A66 Roadworks

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Discussion

monkeyhanger

Original Poster:

9,198 posts

243 months

Saturday 20th January 2007
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Mobile Speed Cameras are now being deployed in the works at Surtees Bridge on the A66.

Keep your eyes peeled peeps

after_shock

8,751 posts

221 months

Saturday 20th January 2007
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Yeah be carefull with it, not their all the time but keep an eye out for the white van at the side of the road.

mr_roll

69 posts

214 months

Monday 22nd January 2007
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I heard on the news this morning that those cameras caught 177 people in a few hours, or it might have been 77 people in several hours. Which is a hell of a lot!!!

Are they well sign posted ?

after_shock

8,751 posts

221 months

Monday 22nd January 2007
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Yeah the signposts have been up for a while saying police speed check area but they put the speed camera signs up a few days before they started using them.

mr_roll

69 posts

214 months

Monday 22nd January 2007
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after_shock said:
Yeah the signposts have been up for a while saying police speed check area but they put the speed camera signs up a few days before they started using them.


Probably a ploy to get the motorists to get used to no speed cameras and then BAM!

graebob

2,172 posts

208 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
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To be honest, that area is stupid dangerous. It's a 30 limit for an obvious reason (guys working, but moreso that you have 4 lanes of traffic seperated by the merest of cones travelling across a bridge at a windy time of year, high sided vehicles crossing regularly) and people would only slow down for the flashing sign, then speed up again! I drove that bridge twice a day for the 2 months before xmas and can confidently say it was only larger commercial vehicles who bothered to obey the limit. Most would brake for the flashing sign at 30, then speed up to 40-50 again! Ridiculous! I'm glad they've put a camera in.

mr_roll

69 posts

214 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
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graebob said:
To be honest, that area is stupid dangerous. It's a 30 limit for an obvious reason (guys working, but moreso that you have 4 lanes of traffic seperated by the merest of cones travelling across a bridge at a windy time of year, high sided vehicles crossing regularly) and people would only slow down for the flashing sign, then speed up again! I drove that bridge twice a day for the 2 months before xmas and can confidently say it was only larger commercial vehicles who bothered to obey the limit. Most would brake for the flashing sign at 30, then speed up to 40-50 again! Ridiculous! I'm glad they've put a camera in.


Hmm I don't know the stretch of road personally as I never drive down there.

Sounds like its been a good idea and will make a few hundred people think about their speed, although if most people got a speeding ticket do you think it'll discourage other people doing it in the future.

I've known people in the past who wouldn't care if they got a speeding ticket unless their license was at risk. I know silly. Do you thin the majority of people are like that ?

Edited by mr_roll on Tuesday 23 January 00:24

monkeyhanger

Original Poster:

9,198 posts

243 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
quotequote all
mr_roll said:
I heard on the news this morning that those cameras caught 177 people in a few hours, or it might have been 77 people in several hours. Which is a hell of a lot!!!

Are they well sign posted ?


Big blue signs with "Police Speed Check Area" on them and Matrix signs that grab your speed and show your Reg No....hard to miss really.


There's a huge thread kicking around about someone who got caught doing 90+ through that stretch but it's been hi-jacked by the usual suspects with their personal agendas so the original post has been long forgotten.

graebob

2,172 posts

208 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
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mr_roll said:


Hmm I don't know the stretch of road personally as I never drive down there.

Sounds like its been a good idea and will make a few hundred people think about their speed, although if most people got a speeding ticket do you think it'll discourage other people doing it in the future.

I've known people in the past who wouldn't care if they got a speeding ticket unless their license was at risk. I know silly. Do you thin the majority of people are like that ?


I'd care, but only because I'm currently a clean runner driving I think (maybe even hope) most people would slow down, it was my experience that people always braked for the flashing 30 sign (it's about 10ft * 6ft, not one of those pansy little circle ones, and for a while they had a numberplate recognition camera sited there too). However, as soon as they went through the flashing sign - and thus entered the roadworks - they sped up again. Madness.


Edited by graebob on Tuesday 23 January 00:32

mr_roll

69 posts

214 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
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graebob said:
mr_roll said:


Hmm I don't know the stretch of road personally as I never drive down there.

Sounds like its been a good idea and will make a few hundred people think about their speed, although if most people got a speeding ticket do you think it'll discourage other people doing it in the future.

I've known people in the past who wouldn't care if they got a speeding ticket unless their license was at risk. I know silly. Do you thin the majority of people are like that ?


