M4 accident - again....
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off_again

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

264 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
Sorry, but yet again there has been an accident on the M4 in the speed camera zone... rather bizzare this time, but nonetheless an accident:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/wiltshire/4551743.stm

Speed cameras helped then?

Oh, and not forgetting that there were three yesterday between J15 and J17 - two westbound and one eastbound.... speed cameras are working arent they? I mean, no one speeding so it must be safer - right?

apache

39,731 posts

314 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
Can anyone supply stats for before and after camera placement? it should be quite enlightening

>> Edited by apache on Tuesday 17th May 11:14

cuneus

5,963 posts

272 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
and just the type of accident they would use to justify placement of a camera

BliarOut

72,863 posts

269 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
I would love to see the accident figures before and after the announcement of the scameras. It feels like there's going to be some pretty conclusive proof that the M4 was safer without them. It's not speed that kills, it's poor observation and the scameras make people less observant.

Shame people have to die in the name of profit

pzero64

2,152 posts

271 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
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Poor bloke.

miniman

30,076 posts

292 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
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Not sure this accident is particularly "useful" in terms of justification for removal of camera vans, though. It seems to me that the only winning argument is the one that goes "we need proper policing to identify ALL forms of dangerous driving". Simply bemoaning the camera vans will NOT work.

And in this case, the odds of increased traffic patrols finding this guy and parking up behind him for protection would be slim at best.

chimburt

751 posts

289 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
mm. don't see that a camera van would have helped or hindered, but certainly more trafpol would have helped. more cars available means that they would have known he was there, and would have had the resource ( a spare car ) to protect him as he sorted himself out?
every inch of motorway in this country is on camera ( i believe ), so they would have known he was there...?

Mr E

23,066 posts

289 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
off_again said:

Oh, and not forgetting that there were three yesterday between J15 and J17 - two westbound and one eastbound.... speed cameras are working arent they? I mean, no one speeding so it must be safer - right?



Were they?

I didn't see any at about 8pm.....

And failed to stop is just scum.

>> Edited by Mr E on Tuesday 17th May 11:35

WildCat

8,369 posts

273 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
Und white van man probably was not speeding either - else they would have NIPped him....which just goes to show that concentrating on one issue ist not the answer.

Ist BiB presence - und as said - they could have assisted in interest of safety on this motorway.

But...if in situation whereby off-side tyre needs changing ...I do not bother doing it myself (und I can change tyres und can do so in pit-stop speed und precision as Papa trained me years ago ) - but if in situation where HGVs und so was are in L1 - I usually get that nice AA man to come und do it for me.

off_again

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

264 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
Mr E said:

off_again said:

Oh, and not forgetting that there were three yesterday between J15 and J17 - two westbound and one eastbound.... speed cameras are working arent they? I mean, no one speeding so it must be safer - right?




Were they?

I didn't see any at about 8pm.....

And failed to stop is just scum.

>> Edited by Mr E on Tuesday 17th May 11:35


Yep, but early morning though. I would have been going down the M4 at that time had I not had a couple of days off! But yes, hit the local news on the TV and checked on AA / RAC websites. Fortunately cleared up quickly, but strangely no reports on the BBC News website - so I know little more than that there were three separate incidents....

off_again

Original Poster:

13,917 posts

264 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
chimburt said:
mm. don't see that a camera van would have helped or hindered, but certainly more trafpol would have helped. more cars available means that they would have known he was there, and would have had the resource ( a spare car ) to protect him as he sorted himself out?
every inch of motorway in this country is on camera ( i believe ), so they would have known he was there...?


Absolutely - that to be honest is my point. Accidents "seem" to have increased, but its subjective at the moment - hard to prove without hard and fast statistics (which Wilts SCP have proven that they dont actually keep!).

The point though, as you state, that deaths happen on the road which have no relevance to speed or cameras. Its poor driving that is the killer and no technology is going to automatically detect and fine anyone for that.....

apache

39,731 posts

314 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
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Possible I suppose that WVM was not being too attentive because he was looking out for talivans?

leosayer

7,830 posts

274 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
WildCat said:
in situation where HGVs und so was are in L1 - I usually get that nice AA man to come und do it for me.


Would I change a wheel on a motorway hard shoulder? LHS maybe, RHS - no way! If you really must do it then at least ensure that you wear a hi-vis jacket or similar, day or night.

Otherwise, let the AA come and put his van in the danger zone!


cptsideways

13,884 posts

282 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
I have to agree, never feel you have to change a wheel on the offside on the motorway. Drive to an exit if you must or park on the grass verge anything but face the risk, its a huge risk.

TripleS

4,294 posts

272 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
chimburt said:
...every inch of motorway in this country is on camera ( i believe ),...


I don't believe it! Somebody please assure me that's not true

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Munter

31,331 posts

271 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
TripleS said:

chimburt said:
...every inch of motorway in this country is on camera ( i believe ),...



I don't believe it! Somebody please assure me that's not true


I believe he means CCTV rather than scamera but I dont believe every inch is covered either. A lot of junctions yes...

TripleS

4,294 posts

272 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
cptsideways said:
I have to agree, never feel you have to change a wheel on the offside on the motorway. Drive to an exit if you must or park on the grass verge anything but face the risk, its a huge risk.


I don't think I would like to have to change a wheel in those circumstances, unless I at least had a companion who could keep an eye on approaching traffic.

Even then it's far from ideal.

Best wishes all,
Dave.

Nickccc

1,682 posts

278 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
Maybe he (the hit and run looser) has been filmed by the scam vans, will they be reviewing all the film just in case they have recorded him. And anyway has he/she even got a licence, tax, insurance ect.
More police is the answer, as we all know.
Nick

puggit

49,806 posts

278 months

Tuesday 17th May 2005
quotequote all
Another accident just outside Wiltshire: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/berkshire/4555127.stm