Speed Scamera ??

[kikkthecat]

I've just seen THIS on the BBC website and I have to believe something fishy was going on here.

While I dont condone speeding and anyone caught on a marked camera usually deserves all they get, this one absolutely stinks.

The fact is that The Sussex Safety Camera Partnership which runs the cameras made just under £1.5m profit for the year, fully half of which came from this one camera on the A27 roadworks in just TWO MONTHS.

Are there really that many stupid drivers or just one very devious camera ???

 

[McGreggor]

I work down the road from "that" camera, the road used to be a 70mph limit, then they suddenly reduce the limit to 40, and raise a new camera at the same time!! Of course, everyone used to the road, and the old limit has been caught out. The sensible thing to do would be to have given everyone a few weeks to get used to the new limit, and then put the camera up. Of course, that way they would have lost ££££'s!

 

[Plodd]

Hmm, afraid I can't agree with you on this one.

It says the camera was installed whilst an underground subway was being installed. This is almost obligatory these days on motorways to protect the workers. IMO anyone who speeds near roadworks is a complete pillock and deserves to be potted, no exception.

As has been said on here before by others, why the outrage because the drivers couldn't see the camera? If you don't want points don't speed, I can't understand why this concept is so hard to grasp.

 

[Thmsshaun]

Our speed limits are out the arc and modern cars are too quick.

It is a simple law, Speed limit dont go over it you get no points. Choose to speed take the consequences.

On single carriageway A roads is 40Mph a sensible speed limit for todays trucks? NO!

Infact it probably causes more trouble by impatient drivers trying to overtake.

However that is for HGV's and another argument.

Speed and pay the penalty! People seem to have the mentality that it is an acceptable law to break as at the time you see yourself doing no harm to anyone.

IMO

30Mph Residential
20Mph Outside school (SPD if caught i.e week ban large fine ££££)
A roads as they are
Motorway Variable 60-90 Dependant on time of day conditions etc (expensive to install the systems)

I think part of the problem may actually be the fixed penalty system and that it just isnt a big enough deterent.

Sorry if ive gone OT just venting my view

 

[Mr E]

My 2p's worth as a Sussex resident......

I don't know this particular camera / setup but they way that things are set up in Sussex is very interesting.......

The article talks about the use of VAS - in my experience of driving around Sussex these are set way UNDER the limit. For example on the A24 there is a VAS on the junction for my village. Speed limit is 60mph on the dual carriageway - sign is activated at 52mph with a "SLOW DOWN - 60" message. This is similar elsewhere. So, everyone ignores the VAS as it's 10 mph out - link with a accurate VAS and camera and "money for old rope" comes to mind.

The reports also talks about cutting the number of serious injuries and deaths in Sussex at camera sites. The majority of these cuts come from recent works on the A24. This was built 10-12 years ago with NO CENTRAL BARRIER. This resulted in multiple fatalities every year. Now the work has almost been completed (still some to do on the run down to Washington from Buck Barn) there have been no reported fatalities. Most of these accidents were, as you can imagine, vehicles crossing the central reservation and into the path of oncoming traffic.

The main cause of accidents in this area now are the vehicle crossings on this section of the A24. The speed limit moves up and down between 50, 60 and 70 (so everyone ignores it, except at the camera) and the Highway Authority still allow vehicles to cross the carriage way. Wonder why accidents occur?

The scheme to change these junctions to "graded junctions" (i.e. under / overpasses) has been shelved as costing too much.

This from the County Council that grits the lane on which I live from the village to the county councllor's weekend home only, regardless of the fact that is it a bus route and is main access route to the village school. And the local council that overspent by 4 TIMES on a recent project and not an eyebrow has been raised. But it's fine to build dualcarriageways with no barriers and now upgrade them at a (rumoured) cost of over £1million per mile (shame I can't get a bit of that).

Ho hum - the move to the south of France or west Canada looks even more attractive...........

Rant over

 

[fuzzer]

Hmm, afraid I can't agree with you on this one.

It says the camera was installed whilst an underground subway was being installed. This is almost obligatory these days on motorways to protect the workers. IMO anyone who speeds near roadworks is a complete pillock and deserves to be potted, no exception.

IF there is no or very little justification for the lower speed limit , no one will obey it.

 

[Dave Kerr]

Our speed limits are out the arc and modern cars are too quick.

It is a simple law, Speed limit don't go over it you get no points. Choose to speed take the consequences.

On single carriageway A roads is 40Mph a sensible speed limit for todays trucks? NO!

In fact it probably causes more trouble by impatient drivers trying to overtake.

However that is for HGV's and another argument.

Speed and pay the penalty! People seem to have the mentality that it is an acceptable law to break as at the time you see yourself doing no harm to anyone.

IMO

30Mph Residential
20Mph Outside school (SPD if caught i.e week ban large fine ££££)
A roads as they are
Motorway Variable 60-90 Dependant on time of day conditions etc (expensive to install the systems)

I think part of the problem may actually be the fixed penalty system and that it just isn't a big enough deterrent.

Sorry if ive gone OT just venting my view

I think part of the problem may actually be the fixed penalty system and that it just isn't a big enough deterrent.

No its not big enough its just right its done this way because if it were any more then people would kick up not pay. They don't just come up with a figure out of the air its carefully researched so they know most will fork out.

As for speeding well its wrong but we all do it, one of the plus points of working in the country is deserted roads little traffic and never any police never mind cameras, I can have a good drive and probably feel as though I'm doing twice the speed limit while probably half the time I'm not even going over the limit :bannana:

Dave