Spot the Camera Van.....!
Discussion
I understand why these guys are here but is this fair? This van is parked on a road adjacent the main road, right up behind a car with a bus stop to one side. Is this really following the guidelines set out for the location of these units?
I was caught by a camera in this location 2 years ago, I can see why now... The road used to be a 40 but was reduced to a 30, so people tend to forget. I imagine many unsuspecting soles will be getting a letter in the post within the next 2 weeks!
I was caught by a camera in this location 2 years ago, I can see why now... The road used to be a 40 but was reduced to a 30, so people tend to forget. I imagine many unsuspecting soles will be getting a letter in the post within the next 2 weeks!
Looks like Gypsy Patch Lane heading towards Filton Airfield, Bristol. Speed limits have been reduced over a stretch of road about two miles long leading up to this point and it's a favourite spot for scamera vans. Quite honestly there are too many variations in limit over this stretch with no logical reason.
optim8 said:
I understand why these guys are here but is this fair?
Do you really understand why they are there? They are there because (as you can see) the road is extremely safe at speeds over 30mph, and THEREFORE people will be going faster than 30mph.
A more understandable place would be outside an infants school or in a busy high street. Safe drivers rarely speed in these areas however and as the whole point is money generation and not safety, you will never see them there. In fact they are not allowed to be placed where they are needed, they have to be put on roads where the speed limit is too low:
www.safespeed.org.uk/rules.html
p.s. safespeed may want that photo for their 'spot the van' quiz!
530dTPhil said:
Looks like Gypsy Patch Lane heading towards Filton Airfield, Bristol. Speed limits have been reduced over a stretch of road about two miles long leading up to this point and it's a favourite spot for scamera vans. Quite honestly there are too many variations in limit over this stretch with no logical reason.
It certainly is Gipsy Patch Lane, Filton. I spotted them as I was heading home after a sunny day spin. I was so shocked at their location I had to pull over and take a couple of pics.
I took a shot on the road approaching them but to be honest you can't actually see them!!
I do feel for the people they caught out, the trouble is the road turns to a dual right by their location so people naturally increase their speed a little.
Might be worth checking the ABD site for the home office guidelines. Although it does not appear that Avon and Somerset are participating in "revenue hypothecation" and therefore do not have to follow the guidelines. See here for details:-
www.abd.org.uk/site_audit_form.htm
I think the site you are talking about is listed here on the Avon and Somerset safety camera partnership's website.
www.safecam.org.uk/CameraSites/CameraDetails.aspx?CameraID=149
You can see that there have been a number of KSIs there so it's not necessarily there just for revenue raising. Its seriously debateable as to whether the camera is having any effect (but then if many don't see it, it doesn't send much of a message).
I came across a similar one a while back. Tucked in amongst parked cars on a verge, just outside the 30 zone. Turned out the local paper had been looking for pics for a while as they knew that the van was being used in contravention of the safety camera partnership's own and HO guidelines. Local press seems to have shown some interest in your area in the past as they don't have a particularly glowing record on speed enforcement.
www.abd.org.uk/local/avon_and_somerset.htm
Stuart
www.abd.org.uk/site_audit_form.htm
I think the site you are talking about is listed here on the Avon and Somerset safety camera partnership's website.
www.safecam.org.uk/CameraSites/CameraDetails.aspx?CameraID=149
You can see that there have been a number of KSIs there so it's not necessarily there just for revenue raising. Its seriously debateable as to whether the camera is having any effect (but then if many don't see it, it doesn't send much of a message).
I came across a similar one a while back. Tucked in amongst parked cars on a verge, just outside the 30 zone. Turned out the local paper had been looking for pics for a while as they knew that the van was being used in contravention of the safety camera partnership's own and HO guidelines. Local press seems to have shown some interest in your area in the past as they don't have a particularly glowing record on speed enforcement.
www.abd.org.uk/local/avon_and_somerset.htm
Stuart
I am as contemptuous of camera vans and the like as anyone here, but, if one is to be fair, it must be admitted that this clearly is a genuine built-up area, and it is quite easy to imagine a child rushing out into the street from behind a bush. There is no need here to go any more quickly than 30.
It's also easy to imagine why a driver would consider 40 to be safe.
The grass divider between the access lane and the main road is a decent buffer between front garden and the flow of traffic.
If there really is a danger of kids running from their front gardens across the access lane, across the grass divider and into the main road, have the council not heard of that new invention called the "fence"?
If anything, perhaps the boys with the cameras should be monitoring speeds where the true danger lies - on the access lane.
To put a concealed camera just before the limit increase is not right.
It's also easy to imagine why a driver would consider 40 to be safe.
The grass divider between the access lane and the main road is a decent buffer between front garden and the flow of traffic.
If there really is a danger of kids running from their front gardens across the access lane, across the grass divider and into the main road, have the council not heard of that new invention called the "fence"?
If anything, perhaps the boys with the cameras should be monitoring speeds where the true danger lies - on the access lane.
To put a concealed camera just before the limit increase is not right.
Nice pics optim8, well done.
This really is scandalous revenue raising!
Any driver driving at a safe speed for that road could be ticketed.
Yes there are houses nearby, but there are wide open grass verges affording excellent visibility and two lanes to play with.
Sights like this make me physically sick! I imagine they are at that spot quite often as they are deffinately going to rake in a mint there, that's for sure!
One simple speed activated sign there would make drivers aware of their speed, but no, they park a van virtually out of sight with the intention of not slowing the traffic at all. This is a fine example of what the SCP's are all about!
I think the Bristol Evening Post may be interested in these pics.
This really is scandalous revenue raising!
Any driver driving at a safe speed for that road could be ticketed.
Yes there are houses nearby, but there are wide open grass verges affording excellent visibility and two lanes to play with.
Sights like this make me physically sick! I imagine they are at that spot quite often as they are deffinately going to rake in a mint there, that's for sure!
One simple speed activated sign there would make drivers aware of their speed, but no, they park a van virtually out of sight with the intention of not slowing the traffic at all. This is a fine example of what the SCP's are all about!
I think the Bristol Evening Post may be interested in these pics.
deeps said:
optim8, I've taken the liberty of passing those pics to my contact at The BEP, hope that's okay.
Hi deeps, no problem passing these on to BEP, I was thinking of doing it my self but wanted to get some reaction fellow pistonheaders first.
I took about 6 shots, all variations of what's above. To be honest as the time it all looked so wrong I almost went over and said something to the guys in the van.
Could you let me know if BEP plan to publish, it would make an interesting read!!!! Cheers.
Just my personal opinion, but I'd set the prosecution point at 40 for this and similar roads. I live on a road like this on which the speed limit is frequently ignored, and I'd be very happy to see a camera van there. People travelling above about 40 create an unpleasant, stressful environment for residents. That's not fair. Sod them you say, well speeding prosecutions may be the reply.
herewego said:
Just my personal opinion, but I'd set the prosecution point at 40 for this and similar roads. I live on a road like this on which the speed limit is frequently ignored, and I'd be very happy to see a camera van there. People travelling above about 40 create an unpleasant, stressful environment for residents. That's not fair. Sod them you say, well speeding prosecutions may be the reply.
No one is saying 'sod them' to the residents. One thing is to make a road safer and to slow people down. This is not what the SCP are doing here, they are doing quite another. They are very well hidden and getting people who are ALREADY 'speeding', FAILING to slow them down. I'm not sure how that helps safety, apart from the secondary fear effect, something the Nazis used well a little while back.
There are many ways to make places safer and reduce speeds - fences, roundabouts, ped crossings, even big signs and bright yello gatsos are better than skulking in the bushes robbing people blind. Road safetly is about ROADS, not wnakers stealing your money.
herewego said:
Just my personal opinion, but I'd set the prosecution point at 40 for this and similar roads. I live on a road like this on which the speed limit is frequently ignored, and I'd be very happy to see a camera van there. People travelling above about 40 create an unpleasant, stressful environment for residents. That's not fair. Sod them you say, well speeding prosecutions may be the reply.
So would most normal people, and indeed the limit WAS 40 (as per OP) until reduced to 30, presumably for revenue generation purposes - as you rightly say, 40mph is a reasonable limit, so why reduce to 30 then hide a scamera van there if not to generate revenue?I noticed that yesterday also, cheeky buggers, thankfully I was stuck behind granny Micra so was doing about 20mph.
The other day it was sat at the end of the stech of dual carrigeway that goes from the RAB on Winterbourne Rd, under the blue metal footbridge, up to the next RAB, near Esporta.
The other day it was sat at the end of the stech of dual carrigeway that goes from the RAB on Winterbourne Rd, under the blue metal footbridge, up to the next RAB, near Esporta.
Edited by markelvin on Monday 4th December 11:16
Globulator said:
herewego said:
Just my personal opinion, but I'd set the prosecution point at 40 for this and similar roads. I live on a road like this on which the speed limit is frequently ignored, and I'd be very happy to see a camera van there. People travelling above about 40 create an unpleasant, stressful environment for residents. That's not fair. Sod them you say, well speeding prosecutions may be the reply.
No one is saying 'sod them' to the residents. One thing is to make a road safer and to slow people down. This is not what the SCP are doing here, they are doing quite another. They are very well hidden and getting people who are ALREADY 'speeding', FAILING to slow them down. I'm not sure how that helps safety, apart from the secondary fear effect, something the Nazis used well a little while back.
There are many ways to make places safer and reduce speeds - fences, roundabouts, ped crossings, even big signs and bright yello gatsos are better than skulking in the bushes robbing people blind. Road safetly is about ROADS, not wnakers stealing your money.
Perhaps you think there could be a policeman every 100 metres advising people to slow down and saying have a nice day. You know as well as I do that people slow for the cameras and then speed up again. The people living on this road need everybody to drive at a courteous speed which means something close to the speed limit. I don't approve of prosecuting for 35 mph, but many do well in excess of 40 and that's not acceptable in my view.
Fences make drivers go faster not slower. Sounds like you want to create a high speed highway through this residential area. What about the residents?
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