"Speed cameras to target car festival"

[luca brazzi]

Taken from the BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4580943.stm

"Mobile speed cameras are to target drivers heading to Cornwall for the annual Run to the Sun event at Newquay. Police say the cameras will be used from Thursday until the end of the bank holiday weekend on Monday.

[pic]http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39246000/jpg/_39246671_runtothesun_203.jpg[/pic]

There have been complaints in previous years about cars being driven at high speed in some areas of the town.

Last year the Run to the Sun festival attracted a record 100,000 revellers, which caused some congestion on approach roads into Newquay.

[b]Tracking units[/b]

The event started in 1989 as a meet for Volkswagen enthusiasts and has grown in popularity over recent years. It is now one of the UK's largest custom car festivals.

On Saturday and Sunday the cameras will be focused in and around the town and on bank holiday Monday camera units will track cars leaving the county.

The Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership says speed restrictions were enforced at last year's event which was virtually accident-free.

Organisers say its location in Newquay, which is classed as the "surf capital of the UK" is one of the many elements which contribute to its success."


:rolleyes:

LB (Hopes he's not about to get a "Do keep up"... response :hehe:)

[bennyboysvuk]

luca brazzi said:

The Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership says speed restrictions were enforced at last year's event which was virtually accident-free.

Well worth sending the scamera team down then.

Last time I drove a bug, speed really wasn't an issue as getting the thing to motor along at all was quite a feat.

[cptsideways]

Old Volkswagons Speeding

More than likely it'll be the AA men who get pinged rushed off their feet with VW Buses on the back


£afety my ass

[apache]

Hey, Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership, F**K YOU!

[off_again]

Safety, security and just about everything else is about priorities and risks. It would be fine to have something to protect us all from lightening strikes, but considering the risk is low its just not worth it.

So, imposing this standard approach to this scenario - what do you get? Exactly how many people die during that particular weekend? Compare that to the whole year and lets see where the risk is? What is the danger? Do 10's of people die that weekend on the roads? Is it statistically out of proportion?

Or is this just a piece of the typical crap that we are getting now? Maximising revenue rather than reducing the risks and dangers on the roads.....

[miniman]

I've got no time whatsoever for scamera pratnerships, but look at this from another angle:

The residents of Yatton Keynell got sick and tired of arseholes driving like idiots through their village en-route to and from Castle Combe race days, that they decided the only solution was to protest to the council about the noise generated by the circuit. Leading to a noise abatement order which has a very real chance of killing off F3 and GT racing at Combe.

So perhaps some enforcement presence, no matter how ridiculously misguided, might have a spin off benefit?

[autismuk]

It'll be interesting to see where they sit. I suspect they'll occupy their usual dodgy limits, rather than enforce the ones that people want enforced - and that they claim they enforce ; 30 mph in residential/school areas etc.

[off_again]

miniman said:

I've got no time whatsoever for scamera pratnerships, but look at this from another angle: The residents of Yatton Keynell got sick and tired of arseholes driving like idiots through their village en-route to and from Castle Combe race days, that they decided the only solution was to protest to the council about the noise generated by the circuit. Leading to a noise abatement order which has a very real chance of killing off F3 and GT racing at Combe. So perhaps some enforcement presence, no matter how ridiculously misguided, might have a spin off benefit?

Yeah, but to take my analogy about risks and focus - how many accidents occur there and does it justify the noise order or scamera location?

As annoying as it might seem, a car / bike being driven like an arse doesnt necessarily make it dangerous. Sounds perverse, but if the previous history isnt there to support the dangers then its not necessary.

Kinda like car park gran prix's at midnight. Yes its anti-social and yes its stupid. But where is the risk to the general public? And what about that notorious section of A road round the corner which is badly engineered and suffers severe weather conditions - claiming 4 lives a year on average (for example)?

Focus your efforts on the dangerous bits, concentrate on the major risks. Not only does it give the greatest impact in the shortest possible time, but it makes the most efficient use of the limited resources that are available. Its simple logic.... surely?

Scameras bowing to public pressure for nusances rather than real dangers? Surely not....

[james_j]

To repeat a comment above, sa£ety my ar$e.

[spaximus]

miniman said:

I've got no time whatsoever for scamera pratnerships, but look at this from another angle: The residents of Yatton Keynell got sick and tired of arseholes driving like idiots through their village en-route to and from Castle Combe race days, that they decided the only solution was to protest to the council about the noise generated by the circuit. Leading to a noise abatement order which has a very real chance of killing off F3 and GT racing at Combe. So perhaps some enforcement presence, no matter how ridiculously misguided, might have a spin off benefit?

This is not correct, the Yatton Kendal residents were okay until a certain lord and lady moved there. The Lady in question is the prime mover in this complaint and is supported by toadies who think agreeing with people who have a title makes them look good. There are also lots in the village who are petrol heads.
regarding the run to the sun this is just like the welsh with the RAC rally, target outsiders and they can generate as much cash as they like in a short space of time and the locals will not react badly.

[scoule]

To quote an instructor from Castle Coombe driving school who lived in the village ...

"All the people who've lived here for ages are fine, they know there's a race circuit and it makes noise. It's the f**king a**holes who've moved in" ...

Sounds like that tallies up!

[IanReid]

luca brazzi said:

Taken from the BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cornwall/4580943.stm "Mobile speed cameras are to target drivers heading to Cornwall for the annual Run to the Sun event at Newquay. Police say the cameras will be used from Thursday until the end of the bank holiday weekend on Monday.

I have just spent the Bank Holiday weekend in Devon and Cornwall, and a very pleasant time I had too. On the way down on the Friday we overtook the safety camera van on the A30 a few miles before Launceston. After lunch I went back the other way on the A30 (by mistake, bloody tourist) and the van was parked up on a bridge just outside Launceston. It was a beautifuuly picked site for scamming. He was targetting traffic coming into Cornwall. The bridge is just over the brow of a hill, so drivers would probably only see him as it was too late. So, there you have it, he was sitting on the straightest, safest piece of road in Cornwall. This won't be surprise to anyone on this site I know.

BTW Cornwall is fantastic, Devon is good too, but not in the same league for beauty.

[andy400]

apache said:

Hey, Devon and Cornwall Safety Camera Partnership, F**K YOU!

Hear, hear. Seconded.

[MR2Mike]

IanReid said:

BTW Cornwall is fantastic, Devon is good too, but not in the same league for beauty.

It has some very scenic parts, but you don't get to see most of them just driving through