Fewer speed cameras now?
Discussion
In 2014 I gave up my walking commute and moved to West Berkshire, which landed me with two hours a day commuting to and from my workplace in Hampshire. Initially, I saw speed camera vans about two or three times a week, all year round, and a policeman with a handheld speed gun about once a month. Now, in 2019, I can honestly say I haven’t seen a camera van in about a year, and a policeman with a speed gun in about 6 months. Is this just my area, or is a nationwide decline? I’ve got a clean license and try not to speed, so I’ve no reason to ask other than pure curiosity.
Composite Guru said:
Probably because its a waste of time. The roads are so congested now no one can exceed the speed limit.
Certainly the case on many roads, but not the case on the commuting route I described. My average speed is 45-50mph, and probably for around 60% of that commute I could exceed the speed limit if I wanted to. Or perhaps policy is driven out from areas where congestion makes speed cameras pointless?RobM77 said:
In 2014 I gave up my walking commute and moved to West Berkshire, which landed me with two hours a day commuting to and from my workplace in Hampshire. Initially, I saw speed camera vans about two or three times a week, all year round, and a policeman with a handheld speed gun about once a month. Now, in 2019, I can honestly say I haven’t seen a camera van in about a year, and a policeman with a speed gun in about 6 months. Is this just my area, or is a nationwide decline? I’ve got a clean license and try not to speed, so I’ve no reason to ask other than pure curiosity.
I think there are certain routes that seem to 'justify' their presence. On the A272 from Petersfield to Winchester it's not unusual for me to see two vans on that stretch of road in one day. One very sneaky one in the lay-by at Cheriton catches people going down a hill into a 30 limit. Quite a few people I know have been 'done from behind' so to speak by that one as it's very well hidden.BIRMA said:
RobM77 said:
In 2014 I gave up my walking commute and moved to West Berkshire, which landed me with two hours a day commuting to and from my workplace in Hampshire. Initially, I saw speed camera vans about two or three times a week, all year round, and a policeman with a handheld speed gun about once a month. Now, in 2019, I can honestly say I haven’t seen a camera van in about a year, and a policeman with a speed gun in about 6 months. Is this just my area, or is a nationwide decline? I’ve got a clean license and try not to speed, so I’ve no reason to ask other than pure curiosity.
I think there are certain routes that seem to 'justify' their presence. On the A272 from Petersfield to Winchester it's not unusual for me to see two vans on that stretch of road in one day. One very sneaky one in the lay-by at Cheriton catches people going down a hill into a 30 limit. Quite a few people I know have been 'done from behind' so to speak by that one as it's very well hidden.BIRMA said:
I think there are certain routes that seem to 'justify' their presence. On the A272 from Petersfield to Winchester it's not unusual for me to see two vans on that stretch of road in one day. One very sneaky one in the lay-by at Cheriton catches people going down a hill into a 30 limit. Quite a few people I know have been 'done from behind' so to speak by that one as it's very well hidden.
And the cheeky one in the layby near the Rising Sun pub. RobM77 said:
In 2014 I gave up my walking commute and moved to West Berkshire, which landed me with two hours a day commuting to and from my workplace in Hampshire. Initially, I saw speed camera vans about two or three times a week, all year round, and a policeman with a handheld speed gun about once a month. Now, in 2019, I can honestly say I haven’t seen a camera van in about a year, and a policeman with a speed gun in about 6 months. Is this just my area, or is a nationwide decline? I’ve got a clean license and try not to speed, so I’ve no reason to ask other than pure curiosity.
Take a drive to Scarborough up the A64 and back and then come back here and say there's a decline in speed camera vans and cops with speed guns 
.Lemming Train said:
RobM77 said:
In 2014 I gave up my walking commute and moved to West Berkshire, which landed me with two hours a day commuting to and from my workplace in Hampshire. Initially, I saw speed camera vans about two or three times a week, all year round, and a policeman with a handheld speed gun about once a month. Now, in 2019, I can honestly say I haven’t seen a camera van in about a year, and a policeman with a speed gun in about 6 months. Is this just my area, or is a nationwide decline? I’ve got a clean license and try not to speed, so I’ve no reason to ask other than pure curiosity.
Take a drive to Scarborough up the A64 and back and then come back here and say there's a decline in speed camera vans and cops with speed guns .RobM77 said:
In 2014 I gave up my walking commute and moved to West Berkshire, which landed me with two hours a day commuting to and from my workplace in Hampshire. Initially, I saw speed camera vans about two or three times a week, all year round, and a policeman with a handheld speed gun about once a month. Now, in 2019, I can honestly say I haven’t seen a camera van in about a year, and a policeman with a speed gun in about 6 months. Is this just my area, or is a nationwide decline? I’ve got a clean license and try not to speed, so I’ve no reason to ask other than pure curiosity.
