist being forced to travel at an unreasonably slow speed, there's another person who gets a hard-on from it, and will only be happy once government micromanages every aspect of our lives.