Smiling Scamera
Discussion
"smiling, winking, yellow cartoon speed camera" 
They also have a Scamera popularity vote on the site.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=15302548&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=--hi--i-m-a-speed-camera-andi-want-to-be-your-friend--name_page.html
Speed cameras' lousy image set to change Mar 17 2005
Sally Williams, Western Mail
IMAGINE it - you're charged with turning the much-maligned grey speed camera into a friendly old soul you'd love to see at the end of your street.
Sound a tough one? Then spare a thought for the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership who've been given the task with doing just that. They've come up with an image along the lines of a kids' favourite cartoon character. They've decided a is just what they need to make the cameras endearing.
The adverts, pictured, now seen on buses and in motorway service stations, tackle the main criticisms levelled at the grey boxes lurking at the side of the roads.
The new-look cartoon camera smiles broadly, winks (or is that a camera flash capturing the motorist?) and says, "We don't want your money, we don't want your licence, we just want to save lives. Thank you for slowing down.'
Angharad Neagle, communications manager for the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, said the campaign was already working.
She said, "Our smiling, winking character gives the speed camera a friendly appeal, it gives it an identity, although we still use our standard camera logo for more serious occasions.
"We get around 15 requests a week from people wanting speed cameras placed on their streets but they don't tend to want them sited a few miles up the road on their way to work.
"We find there is an extremely high demand for speed cameras over our area, covering three-quarters of Wales."
She said the campaign was targeting the people who regard speed cameras as an enemy.
She added, "We want to move away from the £60, three points image and to show motorists that speed cameras are their friends, making the roads safer for drivers and pedestrians. And the only people who pay for the running of the cameras are the ones who get speeding tickets."
Paul Smith, founder of the anti-cameras group SafeSpeed, said, "These cameras are just designed to catch responsible motorists who have never had an accident but are going a few miles per hour over the speed limit."
But John Rowling, camera group partnership manager, said, "We get hundreds of letters from motorists every year saying that they are usually very cautious drivers with an unblemished record, or that they didn't realise the speed they were travelling at.
"But some go to amazing lengths to avoid a speeding penalty with weird and wonderful excuses. Although some of these excuses may seem humorous, there is no excuse for speeding.
"Our approach is to educate motorists as well as enforce speed limits and these devices are already acting as a deterrent and making drivers think about their speeds. We have had excellent feedback from motorists who like this friendly reminder of how fast they are driving.
"The partnership's aim is to save lives and we want to give motorists every opportunity we can to slow down to make our roads a safer place for all. Wherever possible, we seek prevention rather than punishment."
Every year, around 190 people are killed and 1,600 seriously injured on Welsh roads.
>>> Edited by catso on Thursday 17th March 13:44
They also have a Scamera popularity vote on the site.
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0200wales/tm_objectid=15302548&method=full&siteid=50082&headline=--hi--i-m-a-speed-camera-andi-want-to-be-your-friend--name_page.html
Speed cameras' lousy image set to change Mar 17 2005
Sally Williams, Western Mail
IMAGINE it - you're charged with turning the much-maligned grey speed camera into a friendly old soul you'd love to see at the end of your street.
Sound a tough one? Then spare a thought for the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership who've been given the task with doing just that. They've come up with an image along the lines of a kids' favourite cartoon character. They've decided a is just what they need to make the cameras endearing.
The adverts, pictured, now seen on buses and in motorway service stations, tackle the main criticisms levelled at the grey boxes lurking at the side of the roads.
The new-look cartoon camera smiles broadly, winks (or is that a camera flash capturing the motorist?) and says, "We don't want your money, we don't want your licence, we just want to save lives. Thank you for slowing down.'
Angharad Neagle, communications manager for the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership, said the campaign was already working.
She said, "Our smiling, winking character gives the speed camera a friendly appeal, it gives it an identity, although we still use our standard camera logo for more serious occasions.
"We get around 15 requests a week from people wanting speed cameras placed on their streets but they don't tend to want them sited a few miles up the road on their way to work.
"We find there is an extremely high demand for speed cameras over our area, covering three-quarters of Wales."
She said the campaign was targeting the people who regard speed cameras as an enemy.
She added, "We want to move away from the £60, three points image and to show motorists that speed cameras are their friends, making the roads safer for drivers and pedestrians. And the only people who pay for the running of the cameras are the ones who get speeding tickets."
Paul Smith, founder of the anti-cameras group SafeSpeed, said, "These cameras are just designed to catch responsible motorists who have never had an accident but are going a few miles per hour over the speed limit."
But John Rowling, camera group partnership manager, said, "We get hundreds of letters from motorists every year saying that they are usually very cautious drivers with an unblemished record, or that they didn't realise the speed they were travelling at.
