Practically Classics Forum

But were you driving in a dangerous manner?

My suspicion is that you were not and this is where the whole speed camera policy is WRONG.

Had you been pulled by a Police Officer you would most likely have been let off with a warning unless conditions were particularly busy.

The vast majority of drivers caught out by speed cameras are not driving in an unsafe manner, they are driving according to prevailing conditions and to make reasonable progress. The cameras are driving a wedge between the public and the Police. This is never a good thing.

While I do agree, I'll play devil's advocate and point out that speed cameras are only supposed to be positioned where previous incidents have shown that excessive speed is dangerous. Therefore it could be argued that everyone caught speeding by one is driving in an unsafe manner.

And I'll point out right back Willy that reality does not reflect that happening with most cameras sited for maximum revenue rather than maximum road safety value. This is partly because they have no road safety value.

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to point that one out.

While on the subject of devils advocacy, I might as well tackle tho other popular one. "It's OK to have them outside skools". No it's NOT! All that achieves is to give some fools the idea that as long as they are within the speed limit they will not be responsible for running over that child that they could have avoided hitting if they had simply been paying attention to their DRIVING. These are the muppets who get out of the wreckage of the accident they have just caused bleating that they weren't speeeeeeeeding, when the obvious fact is that they were not LOOKING, apart from at the "magic safety dial" on the dash.

Maaarrghk wrote:And I'll point out right back Willy that reality does not reflect that happening with most cameras sited for maximum revenue rather than maximum road safety value.

That may be the common view but you'd have a job proving it. And since "Money from fines goes direct to central government, funding for the partnership comes from local authorities." it's hard to see how it would work anyway.

If you don't agree with the limit then complain to your local county council, its usually them that introduce them... I can't say i get as wound up as many of you are about them, the roads are too busy these days to speed in the areas you are likely to find a camera, and it's the only "tax" that you can easily avoid paying... Mountain out of a molehill...

hobby wrote:it's the only "tax" that you can easily avoid paying

Not the only one - there's also parking tickets

All that achieves is to give some fools the idea that as long as they are within the speed limit they will not be responsible for running over that child that they could have avoided hitting if they had simply been paying attention to their DRIVING.

As for teaching the child some road awareness,who's responsible for that ?
Or is that getting too deep ?

OneCarefulOwner wrote:

hobby wrote:it's the only "tax" that you can easily avoid paying

Not the only one - there's also parking tickets

True!

I would not complain too much about the UK situation. In the nanny state here the cameras are hidden and we have both fixed and mobile ones. The mobile ones are fitted to everyday looking cars and parked innocently at the side of the road. Frequently they are placed just after a speed zone change such as 80kph down to 60. It is common to receive a ticket from a speed camera for 3-4 kph over the limit. Point-to-point cameras are also becoming more common. Revenue raising at it's best.

The way I see it bnico is that you just have a bigger job than us to do in getting rid of these theft cameras.

As for teaching kids to cross the road, as a parent, I see it as primarily my responsibility, although fully support any input from skools such as teaching the green cross code and the cycling proficiency test. NOT giving kiddies theft cameras and then pulling up motorists that they zap to belittle them. This sort of nonsense has gone on.

I was taught the green cross code at 8 years old when it first came out. Now, aged 49, I have never been run over, not even by very fast cars. The only times that I have been almost run over is when I FAILED to stick to the green cross code. Nothing to do with the cars at all.