Speed camera cuts 'mean disaster'
Discussion
I actually quite like speed cameras. If you were an observant driver you could see the camera a mile off - so they were never an issue for me. I've never been 'caught' by one.
Round my way (Oxfordshire) they were more often than not placed where people should be keeping their speed in check, like built up area 30 limits (more recently 20, but that's another story) at known accident black spots and areas where pedestrians may be crossing. Right where you need them, as I'm sure most sensible people would agree.
Now the people will just fly past them thinking they can get away with it.
I appreciate there were some badly placed cameras in the early days, but more recently IMO anyone who had a problem with speed cameras, probably had an observational problem when driving.
We all used to complain biterly about the police policing the traffic and not catching 'real' villains...now people want them back to police drivers again - you couldn't make this s
t up.
Round my way (Oxfordshire) they were more often than not placed where people should be keeping their speed in check, like built up area 30 limits (more recently 20, but that's another story) at known accident black spots and areas where pedestrians may be crossing. Right where you need them, as I'm sure most sensible people would agree.
Now the people will just fly past them thinking they can get away with it.
I appreciate there were some badly placed cameras in the early days, but more recently IMO anyone who had a problem with speed cameras, probably had an observational problem when driving.
We all used to complain biterly about the police policing the traffic and not catching 'real' villains...now people want them back to police drivers again - you couldn't make this s
t up.People have rightly, I believe, become cynical about scameras, as so many times I have seen speed limits reduced without adequate reason, then scameras following shortly thereafter.
The positioning of many scameras, with them often being hidden, can only lead to more speculation that there use is for revenue generation, and not behavioural change.
In my neck of the woods, fatal crashes have been used to justify excessive traffic calming measures, a young girl was killed by two speeding neds who were racing each other.
This led to a stretch of road of over a mile being 'chicaned', the pollution, noise and accidents this has caused is unbelievable, as well as the congestion and restricted parking this causes.
Two bullets would have solved the problem, and let the rest of us get on with life.
The positioning of many scameras, with them often being hidden, can only lead to more speculation that there use is for revenue generation, and not behavioural change.
In my neck of the woods, fatal crashes have been used to justify excessive traffic calming measures, a young girl was killed by two speeding neds who were racing each other.
This led to a stretch of road of over a mile being 'chicaned', the pollution, noise and accidents this has caused is unbelievable, as well as the congestion and restricted parking this causes.
Two bullets would have solved the problem, and let the rest of us get on with life.
Mr_annie_vxr said:
Busa_Rush said:
We don't need more plod . . . they are not training them properly now and the modern ones are not as honest as the older ones.
We need a tiered driving test . . . give some encouragement to move up the tiers . . . right now everybody passes the basic test and thinks they're a good driver because they've passed a test . . . without realising that the basic test only means you've simply competent to start it and park it, not to drive it.
Never has so much crap been posted, I almost fell of my sofa at that comment. We need a tiered driving test . . . give some encouragement to move up the tiers . . . right now everybody passes the basic test and thinks they're a good driver because they've passed a test . . . without realising that the basic test only means you've simply competent to start it and park it, not to drive it.
You really haven't a clue about what went on 'back in the day' if you make comments like that.
Greater publicity of bad officers but far less of it going on or being endemic in units or forces as it was then.
As for your driving test idea it is in theory great but the stark reality of life is that the vast majority of road drivers have no interest whatsoever in making getting a licence harder or keeping it harder, they want the quickest and cheapest route into whatever vehicle they want. Even on this website very few of the members have had any further form of on road driver training.
DJC said:
Busa_Rush said:
DJC said:
One thing I have noted on here is that all those who advocate the high driver training or who have taken the course. By and large it has seemed to me, a lot of them often come across as complete morons who I would feel the need to stab with a pencil if I had the misfortune of having to talk to their faces.
But thats just my personal opinion.
What course ? Why would you want to stab somebody who has taken additional driver training ?But thats just my personal opinion.
Busa_Rush said:
DJC said:
Busa_Rush said:
DJC said:
One thing I have noted on here is that all those who advocate the high driver training or who have taken the course. By and large it has seemed to me, a lot of them often come across as complete morons who I would feel the need to stab with a pencil if I had the misfortune of having to talk to their faces.
But thats just my personal opinion.
What course ? Why would you want to stab somebody who has taken additional driver training ?But thats just my personal opinion.
Flintstone said:
andy400 said:
Vipers said:
A punter on Radio 2 yesterday said he had the answer to cut the road problem, "Reduce the power of the cars"
Let's all have pedal cars and splurge guns....That we decided, a fact we take pride in
We became the best at being bad.
All this talk of further training etc etc, I for one, and I am not alone Im'e sure, took my driving test in 1972, albeit from Motorcycle to HGV3, so bypassed a car test, have been driving since, and as far as I know, I am a very competent driver.
Apart from ONE scrape, havn't received any points or fines in 38 years (Except for a speeding fine in a military land rover, heading to a bomb job - hence tad over limit), I do think I am a good driver, and still look at the highway code now and again, becase with the updates, I like to keep up to date on whats what.
What is so difficult to drive within the limits of the road, vehicle, and the competence of the driver.
