Opinions on the siting of this Mobile Speed Camera

[Mattyboy101]

This was a fair while back, but I recently came across the photos again, and wondered your opinions on the subject.

I was driving home one day, and came across this site - and was so shocked by the positioning that I drove home to get my camera and came back again!!

The road is quite a major route through my local town, cars are always parked down one side, and an industrial estate is on the other side of the road, with the entrance to the estate a short distance down the road from the van.

My argument was that cars were forced, in my opinion, to overtake the obstacle at an increased speed, in the interest of safety, than they would have had to if the van was not present. The road was not wide enough for 2 cars to pass safely (in my opinion) in between the van and parked cars. The van is sited next to a bus stop, a site of possible further danger.

As a result of my complaint the site was placed 'under review', and has since not been used. To my knowledge there have been no KSIs at this specific point in the road (however if there have been I expect speed has not been a major factor, and that the industrial estate, bus stop or parked cars were), however further along the same road there have been KSIs - but the road conditions at this point are completely different to the site of the KSIs, and in my opinion they (Essex Safety Camera Partnership) have taken advantage of this statistic to place the camera at a (possible) revenue optimising site than where it is required.




>> Edited by Mattyboy101 on Saturday 18th March 15:26

[turbobloke]

Atrocious

[catso]

"Safety" camera, my Arse.....

[J1mmyD]

Next you find a rash of NIPs for driving through the cross hatched area.

So ...
parked causing an obstruction;
parked in front of a bus stop
- reducing visibility for the bus driver and approaching vehicles
- reducing visibility for pedestrians attempting to cross to and from the bus stop
- obstructing the view of motorists of any pedestrian attempting to cross
obstructing the path, causing a hazard to wheelchair users

Is it any wonder we hate these people?

A few more examples:











There's some more examples on here: www.speedcam.co.uk/van.htm

Someone tell me ... if you parked in any of these places as a private motorist, would you expect anything less than a tug from a passing BiB?

[SS2.]

Dangerous parking aside...The primary evidence in a speeding prosecution where a mobile camera is used is supposed to be the police officer's prior opinion of excess speed. The camera / video evidence is merely the corroboration of this prior opinion..

The placing of that camera looks like it was indiscriminately pinging everyone..

Bang out of order, IMO...

[BliarOut]

They've parked the van to hide the camera for sure Looks like a builders van, right down to the illegal parking.

[puggit]

Lots of the pics on the speedcam website have vans parked in one speed limit, seemingly fleecing drivers in another speed limit.

I thought this was a strict ?

[J500ANT]

Though of course you'd have to slow down to go round the van surely?

[Mattyboy101]

I would speed up (from a safer speed below 30mph) to the limit, in order to overtake as quickly as possible (as defined in Roadcraft).

[tvrgit]

Mattyboy101 said:

I would speed up (from a safer speed below 30mph) to the limit, in order to overtake as quickly as possible (as defined in Roadcraft).

So you would speed up to go through a narrow bit between oncoming traffic and a parked van, where you can't see if somebody in it might open a door, while driving towards a bus stop and a road junction that you also can't see?

The van is parked in a stupid place. Blootering past it doesn't make the situation safer.

J500ANT said:

Though of course you'd have to slow down to go round the van surely?

Well I would... I thought Roadcraft was about reaction to hazards and balancing risk. The risk from oncoming traffic (ie the normal recommendation of minimising the overtake time) is far less than the risks that might be hidden behind the van, IMHO.,

[Mattyboy101]

I don't mean in the way that you are trying to portray, as that would be stupid! Once I would have seen the road to be reasonably clear and pulled out to overtake the obstruction, I would have increased my speed (not dramatically) in order to shorten the period at which I am at danger - but my point is that my speed would have altered for a vehicle that is supposed to monitor speed.

[tvrgit]

Mattyboy101 said:

I don't mean in the way that you are trying to portray, as that would be stupid! Once I would have seen the road to be reasonably clear and pulled out to overtake the obstruction, I would have increased my speed (not dramatically) in order to shorten the period at which I am at danger - but my point is that my speed would have altered for a vehicle that is supposed to monitor speed.

Fair enough.

I wouldn't speed up till I was PAST the van and had the view ahead though.

[purpleheadedcerb]

Surely, the natural reaction is to look in your rear view mirror once you have gone past it because you are thinking, "What the fudge was that?" This is right at the time you should be looking for vehicles coming out of the ind estate.

Personally, I wouldn't speed up past the van as I would be mindful of someone walking out from in front of it. I would take a very wide path around it though for the same reason.

Scott

[tvrgit]

Well I think the natural order would be

ease past van (yes with plenty room as you say)

angle of view opens up to see bus stop and junction

then mirror check "Oh bugger is that a speed camera?"

Yes it's a stupid place to park a van, but it should make you less likely to be "speeding" if you are the above average driver taking account of prevailing conditions rather than a posted limit (and we all are, aren't we?)

[streaky]

Engineer a break-down and pull to a halt in front of it! - Streaky

[NugentS]

streaky said:

Engineer a break-down and pull to a halt in front of it! - Streaky

And then reverse into the damn thing

:-)