"But some go to amazing lengths to avoid a speeding penalty with weird and wonderful excuses. Although some of these excuses may seem humorous, there is no excuse for speeding.
"Our approach is to educate motorists as well as enforce speed limits and these devices are already acting as a deterrent and making drivers think about their speeds. We have had excellent feedback from motorists who like this friendly reminder of how fast they are driving.
"The partnership's aim is to save lives and we want to give motorists every opportunity we can to slow down to make our roads a safer place for all. Wherever possible, we seek prevention rather than punishment."
Every year, around 190 people are killed and 1,600 seriously injured on Welsh roads.
>>> Edited by catso on Thursday 17th March 13:44
catso said:I think I'm going to be sick......
IMAGINE it - you're charged with turning the much-maligned grey speed camera into a friendly old soul you'd love to see at the end of your street.
Sound a tough one? Then spare a thought for the Mid and South Wales Safety Camera Partnership who've been given the task with doing just that. They've come up with an image along the lines of a kids' favourite cartoon character. They've decided a is just what they need to make the cameras endearing.
The partnership where advertising in the Western Mail last week for a 'Communications person' all for the princely sum of 14 grand a year.
With the amount of money they turn (people) over a year, I would have thought that they would be willing to pay appropriate to the job task inclusive of danger money.
With the amount of money they turn (people) over a year, I would have thought that they would be willing to pay appropriate to the job task inclusive of danger money.
Hmmmmmm.......just had an idea.........Anyone know where I can get a punch ball shaped like one of these cartoon smiling cameras? Stick it in the corner of my office and I can whack the hell out of it everyone time I finish a telephone call with a moron. An excellent form of stress relief, should help keep the blood pressure down.
DAZ
>> Edited by dazren on Thursday 17th March 14:25
DAZ
>> Edited by dazren on Thursday 17th March 14:25
Deltafox said:
Theres only one "good camera" and thats a burnt one.
If these tossers think a cartoony speed camera is gona make me like em, then theyre nuttier than a fruitcake.
Burn em all and burn the partnerships.
Parasites and scum with no saving graces whatsoever.
Don't be shy, just say what you really think!
For Christ's sake, whatever happened to Alvin Stardust, and the green cross code? What about the hedgehog family? Charlie says?
This type of idiocy makes children believe that its the driver who is responsible for their saftey, and not the child. Well I wonder how long that will last when a few hundred more children end up with teeth sticking out of the back of their neck.
Sorry, its a gruesome image, but it sickens me the way things are going.
This type of idiocy makes children believe that its the driver who is responsible for their saftey, and not the child. Well I wonder how long that will last when a few hundred more children end up with teeth sticking out of the back of their neck.
Sorry, its a gruesome image, but it sickens me the way things are going.
Government launches 'smiling mugger' initiative.
Acknowledging the failure of street crime figures to reduce, the government today announces the 'smiling mugger' initiative.
"We want to make being mugged a more pleasant experience", said a spokesdrone, "When people are mugged they will be far happier if their mugger is smiling. We're running smiling courses for muggers starting as soon as next week. We're working hard to make this country a better place to live in."
[not a real pr] [edited for typo]
>> Edited by safespeed on Thursday 17th March 16:13
Acknowledging the failure of street crime figures to reduce, the government today announces the 'smiling mugger' initiative.
"We want to make being mugged a more pleasant experience", said a spokesdrone, "When people are mugged they will be far happier if their mugger is smiling. We're running smiling courses for muggers starting as soon as next week. We're working hard to make this country a better place to live in."
[not a real pr] [edited for typo]
>> Edited by safespeed on Thursday 17th March 16:13
Yeh, ive seen these adds in mcdonalds toilets too!
Can anyone make up some stickers to put up some correct info to cover over these misleading signs?
Something like, " we want more of your money - thats why we hide in the back of vans on motorway bridges"
" we only install cameras on perfectly clear safe roads where we can catch u traveling above our newly lowered speed limit! "
or something like that.
Can anyone make up some stickers to put up some correct info to cover over these misleading signs?
Something like, " we want more of your money - thats why we hide in the back of vans on motorway bridges"
" we only install cameras on perfectly clear safe roads where we can catch u traveling above our newly lowered speed limit! "
or something like that.
This happened in Nottingham last year, the two truvelo cameras on queens drive, had the lense sprayed white, they then had two eyes added above and a big smiley face below. Don't think it was the Notts road safety partnership doing this though!
Gives a nice smiley welcome to the city of Notts....before the other hundreds of cameras do you, oh well offers a brief rest bite.
Gives a nice smiley welcome to the city of Notts....before the other hundreds of cameras do you, oh well offers a brief rest bite.
Gassing Station | Speed, Plod & the Law | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff