Speed camera request
Discussion
I know of a fake one which will be available very soon ..... 
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=70629&f=10&h=0
www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=70629&f=10&h=0
plewis66 said:
Is there any way you can out forward a request to have a speed camera installed?
Would the best way be a petition? To whom should it be presented?
I'm in the Gerater Manchester area (I'm not giving any more detail than that, for fear of reprisal!).
Be careful what you wish for - you may just get it.
Has anyone been killed or seriously injured (and I mean paralysed/lost a limb/other nasty injury). If so there's a chance - otherwise I suspect it somewhat unlikely that you'll get a camera.
Also be aware no-one goes to other people's neighbourhoods to speed. They do it at at home on the roads with which they are most familiar. So who this will catch will be friends, family, neighbours and quite possibly yourself - except you'd never, ever speed near home now would you...of course.
I don't mean to be rude - but I'd suggest almost any other course of action. You may be able to get better signage, school lights (flashing yellow) etc more easily and at less cost to your community and personal well being within it.
I, for one, would not wish to be associated with a petition to put something up a large number of my neighbours are very likely to hate.
And before you go off at the deep-end let me say I AM thinking of the children - there are a host of other things that can be done first BEFORE getting into the scamera side of things...
Don said:
Also be aware no-one goes to other people's neighbourhoods to speed. They do it at at home on the roads with which they are most familiar. So who this will catch will be friends, family, neighbours and quite possibly yourself - except you'd never, ever speed near home now would you...of course.
No, but if it's right next to a motorway junction then you'll get loads of people speeding 'cos they're late for work. Even worse, it'll be at rush hour when the kids are crossing the road. Know of a very similar thing at the high school nearest to me - it's the main road straight off the motorway about a mile from the junction, and currently a 30mph zone. Lost count of how many times there's been an article in the paper about someone getting hit.
[Just re-read that & it sounded a bit harsh. Added...] Don, I'm not disagreeing that traffic islands, lights, etc. help, but as kids *are* kids, they'll run across the road wherever they feel like, regardless of there being a proper crossing 100m away. Reducing the number of cars doing 60mph+ down such bits of road has to be a good thing.
>> Edited by j_s_g on Tuesday 9th December 16:28
j_s_g said:
No, but if it's right next to a motorway junction then you'll get loads of people speeding 'cos they're late for work. Even worse, it'll be at rush hour when the kids are crossing the road. Know of a very similar thing at the high school nearest to me - it's the main road straight off the motorway about a mile from the junction, and currently a 30mph zone. Lost count of how many times there's been an article in the paper about someone getting hit.
[Just re-read that & it sounded a bit harsh. Added...] Don, I'm not disagreeing that traffic islands, lights, etc. help, but as kids *are* kids, they'll run across the road wherever they feel like, regardless of there being a proper crossing 100m away. Reducing the number of cars doing 60mph+ down such bits of road has to be a good thing.
>> Edited by j_s_g on Tuesday 9th December 16:28
No offence taken or intended.
Now: the kids will be kids bit. OF COURSE the little blighters will run out without looking. That's what RAILINGS are for - it ensure they can only access the roadway where there is a crossing..or are next to the pick-up/drop-off point. A crossing can be argued for resaonable effectively using the PV2 algorithm - and with no need for KSI's to get one!
Secondly various forms of traffic calming can make it quite obvious to even the most numpty of drivers that they are approaching a danger area - and should expect kids to run into the road unexpectedly. I'm thinking nice big signs, roundels, some road narrowing and an illuminated sign or two - cheap and effective.
If the very worst, comes to the very worst "cushions" (loathesome things) could be used. And all before the KSI stats needed for a camera.
I, personally, am not totally against cameras. I just see them as a very, very last resort as they are indiscrimate weapons in the fight against poor and inconsiderate driving.
The thing about schools is that they are closed most of the time (w/ends and holidays) and only have kids going to and from them at certain times. But a speed camera does not diferentiate - could be that 60mph would be perfectly acceptable at 6am on a Sunday morning but ludicrous at 8:30am on a Monday.
