In car distractions

Phillip wrote: It seems dangerous sometimes to me..there you are driving along at 40 mph in a 40 mph limit and the muppet in front jams his brakes on because he sees a camera.. On the motorway (or better example the dual carrigeway) going along nicely at 70 mph and ..slam on the brakes because there is a car in front who has seen a camera and his initial reaction (before taking his eyes off the road YET AGAIN to check his speedo precisely) is to go for the brake. The only benefit I can see is the exciting challenge I get every day in that I see if I can get away with it again.

Again this just gives ammunition to the " hide it brigade "

There is a solution to all of this of course.

I bought it and can highly recommend it.

         Road Angel II

Best accessory I have ever bought by far. 

Not forgetting it tells you of black spots, schools etc too.

 

 

 

Nigel, I see you playing the devil's advocate on a point by point basis. My point is that there is an overall case (in my opinion a very strong case) against cameras, just as there is an overall case (in my opinion a very weak one) for them. Scameras are the symptom, not the cause. But they do help to sustain the cycle of bad thinking about road safety, because they're so "effective" catching people for something which is harmless 99.9% of the time. Even where it is a factor in accidents, it's only a factor.

I think where scameras and speed law fundamentally fall down is in the overall strategy. I get so annoyed when I drive into a village and I see a sign saying not "Drive Carefully", but "Drive Slowly". So, keep your eyes focussed on your speedo and don't go a mile and hour over the limit, but feel free to ignore kids playing by the roadside, etc.

Here is a thought: why not redesign scameras so that there is no doubt about their safety functionality.


+------------------------+
| Speed Limit Is: 30 MPH |
+------------------------+
| Your Speed Is: 37 MPH |
+------------------------+
| Photo Taken In: 5 Sec |
+------------------------+

That way, I know if I'm doing something wrong without having to distract myself from the environment.

Edited by spokey

Coasting wrote: Interestingly though, and I didn't know this until last week, there isn't a single Fixed Speed Camera in the whole of North Yorkshire. I think I'll move back there!

Yes but there's frequently a mobile one on the Moor Road between Guisborough and Whitby.

WRT speed cameras, I object to them for two reasons:

1) They are enforcing unrealisticly low speed limits

2) They are not making the roads safer so what is the point other than to make money? Why focus on a crime that doesn't have a victim??

My final though is this. When I was hit by an uninsured driver the police didn't want to know. When my alloy wheels were stolen, the police didn't want to know. When my car stereo was nicked, you guessed it , the police didn't want to know. When I do 38mph on a dual carridgeway with a road work related 30mph speed limit I get nicked.

I'm treated like a criminal yet people who have commited much worse crimes are ignored because there are no resources. Surely the time and effort put into developing cleverer and more complex speed cameras could be put to better use sorting out the problems encountered on almost every highstreet between 11pm and 2am on Friday and Saturday nights.

Nigel wrote: "dont break the speed limit, if you do then you are indeed a criminal".

 

Speeding does not make you a criminal im afraid, it is a traffic offence.

Brucey wrote: Nigel wrote: spokey wrote: Because they police something that, in the grand scheme of things, doesn't merit so much policing. The laws on speeding were made 40 years ago, and the capabilities of cars today are far superior to those of 40 years ago. That is a matter of opinion, as they dont take up police time, in fact they free up officers to get on with other duties, and whilst the performance of the car has improved, the capabiliteis of the driver havent. I agree with Nigel- if the nut behind the wheel is loose, the car will be dangerous....

Are we not taking this a little bit out of context though?

The fact that driving standards haven't improved doesn't make a case for speed camera's.

It makes a case for a sterner Driving Test.

My stance on speed camera's is rather more of a radical approach.

If they have them on a stretch of road, say 5 miles long, and there is a speed camera every 1/2 mile - so be it. I can see that having a marked impact on peoples driving and it would ultimately lessen the number of accidents, I have no doubt.

However, if you have a single speed camera on that road, which everyone becomes aware of and simply slows down for and then accelerates again once beyond it - well I don't see the point other than revenue generation for the unwary driver.

I am sick and tired of seeing traffic brake suddenly for cameras even though they're within the speed limit - it's just an instinctive reaction and whilst I haven't seen such incidence cause an accident I have no doubt that it will have done or will do eventually.

If cameras are truly there to aid road safety then put them everywhere, but not just in the odd stretch of road.