I'd care, but only because I'm currently a clean runner driving I think (maybe even hope) most people would slow down, it was my experience that people always braked for the flashing 30 sign (it's about 10ft * 6ft, not one of those pansy little circle ones, and for a while they had a numberplate recognition camera sited there too). However, as soon as they went through the flashing sign - and thus entered the roadworks - they sped up again. Madness.


Edited by graebob on Tuesday 23 January 00:32


You know one time I actually found out you could set up, with you local councils permision and some one elses, your own speed camera.

Seriously you'd be raking it in and also improving safety on some stretch of road! Everyone wins!

ipsg.glf

1,590 posts

219 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
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graebob said:
To be honest, that area is stupid dangerous. It's a 30 limit for an obvious reason (guys working, but moreso that you have 4 lanes of traffic seperated by the merest of cones travelling across a bridge at a windy time of year, high sided vehicles crossing regularly) and people would only slow down for the flashing sign, then speed up again! I drove that bridge twice a day for the 2 months before xmas and can confidently say it was only larger commercial vehicles who bothered to obey the limit. Most would brake for the flashing sign at 30, then speed up to 40-50 again! Ridiculous! I'm glad they've put a camera in.


Are guys working at 5am? Of course, a camera will solve the problem, won't it? rolleyes

mr_roll

69 posts

214 months

Tuesday 23rd January 2007
quotequote all
ipsg.glf said:
graebob said:
To be honest, that area is stupid dangerous. It's a 30 limit for an obvious reason (guys working, but moreso that you have 4 lanes of traffic seperated by the merest of cones travelling across a bridge at a windy time of year, high sided vehicles crossing regularly) and people would only slow down for the flashing sign, then speed up again! I drove that bridge twice a day for the 2 months before xmas and can confidently say it was only larger commercial vehicles who bothered to obey the limit. Most would brake for the flashing sign at 30, then speed up to 40-50 again! Ridiculous! I'm glad they've put a camera in.


Are guys working at 5am? Of course, a camera will solve the problem, won't it? rolleyes



I dont think the camera will make everyone slow down though. I think when they get the ticket for speeding they'll then realise.

Or it'll make people slow down at a dangerous speed... They'll see the camera and slam their brakes on causing people to brake hard and then speed up afterwards.

They should put the camera just after the sign, maybe 100yds They'd catch tons of people. Or maybe they should just have those average speed cameras.

wd*

4,045 posts

252 months

Saturday 3rd February 2007
quotequote all
mr_roll said:
after_shock said:
Yeah the signposts have been up for a while saying police speed check area but they put the speed camera signs up a few days before they started using them.


Probably a ploy to get the motorists to get used to no speed cameras and then BAM!


It has actually been highly publicised in the Gazette - they are making no secret of the fact they are putting the cameras there, and fair play to them, they have tried plenty of other thinks - the flashing boards, the ANPR flashing baords, the speed check warnings, etc before actually resorting to the cameras.

Also, they have said that the cameras will only be there when there is a risk to workmen.

Those who know me know I am not a fan of scameras, but in this instance, people are completely taking the p*ss - they did traffic survey and there were people doing in excess of 50mph - above the normal speed limit of the road, never mind the limit through the roadworks.

See: www.gazettelive.co.uk/search.cfm?searchscope=109975&query=surtees+bridge&gobut.x=0&gobut.y=0&num=10&start=0


wedg1e

26,805 posts

266 months

Saturday 3rd February 2007
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Scamera was definitely there Friday lunchtime, I saw it from the new bypass.

ipsg.glf

1,590 posts

219 months

Saturday 3rd February 2007
quotequote all
wd said:
Those who know me know I am not a fan of scameras, but in this instance, people are completely taking the p*ss - they did traffic survey and there were people doing in excess of 50mph - above the normal speed limit of the road, never mind the limit through the roadworks.

See: www.gazettelive.co.uk/search.cfm?searchscope=109975&query=surtees+bridge&gobut.x=0&gobut.y=0&num=10&start=0



But how many collisions have occured at these roadworks and how many of those were due to illegal speed?

tvrbob

11,172 posts

256 months

Saturday 3rd February 2007
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ipsg.glf said:
wd said:
Those who know me know I am not a fan of scameras, but in this instance, people are completely taking the p*ss - they did traffic survey and there were people doing in excess of 50mph - above the normal speed limit of the road, never mind the limit through the roadworks.