Why can't we have the US system of temporary flashing warning lights outside schools indicating that kids are about and the regular speed limit has been much reduced. Cheaper than a camera and probably more effective - drivers tend to respect the system - in the States anyway. Oh, but I forgot, that wouldn't raise any money from fines would it?
Why can't we have the US system of temporary flashing warning lights outside schools indicating that kids are about and the regular speed limit has been much reduced. Cheaper than a camera and probably more effective - drivers tend to respect the system - in the States anyway. Oh, but I forgot, that wouldn't raise any money from fines would it?
Don said:
Now: the kids will be kids bit. OF COURSE the little blighters will run out without looking. That's what RAILINGS are for - it ensure they can only access the roadway where there is a crossing..or are next to the pick-up/drop-off point. A crossing can be argued for resaonable effectively using the PV2 algorithm - and with no need for KSI's to get one!
Secondly various forms of traffic calming can make it quite obvious to even the most numpty of drivers that they are approaching a danger area - and should expect kids to run into the road unexpectedly. I'm thinking nice big signs, roundels, some road narrowing and an illuminated sign or two - cheap and effective.
If the very worst, comes to the very worst "cushions" (loathesome things) could be used. And all before the KSI stats needed for a camera.
I, personally, am not totally against cameras. I just see them as a very, very last resort as they are indiscrimate weapons in the fight against poor and inconsiderate driving.
I definitely agree that they should be a (second-to-)last resort... I think speed-bumps should be the last resort, as they play havoc with suspension regardless of speed! I guess I'm talking about a very specific circumstance that I've maybe not described enough...
Yes, railings, proper marked crossings, etc. should come first. But in true council fashion at our local school they've sited these in completely the wrong place, meaning that kids just run across 100m+ before all of these things. Suppose they could add more railings, etc.
Guess it's a case-by-case thing. But I think schools are some of the best cases for scameras, as children themselves negate most of the other attempts at improving safety!
[rant] Just don't even start me on 1 mile further down the road, though, where they've put traffic lights in for a pedestrian crossing 5 metres AFTER a roundabout, causing gridlock on it a few hundred yards from a major hospital. Bet that's cost more lives than it's saved already!
[/rant]Don said:
Has anyone been killed or seriously injured (and I mean paralysed/lost a limb/other nasty injury). If so there's a chance - otherwise I suspect it somewhat unlikely that you'll get a camera.
Perhaps a seperate thread, but it's a darned shame that someone has to be killed or seriously injured before things are done. I would also like to bet, though, that a large proportion of the places that have cameras have very, very low KSI ratings.
Don said:
Also be aware no-one goes to other people's neighbourhoods to speed. They do it at at home on the roads with which they are most familiar. So who this will catch will be friends, family, neighbours
Nonsense. Are you seriously saying that everyone who comes off this motorway junction heading into Manchester city centre is a member of my family, a neighbour or a friend? Silly.
Also, if a member of my family, a neighbour or a friend drives past a school entry at 60mph, then I say don't give them a ticket, give them a ban and a fine.
Don said:
and quite possibly yourself - except you'd never, ever speed near home now would you...of course.
Correct. And rarely elsewhere.
Don said:
I don't mean to be rude
Then don't be.
Don said:
- but I'd suggest almost any other course of action. You may be able to get better signage, school lights (flashing yellow) etc more easily and at less cost to your community and personal well being within it.
Good idea.
Don said:
I, for one, would not wish to be associated with a petition to put something up a large number of my neighbours are very likely to hate.
I don't think that's the case. Do you know my neighbours?
Don said:
And before you go off at the deep-end let me say I AM thinking of the children - there are a host of other things that can be done first BEFORE getting into the scamera side of things...
Fair point, but if you are going to go off at the deep end, then I will surely follow.
plewis66 said:
Perhaps a seperate thread, but it's a darned shame that someone has to be killed or seriously injured before things are done. I would also like to bet, though, that a large proportion of the places that have cameras have very, very low KSI ratings.
Are you suggesting that low ksi's is attributable to cameras then?
If so, can you point me to the *independent* research that shows this to be a fact?
If not, then ill take that bet.
Ill bet its due to some other factor.
If youre NOT attributing the low ksi's to the cameras, then please ignore this post.
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