Great speed-cam con
Discussion
What we have known for a long time.
www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002381471,00.html
www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2002381471,00.html
I was having a whinge a few weeks back that we in Oz were being persecuted but you poor buggers take the cake. 
We only have a few decent roads here and the govt just finished an 8 lane freeway from Brisbane to the Gold Coast (80kms) and slapped 4 cameras on it (mobile vans, not fixed!) even though the rules for cameras here are ONLY for black spots! When quizzed this govt goose says "well it's working isn't it"
If we don't fight back soon only the numpties will be left on the road driving at 20kph under the limit thinking they are the real drivers and those of us that CAN drive will be up the back of the bus spitting chips listening to this drivel!!!
We only have a few decent roads here and the govt just finished an 8 lane freeway from Brisbane to the Gold Coast (80kms) and slapped 4 cameras on it (mobile vans, not fixed!) even though the rules for cameras here are ONLY for black spots! When quizzed this govt goose says "well it's working isn't it"
If we don't fight back soon only the numpties will be left on the road driving at 20kph under the limit thinking they are the real drivers and those of us that CAN drive will be up the back of the bus spitting chips listening to this drivel!!!
I'm surprised that the Tories didn't leap on this issue sooner. I mean...its a sure-fire vote winner with the driving public.
Although single-issue politics is invariably dangerous I'd say that a proper transport policy (lost of things not just cameras) with safety not revenue as its main consideration would be very popular.
After all..think how much more people use the transport system (roads, trains, buses) than the NHS or other public services. And how many more people use the transport system than other public services.
I'd say a Party that promised action on the Transport front could persuade the public that they were the right choice at the next election.
Although single-issue politics is invariably dangerous I'd say that a proper transport policy (lost of things not just cameras) with safety not revenue as its main consideration would be very popular.
After all..think how much more people use the transport system (roads, trains, buses) than the NHS or other public services. And how many more people use the transport system than other public services.
I'd say a Party that promised action on the Transport front could persuade the public that they were the right choice at the next election.
Autocar this week has a good article on exactly the same point. They have mapped the most dangerous roads and speed cameras and they just arent there. In fact one comment for the most dangerous road in the UK (in Scotland I believe) was that "it is a statistical anomoly and therefore doesnt need special attention". Yet they have the worst record for the whole of the UK and have retained this for the last 5 years!!!!! Talk about stupid....
In fact they went even further to do the analysis on the UKs safest roads. They found that there are 33% more cameras on the safest roads than there are on the most dangerous.... and the figures were taken BEFORE the cameras were there, therefore ensuring that it isnt the cameras that have made them safe..... in fact road fatalities have NOT dropped since the introduction of the speed camera......
When will they learn.
Cheers,
Paul
In fact they went even further to do the analysis on the UKs safest roads. They found that there are 33% more cameras on the safest roads than there are on the most dangerous.... and the figures were taken BEFORE the cameras were there, therefore ensuring that it isnt the cameras that have made them safe..... in fact road fatalities have NOT dropped since the introduction of the speed camera......
When will they learn.
Cheers,
Paul
quote:
I'm surprised that the Tories didn't leap on this issue sooner. I mean...its a sure-fire vote winner with the driving public.
Abso-bloody-lutely! What are there, 32 million people with driving licences in the UK, and all of them except a few 17-year-olds have a vote? I just can't understand what IDS is playing at - there are so many fronts he could attack Bliar on, and yet we never seem to hear anything from him
quote:
In fact one comment for the most dangerous road in the UK (in Scotland I believe) was that "it is a statistical anomoly and therefore doesnt need special attention".
That is true - the road has the highest fatality-to-users ratio. But the number of fatalities was 4, and two of those were in a single accident. Be very careful with statistics.
e.g. "8.33% of Jesus' disciples betrayed him" - actually, it was 1 guy...
re. vote winners - yes, I'm sure a real safety versus revenue policy would be a vote winner, but it would then be a disaster for the treasury, so they would have to back off, and then be accused of not meeting their election pledges.
quote:
I'm surprised that the Tories didn't leap on this issue sooner. I mean...its a sure-fire vote winner with the driving public.
Surprising just how out of tune some politicos are.
quote:
After all..think how much more people use the transport system (roads, trains, buses) than the NHS or other public services. And how many more people use the transport system than other public services.
On the one hand, I use the roads every day, so
they matter to me, but the Government do less than
the absolute minimum to maintain them,
on the other hand, like most folks, I'm fit & healthy,
and so never see the inside of a hospital,
but the Government persists in spending
billions trying to make the NHS work.
I'm sure someone can see the sense in this.
quote:
I'd say a Party that promised action on the Transport front could persuade the public that they were the right choice at the next election.
Nah, the public know that voting is a waste of time.
quote:
I am genuinely surprised when any vertical surface in metropolitan areas is covered with either graffiti or is in some other way vandalised...how do the GATSO cameras survive?
maybe because they are usually found near a straight,uninterrupted piece of motorway or country road, I mean accident blackspot
quote:Yes, people get sick and need treatment. If you haven't then be thankful, and start thinking of the NHS as an insurance policy for the day when it does happen, unless you can afford private medical insurance of course. Many can't, and they will tend to be the ones more likely to fall ill. Its a sad fact that income and longevity are generally inversely proportional.
I'm sure someone can see the sense in this.
quote:
Yes, people get sick and need treatment. If you haven't then be thankful, and start thinking of the NHS as an insurance policy for the day when it does happen, unless you can afford private medical insurance of course.
The law requires me to buy car insurance in the private
market place. Why won't it let me buy health insurance
in a similar way ?
So I can stop involuntarily
spending a vast fraction of my taxes having the goverment
looking after my health ?
Of course, some fraction of folks will have to have their
health insurance bought by the government, but for most
folks, health insurance is the best way forward.
Lots of countries successfully operate a system like this.
Why not UK ? Far more efficient & effective.
The cold harsh world of reality blowing through the NHS.
Marvellous.
A step in the right direction would be tax breaks on private
health care. Again, lots of countries do this, it works well,
but UK doesn't bother.
quote:So we can have ambulances leaving us to die on the street because we don't have any medical insurance.
Of course, some fraction of folks will have to have their health insurance bought by the government, but for most folks, health insurance is the best way forward.
Much as I hate to sound like a socialist, you are obviously doing ok financially so pay your taxes and stop whining. There are a LOT of people who are much less well off than yourself who struggle to feed their families let alone pay for private medical insurance.
quote:
There are a LOT of people who are much less well off than yourself who struggle to feed their families let alone pay for private medical insurance.
True.
IMHO emergency medicine and general practice should be available to all FOC at point of delivery, paid for by NI - but those who can afford it should be able to opt-out if they choose and receive a rebate on contributions...that way the NHS is there for people on lower incomes who need it most and not jammed up with people who can afford to go elsewhere but think 'why the f**k should I, I pay shedloads of NI so I', gonna get my money's worth'.
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