Accidents & incidents due to cameras?

[gfun]

Yesterday I saw my first accident due to a camera.

Dual carriageway 50mph, limit cars all bunched at a steady 50mph. Driver at front of bunch sees camera and brakes down to 40mph instantly getting stuffed from behind by a following car. The rest of the group scatter as the first is spun round.

Recounting this to others, its by no means a isolated case. Over half the people came back with a story of seeing, being in an accident or near accident. Several were accounts of sliding through with all wheels locked (one even sideways!).

What have you seen or been involved with?

[james_j]

Closeish a number of times, often in a slow-moving queue (Micra / Yaris often the cause), get to a 30 limit, Micra driver sees camera and slows to 25.

This Micra-induced panic braking "wave" travels down queue so that, by the end, the traffic is stationery with many near shunts. Totally unnecessary.

[Cooperman]

I did the same thing last year. I was in a 50 limit near Aylesbury, in the wet, clocking about 55 with cars behind but no-one in front. I saw a cash-camera and for a split second was not sure of the limit (was it 40???), so I braked firmly and the car behind, who, in fairness was a bit too close, almost ran into the back of me. Rightly he flashed and hooted (I don't blame him really)
My fault entirely, I know, for not knowing the limit at that point, but the road was unfamiliar and there had been severa limit changes for no apparent reason.
I didn't cause an accident, but I nearly did and I felt really bad about it. Made absolutely sure I kept my clean licence, however, which seems to be what's important these days.

[Plotloss]

Just before J5 of the M4

About October last year they painted fake camera lines on the road beneath a gantry.

Since then there have been at least 7 high speed rear end shunts at least one of which involving multiple fatalities.

[apache]

Hey don't let a few deaths get in the way of a good scam

[smeggy]

Plotloss said:

Just before J5 of the M4 About October last year they painted fake camera lines on the road beneath a gantry. Since then there have been at least 7 high speed rear end shunts at least one of which involving multiple fatalities.

Don't be surprised if a GATSO gets installed there (justified by the spate of induced accidents). The new camera will of course be accompanied with signs warning of these traps such that no-one else will be taken by surprise, hence reducing/eliminating the accident rate at the new camera site.

Cue the parnerships giving themselves monetary pats on the back for forcing justification for the camera and then artificially forcing the reduction of KSIs (aka: 'bias on selection').

[puggit]

Plotloss said:

Just before J5 of the M4 About October last year they painted fake camera lines on the road beneath a gantry. Since then there have been at least 7 high speed rear end shunts at least one of which involving multiple fatalities.

We've discussed this 'camera' a few times in this forum and the consensus is that it equipment on trial - radar detectors have certainly picked something up here.

So they have proven, under trial conditions, that cameras cause accidents!

However, it certainly isn't generating cash

[justinp1]

smeggy said:

Plotloss said: Just before J5 of the M4 About October last year they painted fake camera lines on the road beneath a gantry. Since then there have been at least 7 high speed rear end shunts at least one of which involving multiple fatalities. Don't be surprised if a GATSO gets installed there (justified by the spate of induced accidents). The new camera will of course be accompanied with signs warning of these traps such that no-one else will be taken by surprise, hence reducing/eliminating the accident rate at the new camera site. Cue the parnerships giving themselves monetary pats on the back for forcing justification for the camera and then artificially forcing the reduction of KSIs (aka: 'bias on selection').

I was just about to type something like that along those lines!

Whilt the partnerships will take the glory of a *nationwide* 3% drop in serious injuries or deaths which is actually due to better technology and safety in cars and the emergency services...

Of course the number of injuries within 50m of camera sites has NEVER been published!!!

[crazylegs]

This is an interesting article on this subject that was cited on here a while back and is a camera I pass quite frequently:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/3721018.stm

[Moo Moo]

The above link is what really annoys me. They put a speed camera up, but do nothing about the obscured lighting. The amount of warning signs I see buried in trees and shrubberies on the way to work is amazing.

[8Pack]

Strange?.....When I asked Mr Steve (witchfinder general of Scumbria) Callagan, if he had ever witnessed such a thing whilst pointing cameras at motorists for all these years, he said: "No".......

Maybe he was lying or perhaps had his eyes closed at the time...........

[Kinky]

gfun said:

.... Driver at front of bunch sees camera and brakes down to 40mph....

