my complaint letter about

[stooz]

today the council are celebrating the new signs on a road very near my house, it cost £20,000, and tells you your speed. (upto 50mph, so as not to encourage tests!)

the road has also been lowered from 40 to 30.

there are 3 schools "off" this road, so school kids are "in the area".

I think the signs are a waste of my taxpaying money, and frankly, dnagerous!!

what do you think of the letter I wrote to the local paper?

stooz said:

Last weeks headlines praise the final £20,000 spent to reduce the speed of cars on a road near 3 schools with the installation of electronic “your speed is” signs – for the safety of school children. I can’t agree with the reduction to 30mph on that road that has for years been 40mph, nor the huge expense, nor the safety value of the signs. The risks have clearly not been properly assessed! By adding up the hours before and after school time and lunch hours, remove the school holidays, and your left with a time representing under 7% of the total year *. This means, for 93% of the year, there is no increased risk to need the lower speed limits. That’s 93% of drivers are being punished with slow speeds for the sake of a minority of the time when a risk is present. Also, the speed indication signs distract drivers by watching the signs, and their speedo’s, removing the concentration from the surrounding area to possible dangers. This effectively makes people drive along “blind” to what’s around them! An accident is inevitable, something these signs are allegedly trying to reduce! The simple solution would be a rotating sign, using the existing technology employed in rotating ads, such as that outside safeways. One displaying the standard sign for 40mph, the other 30mph. This can be triggered to rotate to 30mph only during the dangerous school periods. I doubt they cost £20,000 or safeway wouldn’t use them to advertise yogurt! Maybe the “refunded change” from the returned, defunct signs could be spent on re-instating green cross code adverts and in school training for the children as to the dangers of roads instead? Yours stooz Droitwich * The maths: 8am to 9am = 1 hour 12am to 1pm = 1 hour 3:30pm to 4:30pm = 1 hour = 15 hours a week = 780 hours a year - 12 weeks of holidays+ 10 bank holidays = 570 hours a year 570 / 8736 hours a year x 100 = 7.5%

>>> Edited by stooz on Monday 22 March 15:15

[stooz]

Ive found the online version..
www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/droitwich/default.asp

"to be roled out across the county"

[count duckula]

Well at least they did not put scameras up.

Malc

[Peter Ward]

What's the accident record along that road? Were children being mown down in their hundreds? Or is it a "proactive step", ie. no evidence to justify a camera but too good a chance to pass up to delay motorists just that little bit more?

And I guess there's nothing to stop a talivan later on when the recorded speeds are analysed and found to be well over the new limit.

[stooz]

proactive only!! there is also "bike lanes" down either side, but never any bikes.
so the cars now near miss down the middle all day.
and a pedestrian crossing (so the kids can press and run) - whats wrong with a pelican!?

no accidents ever, thats why they cant have a camera, you have to have 2 deaths to qualify (I believe)

[B 7 VP]

So the Police PAID for it did they.It was YOUR Council Tax rip off money they used.Bet you all have to pay more for the 04/05 Police expenditure.We are looking for the public,s support they say, NOW you know what they mean.

[smashmonkey1984]

Just think. If they did this in the states then entire council would have been murdered by angry hicks before the signs were even up!

[streaky]

stooz said:

[ ... ] The simple solution would be a rotating sign, using the existing technology employed in rotating ads, such as that outside safeways. One displaying the standard sign for 40mph, the other 30mph. This can be triggered to rotate to 30mph only during the dangerous school periods.

Why not just abopt the US rule, that imposes a speed limit of 15mph outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times? - Streaky

[streaky]

stooz said:

[ ... ] and a pedestrian crossing (so the kids can press and run) - whats wrong with a pelican!?

There's no "pressing" with a pedestrian crossing (Belisha Beacon type). Pelican Crossings have a press-button (AFAIK) - Streaky

[FastShow]

These signs are proven to be 3 times as effective as cameras at around a third of the cost. In addition, they're a deterrent that don't result in points on your licence if you drift over a limit.

We should be campaigning for these things, not against them.

[DustyC]

streaky said:

stooz said: [ ... ] The simple solution would be a rotating sign, using the existing technology employed in rotating ads, such as that outside safeways. One displaying the standard sign for 40mph, the other 30mph. This can be triggered to rotate to 30mph only during the dangerous school periods. Why not just abopt the US rule, that imposes a speed limit of 15mph outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times? - Streaky

Australia have differnt speed limits at schools during these times too. Works well IMO.

[The Wiz]

FastShow said:

These signs are proven to be 3 times as effective as cameras at around a third of the cost. In addition, they're a deterrent that don't result in points on your licence if you drift over a limit. We should be campaigning for these things, not against them.

While I accept that there seems in this case to be little justification for a: the signs or b: a reduced limit. We had a scholl built close to us a few years ago. Last year the entire area was treated to traffic calming measures and a 20 mph zone. Why? God knows - the only time it is busy is at drop off and pick up times.