Traffic Police Justifying their Existance
Discussion
The way that we work has had a shake up in the last 18months and is now quite different to the way that i was used to a few years ago.
Now, we are intelligence lead and we have set targets to achieve, whether that is by educating motorists who fall foul of the law whereby their standard of driving falls way below the minimum standard set by their inital Driving test.......or by reducing KSI figures (Killed or Seriously Injured) at well know accident blackspots.
How the Police do this is very much up to them, (only joking), but obviously some of the targets are set by the Government (read Mayor) and the various Traffic consultative commitees and Road user groups.
We are striving to keep our units above water and theres no doubt that if we had kept our various old working practises that we would now be extinct.
Im not opposed to change because i feel that the unit itself needed it, but what iam opposed to is this Speed Kills routine and resulting Speed Cameras and Talivans all together really giving us on the ground floor a lot of stick from the public which we really dont deserve but to a certain extent i can understand.
Our Targets this year are belive it or not " to make the roads safer".
This obviously encompasses the likes of Speed, unroadworthy vehicles of all descriptions, and all manners of Dangerous driving......without due care/reasonable consideration etc etc.
The net result is that if the Government have their own way toatlly then there wil be Road Wardens on our roads to 'supplement' the role of a Trafpol.
Jeremy Clarkson had a scathing attack on the government a few weeks ago about these untrained people doing Trafpol duties in which he said " would you like a Milkman to carry out a Heart operation at a local Hospital"? Obviously the answer is no, so let the Trafpols get on with doing the job that they are trained to do and recruit more so that the public become re assured that they are going to be dealt with firmly but fairly.
Thats not to say that i dont or wouldnt process speeders because i do, but i like many others, concentrate on the real pi*******s and at Evidenced Accident Blackspots.
This way, we can be assured that we will be around for the immediate future.
Now, we are intelligence lead and we have set targets to achieve, whether that is by educating motorists who fall foul of the law whereby their standard of driving falls way below the minimum standard set by their inital Driving test.......or by reducing KSI figures (Killed or Seriously Injured) at well know accident blackspots.
How the Police do this is very much up to them, (only joking), but obviously some of the targets are set by the Government (read Mayor) and the various Traffic consultative commitees and Road user groups.
We are striving to keep our units above water and theres no doubt that if we had kept our various old working practises that we would now be extinct.
Im not opposed to change because i feel that the unit itself needed it, but what iam opposed to is this Speed Kills routine and resulting Speed Cameras and Talivans all together really giving us on the ground floor a lot of stick from the public which we really dont deserve but to a certain extent i can understand.
Our Targets this year are belive it or not " to make the roads safer".
This obviously encompasses the likes of Speed, unroadworthy vehicles of all descriptions, and all manners of Dangerous driving......without due care/reasonable consideration etc etc.
The net result is that if the Government have their own way toatlly then there wil be Road Wardens on our roads to 'supplement' the role of a Trafpol.
Jeremy Clarkson had a scathing attack on the government a few weeks ago about these untrained people doing Trafpol duties in which he said " would you like a Milkman to carry out a Heart operation at a local Hospital"? Obviously the answer is no, so let the Trafpols get on with doing the job that they are trained to do and recruit more so that the public become re assured that they are going to be dealt with firmly but fairly.
Thats not to say that i dont or wouldnt process speeders because i do, but i like many others, concentrate on the real pi*******s and at Evidenced Accident Blackspots.
This way, we can be assured that we will be around for the immediate future.
Don't really get a chance to converse with a speed camera/NIP. In days of yore, when seeing blue lit mirrors, a certain sphincter loosened which had immediate affect on the mindset of driving. You may have received a fixed penalty or just a nasty telling off, dependant on the situation. It was a human affair which warranted Trafpol existance. Now, tis different in this land with an almost 'guilty until proven innocent' approach through the delectable NIP.
Good luck in making the roads safer. Driver education is the only way forward. IMHO.
knowlep said:
I understood that if you were done for speeding in a TEMPORARY limit e.g. where workmen were operating, then you can't "legally" get penalty points - just a fine if you dig into it deep enough - (ignore motorways for this). Any truth in this loophole???
Paul
No truth in this rumour whatsoever.....if theres a lawfully placed and correctly marked temporary speed limit then theres no difference to speeding anywhere.
Could be a good case for Without Due Care if the roadworkers were clearly by the side of the road and danger was caused
tonyrec said:
I understood that if you were done for speeding in a TEMPORARY limit e.g. where workmen were operating, then you can't "legally" get penalty points - just a fine if you dig into it deep enough - (ignore motorways for this). Any truth in this loophole???
Paul
No truth in this rumour whatsoever.....if theres a lawfully placed and correctly marked temporary speed limit then theres no difference to speeding anywhere.
Could be a good case for Without Due Care if the roadworkers were clearly by the side of the road and danger was caused
I must admit this is one thing that REALLY gets my goat-yes it's a pain (esp when there doesn't appear to be any work going on) but these limits really ARE FOR THE SAFETY of the people who are VERY close to the traffic. Even then I think that they are set too high sometimes. MoJo.
tonyrec said:
The way that we work has had a shake up in the last 18months and is now quite different to the way that i was used to a few years ago.
Now, we are intelligence lead and we have set targets to achieve, whether that is by educating motorists who fall foul of the law whereby their standard of driving falls way below the minimum standard set by their inital Driving test.......or by reducing KSI figures (Killed or Seriously Injured) at well know accident blackspots.
How the Police do this is very much up to them, (only joking), but obviously some of the targets are set by the Government (read Mayor) and the various Traffic consultative commitees and Road user groups.
We are striving to keep our units above water and theres no doubt that if we had kept our various old working practises that we would now be extinct.
Im not opposed to change because i feel that the unit itself needed it, but what iam opposed to is this Speed Kills routine and resulting Speed Cameras and Talivans all together really giving us on the ground floor a lot of stick from the public which we really dont deserve but to a certain extent i can understand.
Our Targets this year are belive it or not " to make the roads safer".
This obviously encompasses the likes of Speed, unroadworthy vehicles of all descrptions, and all manners of Dangerous driving......without due care/reasonable consideration etc etc.
The net result is that if the Government have their own way toatlly then there wil be Road Wardens on our roads to 'supplement' the role of a Trafpol.
Jeremy Clarkson had a scathing attack on the government a few weeks ago about these untrained people doing Trafpol duties in which he said " would you like a Milkman to carry out a Heart operation at a local Hospital"? Obviously the answer is no, so let the Trafpols get on with doing the job that they are trained to do and recruit more so that the public become re assured that they are going to be dealt with firmly but fairly.
Thats not to say that i dont or wouldnt process speeders because i do, but i like many others, concentrate on the real pi*******s and at Evidenced Accident Blackspots.
This way, we can be assured that we will be around for the immediate future.
at least re agreey on some thing.
camaras are just a pain in the arss and a ditraction
but puting a coper at the end of a duel carageway 20 yards from a 60 zone hiding in feild under a tree .
I kid you NOT
catching drivers puting there foot down 3 seconds early
when theres no side roads or pavement or any posible hazard in that 20 yards.
and no i did not pay that was another one for the CPS not worth a try for bin.
is not something i can agreey with.
tonyrec said:
Speed Cameras and Talivans all together really giving us on the ground floor a lot of stick from the public
4 of us were pulled on Sat. One of us had crossed a double white.
Poor sod had to listen to a camera van tirade. It wasn't aggressive but he shouldn't have to listen to it.
>> Edited by toad_oftoadhall on Wednesday 13th August 17:40
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