I go up/down the M3 every day through the roadworks between J4 and J3 where there is a 50 limit and it's VERY clearly signposted as such the whole way along the 3.5 mile stretch.

However, as you approach one of the 2 cameras that they have on either side, even though you are doing under 50, everyone seems to slam on the brakes

[Vipers]

gfun said:

Yesterday I saw my first accident due to a camera. Dual carriageway 50mph, limit cars all bunched at a steady 50mph. Driver at front of bunch sees camera and brakes down to 40mph instantly getting stuffed from behind by a following car. The rest of the group scatter as the first is spun round. Recounting this to others, its by no means a isolated case. Over half the people came back with a story of seeing, being in an accident or near accident. Several were accounts of sliding through with all wheels locked (one even sideways!). What have you seen or been involved with?

Well obviously the other cars were driving to close wernt they?,

However, don it myself, coming up behing a lorry, (dual carriageway), check mirror to overtake, car coming up outside, (I by the way are on 70 in cruise control), let car past first, then clear to go, pull out to follow car past lorry, car spots camera just in front of said lorry, hits the anchors so hard, I nearly tail end him, yes suppose I was too close as well, admit that.

[7db]

Cooperman said:

I did the same thing last year. I was in a 50 limit near Aylesbury, in the wet, clocking about 55 with cars behind but no-one in front. I saw a cash-camera and for a split second was not sure of the limit (was it 40???), so I braked firmly and the car behind, who, in fairness was a bit too close, almost ran into the back of me. Rightly he flashed and hooted (I don't blame him really)

Presumably he had spare braking capacity to take his hand off the wheel to flash and hoot (to indicate his presence to you, should you have been unaware).

Cooperman said:

My fault entirely, I know, for not knowing the limit at that point

Don't be harsh on yourself. It is your right to drive lower than the speed limit, and the numpties to follow at a safe distance and overtake when clear if he chooses to.

[7db]

A1 just past Archway on Weds I saw a car crashed into the camera in the central reservation. Couldn't tell what had happened, but the car was the loser.

[smeggy]

8Pack said:

Strange?.....When I asked Mr Steve (witchfinder general of Scumbria) Callagan, if he had ever witnessed such a thing whilst pointing cameras at motorists for all these years, he said: "No"....... Maybe he was lying or perhaps had his eyes closed at the time...........

destroyer aka Steve Callahan aka pisstonhead from an old thread said:

{The video} always feature a driver looking directly at the camera usually with the mouth either wide open or, using my elementary lip reading skills, mouthing the letter 'F'.

....but never panic braking huh?

[mojocvh]

destroyer aka Steve Callahan aka pisstonhead from an old thread said:{The video} always feature a driver looking directly at the camera usually with the mouth either wide open or, using my elementary lip reading skills, mouthing the letter 'F'.


Don't you just HATE them............

MoJo.

[russ35]

Last year I was driving down Blackpool prom near the sea life centre where there is a pelican crossing and then 10yds later a speed camera. This road is 2 lanes each way.

I pulled into outside lane as I saw one of the horse drawn carriages (don't get me started on these things ) in inside lane. Lights on crossing changed to red so I stopped (horse thing was past crossing), so was first car at crossing. A couple of people crossed. Looked in nearside mirror and noticed a red escort approaching in lane 1, thought to my self that he isn't going to stop in time. I was correct - straight past the crossing (lights still on red). I noticed as he passed that his break lights were on, but as soon as he had cleared the white road markings after the camera, break lights went off. I wonder which saftey device he was looking at, Pelican Crossing or speed camera?

[icamm]

I'm currently working on a project in Bristol and go through the M4 roadworks everyday and this sort of thing happens, without fail, at every camera on there.

Kinky said:

gfun said: .... Driver at front of bunch sees camera and brakes down to 40mph.... I go up/down the M3 every day through the roadworks between J4 and J3 where there is a 50 limit and it's VERY clearly signposted as such the whole way along the 3.5 mile stretch. However, as you approach one of the 2 cameras that they have on either side, even though you are doing under 50, everyone seems to slam on the brakes

[CommanderJameson]

A1 northbound yesterday (I think it was near Bramham). Fiesta or somesuch. Single car involved as far as I could see. Front-end smashed in; presumably panic-braked in outside lane, lost the front end and encountered the armco, coming to rest in line with the camera.

Thankfully driver was discussing situation with trafpol in vertical and presumably unharmed configuration.

Single-lane traffic. Much slowness. Speed camera worked.