Truvelo A339 - Update
Discussion
Just to let you know these boxes are still covered up.
However there are now white lines marked on the tarmac which confuses the hell out of me.
For a start the white calibration type markers are behind the camera, why?
Secondly why paint lines on the road for a camera that uses induction loops?
Are they working on the theory that we are conditioned to seeing white markers and placing them after the camera will tempt drivers to slow down later. Hence more convictions for those who don't know how truvelo works. i.e. braking for the markers not the camera.
Am I just paranoid or cynical.
However there are now white lines marked on the tarmac which confuses the hell out of me.
For a start the white calibration type markers are behind the camera, why?
Secondly why paint lines on the road for a camera that uses induction loops?
Are they working on the theory that we are conditioned to seeing white markers and placing them after the camera will tempt drivers to slow down later. Hence more convictions for those who don't know how truvelo works. i.e. braking for the markers not the camera.
Am I just paranoid or cynical.
My parents actually live about a 3 miles away (on the B3400) from where those truvelos are. They (well most of the village) have been trying for ages to get some kind of traffic calming / speed camera / iluminating sign put at the entrance to the village but the council keep telling them that there is not enough money to do it.
Where they live is a 40mph strech about 2 miles long with NS before and after and what happens is people just don't bother slowing down and carry straight through at 60, although apparently when the police set up some kind of speed trap (one of those god awful Talivans that came along for a few hours) they actually caught several bikers well in three figures.
This two mile strech has got 2 bus stops on it and in the morning has lots of school kids waiting to catch the bus standing on the edge of the road.
I was never that fussed about it before - my 'Baby' Brother is 19 and so with the exception of late on a Saturday night was unlikely to be playing in the road. However I now have a 2 year old sister (there is 20 odd years age gap between me and her) and it infuriates me that they have got more than enough money to put cameras in stupid places miles from any houses
but can't spare it for where things like cameras would actually be useful (if they put them outside schools and kiddys playing areas that would be fine it is when they put them on clear roads and dual carriageways that it makes me want to get the old car tyre, lighter fluid and matches out).
NB. not that I am condoning that sort of activity.
Where they live is a 40mph strech about 2 miles long with NS before and after and what happens is people just don't bother slowing down and carry straight through at 60, although apparently when the police set up some kind of speed trap (one of those god awful Talivans that came along for a few hours) they actually caught several bikers well in three figures.
This two mile strech has got 2 bus stops on it and in the morning has lots of school kids waiting to catch the bus standing on the edge of the road.
I was never that fussed about it before - my 'Baby' Brother is 19 and so with the exception of late on a Saturday night was unlikely to be playing in the road. However I now have a 2 year old sister (there is 20 odd years age gap between me and her) and it infuriates me that they have got more than enough money to put cameras in stupid places miles from any houses
but can't spare it for where things like cameras would actually be useful (if they put them outside schools and kiddys playing areas that would be fine it is when they put them on clear roads and dual carriageways that it makes me want to get the old car tyre, lighter fluid and matches out). NB. not that I am condoning that sort of activity.
I did the Alton to Basingstoke section today, swiftly in the work car. Sadly at about 1500 some poor biker had piled it in one of the bends. Ambulance etc there. Hope the guys OK.
It's a great stretch of road with some excellent curves, but it will soon have Gatsos every mile as locally it has a reputation for accidents. We all want to travel at speeds that suit us, especially when I'm in the Tuscan, but we need to remember to drive/ride with care. Who knows what caused his crash, road surface being damp, other road user making a dum move or just over-cooked the speed into the bend, but it will affect us all on that road and others, as Gatso's will breed in Hants because that is seen as the solution. Nightmare!
Take care, even on a dry sunny day.
Mick
It's a great stretch of road with some excellent curves, but it will soon have Gatsos every mile as locally it has a reputation for accidents. We all want to travel at speeds that suit us, especially when I'm in the Tuscan, but we need to remember to drive/ride with care. Who knows what caused his crash, road surface being damp, other road user making a dum move or just over-cooked the speed into the bend, but it will affect us all on that road and others, as Gatso's will breed in Hants because that is seen as the solution. Nightmare!
Take care, even on a dry sunny day.
Mick
mickrw said:
I did the Alton to Basingstoke section today, swiftly in the work car. Sadly at about 1500 some poor biker had piled it in one of the bends. Ambulance etc there. Hope the guys OK.
It's a great stretch of road with some excellent curves, but it will soon have Gatsos every mile as locally it has a reputation for accidents. We all want to travel at speeds that suit us, especially when I'm in the Tuscan, but we need to remember to drive/ride with care. Who knows what caused his crash, road surface being damp, other road user making a dum move or just over-cooked the speed into the bend, but it will affect us all on that road and others, as Gatso's will breed in Hants because that is seen as the solution. Nightmare!
Take care, even on a dry sunny day.
Mick
I couldn't agree more. I had to detour around that road closure. Its common. And it is nearly always bikers.
On the way back it had been cleared and I decided to that I would apply the "Limit Point Analysis" technique for bend assessment - this technique guarantees you can stop if necessary but extracts the maximum possible 100% safe progress from the road.
Boy was it fun...if not exactly legal..some of the corners are somewhat open.
So sometimes I was doing XXXXXXmph and sometimes I was doing 35mph.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and, I can assure you, put no-one in any danger - least of all me.
And bleedin' GATSOs would knacker that completely.
STOP CRASHING!
PLEASE!
andoverben said:
NB. not that I am condoning that sort of activity.
Clearly not.
Actually those cameras appear to be there to slow traffic on the main A339 prior to reaching a tiny crossroads.
I think the road that crosses the 339 goes from Ibworth to somewhere...
I can see how frustrated numpties get bored waiting for a proper gap in the traffic and pull either out or across the 339 anyway. If cars were travelling at 60mph rather than about 85mph on the 339 they'd have slightly more chance of avoiding the numpty.
And I do say numpty - because although its not an easy pull out its perfectly possible to do it safely even if traffic on the main road is fast moving.
That and from the main A339 it is VERY easy to see into the little B-road crossing it and check there's nothing about to pull out. Of course - some numpties won't do that either.
Once you have numpties travelling on both roads you could have a prang.
So (in this case) I can see why they're there. I don't like them. I feel I don't need them to drive that section of road safely. I hate being spied on. But I'll bet this particular set got justified based on prangs...
Don said:
On the way back it had been cleared and I decided to that I would apply the "Limit Point Analysis" technique for bend assessment - this technique guarantees you can stop if necessary but extracts the maximum possible 100% safe progress from the road.
Sounds interesting. Could you go into more depth please?
blueyes said:
Sounds interesting. Could you go into more depth please?
This article explains it very well. Also the "Roadcraft" book has a good chapter on it.
www.pistonheads.com/doc.asp?c=109&i=7435
Although there is nothing like sitting in the passenger seat staring at the limit point whilst someone who knows what they are doing gets on with it whilst commenting - it really makes the idea come alive.
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