I think twtas will always be twtas, no end of training will change their lack of skills required to be a good driver.
There is no doubt in my mind that we can all learn from further training, but why is so many drivers these days so crap at driving, it isn't hard to do, is it?
So I do wonder is further training the answer, or are we are just breading a bunch of irriots these days who cannot grasp the concept of safe driving?
And its not only the young drivers, driving to work today at 0600 through Aberdeen A90 northbound, 40 zone, I was in L1 doign 40, punter in l2 who had been in l2 for about half a mile about 30 metres ahead of me, and for reasons unbeknown to me, decided he would stay in L2, middle aged punter zooms up behind driver in L2, without warning, or indicating, zips in front of me, accellerates past guy in L2, and himself moves into L2, with nothing in sight in L1, why?
Apart from ONE scrape, havn't received any points or fines in 38 years (Except for a speeding fine in a military land rover, heading to a bomb job - hence tad over limit), I do think I am a good driver, and still look at the highway code now and again, becase with the updates, I like to keep up to date on whats what.
What is so difficult to drive within the limits of the road, vehicle, and the competence of the driver.
I think twtas will always be twtas, no end of training will change their lack of skills required to be a good driver.
There is no doubt in my mind that we can all learn from further training, but why is so many drivers these days so crap at driving, it isn't hard to do, is it?
So I do wonder is further training the answer, or are we are just breading a bunch of irriots these days who cannot grasp the concept of safe driving?
And its not only the young drivers, driving to work today at 0600 through Aberdeen A90 northbound, 40 zone, I was in L1 doign 40, punter in l2 who had been in l2 for about half a mile about 30 metres ahead of me, and for reasons unbeknown to me, decided he would stay in L2, middle aged punter zooms up behind driver in L2, without warning, or indicating, zips in front of me, accellerates past guy in L2, and himself moves into L2, with nothing in sight in L1, why?
Mr_annie_vxr said:
Judging your own performance and abilities. Is that the best way to decide how good you are at anything?
We can all benefit from training in some way or other.
Agree with the last bit.We can all benefit from training in some way or other.
I think though that there is a real problem with people just 'scraping' through their test yet still being horribly short of a safe standard to drive. Things such as parking, awareness, anticipation all seem to be consistently missing in a lot of people nor does it seems important to them. How many people do we know that see driving as a right not a privilege, yet are so blasé to the dangerous and inconvenient things they do each time they venture out? I'd wager quite a lot us know a handful of people like this
For me the test is not good enough and cannot prepare somebody in a truly safe fashion for driving with everybody else. There maybe needs to be a structured approach over a year or two where a person can truly prove they are capable and fully aware of what exactly is required for a safe AND efficient drive.
The knock on effect of course being that speed limits can be abolished completely
GestapoWatch said:
Mr_annie_vxr said:
Judging your own performance and abilities. Is that the best way to decide how good you are at anything?
We can all benefit from training in some way or other.
Agree with the last bit.We can all benefit from training in some way or other.
I think though that there is a real problem with people just 'scraping' through their test yet still being horribly short of a safe standard to drive. Things such as parking, awareness, anticipation all seem to be consistently missing in a lot of people nor does it seems important to them. How many people do we know that see driving as a right not a privilege, yet are so blasé to the dangerous and inconvenient things they do each time they venture out? I'd wager quite a lot us know a handful of people like this
For me the test is not good enough and cannot prepare somebody in a truly safe fashion for driving with everybody else. There maybe needs to be a structured approach over a year or two where a person can truly prove they are capable and fully aware of what exactly is required for a safe AND efficient drive.
The knock on effect of course being that speed limits can be abolished completely
Mrs Maul didn't start driving until late 20s and she would watch me driving. I'd get comments like "why did you slow down/move/stop there, how did you know he/she was going to stop/pull out/not look/do u turn/try and kill themselves" and the truth is, much though it pains me to admit, has nothing to do with driving ability, just experience watching the lack of awareness and car control of others.
Yes MJ3, the Wiltshire scamera partnership is being scrapped and will cease to exist from October... HOORAY...
It's a shame Paul Smith isn't here to see it.
It's also a shame that they're using funding as a scapegoat for the fact that automated enforcement does not work.
I hope and expect further scamera partnerships to be disbanded.
It's a shame Paul Smith isn't here to see it.
It's also a shame that they're using funding as a scapegoat for the fact that automated enforcement does not work.
I hope and expect further scamera partnerships to be disbanded.
deeps said:
Yes MJ3, the Wiltshire scamera partnership is being scrapped and will cease to exist from October... HOORAY...
It's a shame Paul Smith isn't here to see it.
It's also a shame that they're using funding as a scapegoat for the fact that automated enforcement does not work.
I hope and expect further scamera partnerships to be disbanded.
Thanks, been searching round trying to find out. Didn't think they would be scrapped seening as they could support themselfs from the amouint of money they make up. ( Am just guessing they are alot cheaper to run and generate more money than fixed cameras)It's a shame Paul Smith isn't here to see it.
It's also a shame that they're using funding as a scapegoat for the fact that automated enforcement does not work.
I hope and expect further scamera partnerships to be disbanded.
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