Not another 14 day wait

[RichardM]

Where on this page did anyone suggest they felt persecuted for driving a Mercedes?

EDIT: I see you've removed your post, knew I should have used quote.

 

[Will]

I saw it too Richard

 

[Swiss Toni]

Sorry......

 

[glojo]

Where on this page did anyone suggest they felt persecuted for driving a Mercedes?

EDIT: I see you've removed your post, knew I should have used quote.

No!!!! He converted it into code as in "aaa"

He has had the decency to apologise though. I certainly did not agree with the 'aaa' message but it is nice to see that they removed it and done the proper thing by apologising.

Now if the GPS stated you were doing 85mph what speed were you really doing???? You can tell me I can keep a secret, honest guv?

Regards,
John

 

[GrahamC230K]

I can honestly say, I do now drive on the motorway under 80mph.

I have too many scares, luckily the last few without prosecution or points.

The motorway is just too open, bends bridges etc with Laser gun technology I it's too easy to be caught.

A shame I now frequently travel faster on A roads than I dare on the motorway!

 

[spnracing]

My experience supports R2D2 - after about 120K motorway miles in the last 5 years, lots on the M40, up to 85MPH has never been a problem.

Where I would differ is the comment on trafpol numbers versus speed cameras - the number of traffic police has been steadily decreasing for many years, this started long before cameras came along.

 

[glojo]

Where I would differ is the comment on trafpol numbers versus speed cameras - the number of traffic police has been steadily decreasing for many years, this started long before cameras came along.

Is that a personal observation? As a number of Chief Constables have publicly stated that they are now taking officers out of their traffic departments and putting them onto other policing. Of course camera's have now been with us 'for a number of years'.

Take care,
John

 

[spnracing]

I read it somewhere - AA, RAC or TRL report. Since I've quoted it I'll now try and find the original source....

Some Chief Constables may be doing this but apparently the drop in numbers is a long term trend that hasn't changed with the introduction of cameras.

 

[spnracing]

Found it.

From;

www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_026034.pdf

9. CAMERAS HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A FALL IN TRAFFIC
POLICING
Claim: An article in Autocar claims that speed cameras are a waste of police time and that policemen have been directed ‘by authorities to abandon their duties in favour of flash-equipped grey boxes’ 33.

Reality: There has been a gradual decline in the number of designated traffic police officers from 15-20% of constable strength in 1966 to approximately 7% of force strength in 1998 34, and this trend has continued recently 35. This is a worry for everyone concerned about road safety. There is little evidence, however, to suggest that speed cameras are responsible for this decline. Instead of speed cameras occupying police time, a Home Office Police Research Group paper noted that ‘many forces had found that the use of camera technology released traffic officers for other duties’ 36. Fixed speed cameras reduce the speed limit enforcement burden on traffic officers while speed limit enforcement reduces the time spent in dealing with collisions and their aftermath. Traffic policing and camera enforcement are mutually reinforcing, not mutually exclusive.

In a thematic inspection of ‘Road Policing and Traffic’, Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary concluded that the decline in the numbers of designated police officers is due to increasing demands on the police (particularly by more high-profile policing activity) and competing pressures on police time. The failure to sufficiently prioritise traffic policing is fuelled in part by policing indicators that largely exclude traffic enforcement and by a failure to include road traffic enforcement as a ‘key priority’ for policing. Of 31 indicators listed in the National Policing Plan 2004-2007, only one (a very general indicator of road casualties per vehicle kilometre) relates directly to traffic enforcement 37. Road traffic enforcement is excluded from the list of ‘Key Priorities’ in the National Policing Plan, but appears instead under ‘Other Areas of Police Work’.

PACTS and SSI believe that identifying road traffic enforcement and casualty reduction as a key policing priority would have a major effect in reversing the decline of traffic policing.

The references are in the original document.

 

[glojo]

Found it.
The references are in the original document.

Congratulations on your recollection. 15 - 20% is a cuckoo figure. I am certainly NOT disputing your role in this, but taking 20% (It's easier for my mathematically challenged brain) 20% of 2500 = 500

We had approximately 2500 Police Officers in Devon and Cornwall during the relevant time and 500 officers in patrol cars?? The article sounds like it was printed in someones 'spin' dryer.

However your point beats my point one nil. My recollection is down to watching Chief Constables on various news channels.

An interesting article, thanks for posting it.

Regards,
John