I used to go on the A68 route to Edinburgh yet now I take the A1. 

Why? 

Because of the ridiculous location of the cameras and the way they are set to deliberately catch you out in some parts when your speed simply isn't a danger to other road users or pedestrians (not many on the A68!).

I also think we have to give more merit to the earlier argument about cars being safer and a world apart from those of 40 years ago. 

Whether or not driving standards are better is hugely debateable - especially as the increase in the volume of traffic has to be taken into account.

 

There are so many policies of this government that I seriously and strongly object to. ID cards, RFID tagging, their attitude towards motorists. Speed cameras are located in otherwise safe areas where motorists are known to push on a little, as generally road conditions are such that this is perfectly safe - simple revenue generators. Because the government has said that police forces are allowed to keep the money, surprise surprise look how many cameras have sprung up. Of course this revenue allows the government to free up more money to give to middle east terrorists families who live in London.

If they introduce ID cards I shall refuse to get one. If they make it law that every person must have RFID tags, I will go to prison rather than get one. In fact, this country is screwed with Tony at the controls, I'm moving to Ireland where they have their priorities right. Country first, Europe second.

YOU , I , and the Devils Advocate Know it---Everything on this Subject is purely--POLITICAL-------------- Nothing to do with Geniune concern for a citizens well being, in this Left wing land of ideals of Milk and honeyland.Thinking on a Meglomaniac 1984 'BigBrother' system , the camera,s-- the daily brainwash, LIES what lies oh those lies --say something often enough--and eventually disbelievers -believe it--DONT give em time to start questioning--before the next scam-Lie comes in quicker than you can say, Fridays BAD News Day.

The Record--documented by those 'Luv em Or Hate em' Newspapers-show a disaster  for US , the citizens , in every subject, from edukatshon to NHS, to pathetic public transport-abandoned drivers without Rights, Loss of freedom and democracy, Iraq &WMD, immigration and no security +++++++++++  , BUT----- the biggest theft by stealth Taxes Ever --Since the Normans stole the whole Country in 1066--THAT Bliar can Relate to!!!!!!!!!!WE better not start on law n disorder eh!!!

Has anyone seen anything ,about the serious concerns and immediate action being taken by GOVT- about the 70,000 patients dying each YEAR in Hospitals from MRSA-mistakes-other infections??????? NO!!

So, as you can see---A need for a distract em subject!!!!, something we can throw at em every OTHER day(Count them) something we can give the Party slime in All those little cesspits with their dictators, in all the towns and county areas, to make them feel important-doing a public service-able to shout to all their slime 'You see what we can do' --and we can steal taxpayers wages at the same time.WE are a caring authority--AS long as It doesnt hurt US, only those OTHER criminal people- THE Motorist-God bless every one of the 32Million Suckers!!! Come On , Lets Spin Spin Spin away.(snow white Bliar tune)

WE are THE subject that keeps the Govt in power, and the means to buy them time---is it not Now OUR Time ,to fight Fire with Fire ????

 

 

Coasting wrote: But, perhaps we should all ask ourselves a question - if we were the Prime Minister, what would we genuinely want to do about speeding and traffic control in the UK? It's not easy to answer seriously.

The best way for the the people who live here is to make public transport a viable alternative:

* hold transport providers to account and cut their subsidies for not meeting targets
* increase the targets they have to comply with to include random sanitation inspections
* review all transport fares and bring them into line with peers
* any transport network that fails to meet its targets for 3 consecutive quarters gets renationalised
* subsidise rail transport of bulk haulage for journeys greater than 100 miles

To improve road usage:
* bar HGVs from overtaking on multi lane roads during rush hours
* unlimit HGVs so that they can travel at the same speed as the rest of us
* driver's license retests every 5 or 10 years, which increased emphasis on "emotion management" and better technical training, such as compulsory skid pan training as part of every retest.
* increased visible traffic police on high risk roads
* complete scamera location review, with genuine safety areas having policing-only cameras replaced with advisory/policing cameras (in other words, the camera tells you what the limit is, what speed you're travelling and if you ignore it, it snaps you)
* replace road tax with a fuel levy, and introduce comprehensive 3rd party accident insurance also from this fuel levy
* ring fence 75% of money levied on fuel to go to either road improvements and maintenance or to subsidise public transport

That's just off the top of me head, of course.