See: www.gazettelive.co.uk/search.cfm?searchscope=109975&query=surtees+bridge&gobut.x=0&gobut.y=0&num=10&start=0



But how many collisions have occured at these roadworks and how many of those were due to illegal speed?

Agreed. The 50mph limit is stupid to start with, this road is safe at 60 or 70. Roadworks on dual carriageways are normally restricted to 50mph, 30mph is stupidly slow.

graebob

2,172 posts

208 months

Sunday 4th February 2007
quotequote all
ipsg.glf said:
wd said:
Those who know me know I am not a fan of scameras, but in this instance, people are completely taking the p*ss - they did traffic survey and there were people doing in excess of 50mph - above the normal speed limit of the road, never mind the limit through the roadworks.

See: www.gazettelive.co.uk/search.cfm?searchscope=109975&query=surtees+bridge&gobut.x=0&gobut.y=0&num=10&start=0



But how many collisions have occured at these roadworks and how many of those were due to illegal speed?



Do we have to wait for an accident? 50 is a sensible limit for that bit of road considering the retarded junctions which are in place (such as Teesside Park). I've been pulled doing 70 along there and completely agreed with the officer that it was over the limit, but he let me off with a warning because it was so dead (11pm). Is it really so hard to drop to 30 for mile on the off chance it might stop an artic from plowing into you?

Edited by graebob on Sunday 4th February 00:17

tvrbob

11,172 posts

256 months

Sunday 4th February 2007
quotequote all
graebob said:
Is it really so hard to drop to 30 for mile on the off chance it might stop an artic from plowing into you?
You miss the point. 30 is too slow. Driving slowly causes cars to cram up nose to tail, that's unsafe. If you use this road you'll know the cars are too close to each other. Simple thinking leads people to believe that slower is always safer, it isn't always safer. Cars are safest in free flow, that's a fact. The A174 above Wilton Site is another example of slower making things worse. On that road the limit was reduced because of short slip roads out of Lazenby village. The result is that most cars congregate in the slow lane leaving no gaps and making it impossible for cars to join from Lazenby. There is a direct relationship between car speed and proximity. It occurs as cars congest, they slow down. It also occurs when cars are forced to slow down, they close up.

Look at this another way. The majority of drivers are law abiding and reasonably safe on the road. If the majority of drivers are breaking the speed limit it is an indication that the road speed is unreasonably slow.



Edited by tvrbob on Sunday 4th February 00:47

graebob

2,172 posts

208 months

Sunday 4th February 2007
quotequote all
tvrbob said:
You miss the point. 30 is too slow. Driving slowly causes cars to cram up nose to tail, that's unsafe. If you use this road you'll know the cars are too close to each other. Simple thinking leads people to believe that slower is always safer, it isn't always safer. Cars are safest in free flow, that's a fact. The A174 above Wilton Site is another example of slower making things worse. On that road the limit was reduced because of short slip roads out of Lazenby village. The result is that most cars congregate in the slow lane leaving no gaps and making it impossible for cars to join from Lazenby. There is a direct relationship between car speed and proximity. It occurs as cars congest, they slow down. It also occurs when cars are forced to slow down, they close up.

Look at this another way. The majority of drivers are law abiding and reasonably safe on the road. If the majority of drivers are breaking the speed limit it is an indication that the road speed is unreasonably slow.


I drove the road every day to and from Darlington for 2 months before xmas, as I drive a non-specific red courier van . I have to agree with you about the A174 in that particular spot, I tend to avoid that area specifically because of that traffic! There's plenty of other spots around our particular network of roads that need serious rethinking; all the boro junctions of the 66 (shame they cant be changed cos of the flyover), those stupid roadworks coming out of Thornaby onto the A19 South (stationary "give way" junction onto a busy 3 lane section of derestricted motorway... brilliant idea that was) to name just 2. I'll still stick by this particular roadworks on the A66 though, I think it's very well signposted, people have plenty of time to slow down (not just BANG and you've hit stationary traffic) and it's just too dangerous.

Just my opinion though, and opinions are like arseholes; everyones got one and they all stink

wedg1e

26,805 posts

266 months

Sunday 4th February 2007
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Slow limits on dual-c's tend to cause people to switch off. They've been paying attention at 70-80, now you ask them to do 30 so the brain figures it has plenty of time on its hands so let's change the CD, check the lippy, rummage for a fag, check contents of purse/ wallet, pick up that thing that's been rolling around the footwell for the last hundred miles and oh look, I've run into the back of the car in front.