With fewer police officers available, there has to be a business case for any squad, for squad it is. All the evidence suggests that mobile speed checks have no effect other than in the short term, a matter of days in fact. In my force the unit was obliged to justify its existence and came up with a corking idea. The A259 between Newhaven and Seaford had a number of accidents (in the old and accurate nomenclature). The suggestion was that they would see the effect of repeated mobile speed checks had on the stretch.You will note the use of the word repeated. There was no way that level of enforcement would have been possible at more than one location, even in those days when we just had too few officers.
The 6-month trial went on for about 10 months. I made the assumption that the results were not significant so they carried on into poorer weather. However, I was given the report (I was i/c driver training, so it was of no relevance to me but my comments were sought.
I was not so much surprised as shocked by the conclusion. I knew that most other trials showed no improvement once the units were removed, but it showed a significant reduction and the reduction remained after a month. It seemed I was wrong.
However:
The penultimate paragraph explained the reason for the delay. It seems the roads authority had decided to put keep left bollards along the road in the areas where accidents, as they called them, happened.
I could not discover whether traffic knew of the impending works.
Derek Smith said:
With fewer police officers available, there has to be a business case for any squad, for squad it is. All the evidence suggests that mobile speed checks have no effect other than in the short term, a matter of days in fact. In my force the unit was obliged to justify its existence and came up with a corking idea. The A259 between Newhaven and Seaford had a number of accidents (in the old and accurate nomenclature). The suggestion was that they would see the effect of repeated mobile speed checks had on the stretch.
You will note the use of the word repeated. There was no way that level of enforcement would have been possible at more than one location, even in those days when we just had too few officers.
The 6-month trial went on for about 10 months. I made the assumption that the results were not significant so they carried on into poorer weather. However, I was given the report (I was i/c driver training, so it was of no relevance to me but my comments were sought.
I was not so much surprised as shocked by the conclusion. I knew that most other trials showed no improvement once the units were removed, but it showed a significant reduction and the reduction remained after a month. It seemed I was wrong.
However:
The penultimate paragraph explained the reason for the delay. It seems the roads authority had decided to put keep left bollards along the road in the areas where accidents, as they called them, happened.
I could not discover whether traffic knew of the impending works.
Sneaky if they did! You will note the use of the word repeated. There was no way that level of enforcement would have been possible at more than one location, even in those days when we just had too few officers.
The 6-month trial went on for about 10 months. I made the assumption that the results were not significant so they carried on into poorer weather. However, I was given the report (I was i/c driver training, so it was of no relevance to me but my comments were sought.
I was not so much surprised as shocked by the conclusion. I knew that most other trials showed no improvement once the units were removed, but it showed a significant reduction and the reduction remained after a month. It seemed I was wrong.
However:
The penultimate paragraph explained the reason for the delay. It seems the roads authority had decided to put keep left bollards along the road in the areas where accidents, as they called them, happened.
I could not discover whether traffic knew of the impending works.
On a similar note, I've read about stats showing a drop in accidents used to justify speed cameras where the period of time for those stats included the mandatory introduction of stability control on new cars, ABS, and other safety measures; these hadn't been accounted for when analysing the data...I remember reading that when Swindon got rid of their stationary cameras (which presumably retain this temporary effect that you mention), accident rates actually fell.
I pootle round Swindon pretty regularly. Although this is entirely anecdotal I can't say I've seen people in general driving any faster there than anywhere else. Yes. Of course you do still get the 18 year old nonce in his Honda spaceship giving it large. But generally? It's the same as anywhere else: 10 mph over the speed limit!
BobG
BobG
I used to often see a mobile camera van on my commute through a Warwickshire village, but have not seen it for a few months now.
In fact I can't remember the last time I saw a police car as it was so long ago, weeks or months, and I do travel
a lot mostly in Midlands area.
In fact I can't remember the last time I saw a police car as it was so long ago, weeks or months, and I do travel
a lot mostly in Midlands area.
Edited by dreamcracker on Thursday 26th September 22:38
50 limit on a single carriageway as well don't forget.
Never mind your T5 my mate has an old P reg Ducato based motorhome with 6 berths and a very long coach-built body, he has the same limits as cars.
Never mind your T5 my mate has an old P reg Ducato based motorhome with 6 berths and a very long coach-built body, he has the same limits as cars.
Glassman said:
In and around London I've been getting away with it.
Got an NIP from Lincolnshire Police recently. Forgot about the 'goods vehicle' rule on a d/c.
A Transporter van will get done for +60 but the same van as a camper won't unless it gets clocked over 70. Marvelous.
Got an NIP from Lincolnshire Police recently. Forgot about the 'goods vehicle' rule on a d/c.
A Transporter van will get done for +60 but the same van as a camper won't unless it gets clocked over 70. Marvelous.
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