Andrew Timmins

Imagine the scene.
Your young, your thick, your Puffa equipped(sorry to steal someone eleses line). New 8 inch bore back box, on standard centre section and maifold, on your Nova.

You fancy a drive. Where is the best place to speed without getting nicked?

Motorway? No, too many unmarked police cars and laser traps.

A road? No, anywhere straight, wide and safe has a GATSO every 1/4 mile.

Urban built up area with pedestrians and loads of children? Yes, ideal no police and no speed cameras.

If the government are serious about road safety why have they made it so that the chances of being caught speeding on a road are inversely proportional to the number of pedestrians on it?

Built up areas are now the only roads without any enforcement of speed limits.

Instead of spending money on more and more speed cameras the government should just remove all speed cameras from national speed limit roads and put them in built up areas where the real dangers of speeding are.

SDB

Well made point!

The decision of where to place a camera does seem to depend on the amount of revenue it is likely to generate as opposed to the danger speeding there causes. I think that's why so many people feel as though 'they have been caught or tricked' rather than there actions have got them into trouble.

I suppose we shouldn't speed anywhere, but it is a fact of life that people are going to.

I have seen the odd speed camera in villages and built up areas but most of them are cleverly hidden behind trees etc on long straight open safe country roads, etc.

I think these mobile cameras are a good idea, they seem to be in built up areas around Northampton. I saw 3 in one week a few weeks back.

It is bloody anoying though. I am a firm beleiver in appropriate speeds as opposed to fixed speed limits. I think that in some places through 30 zones, the appropriate speed in less than 20 even, but also, there a countless sections on 60mph roads where 80mph could be considered an appropriate speed. (eg. long, straight, wide, clean, dry, open roads, with no cars on them!)

Where's "The Cook Report" when you need it!!

Regards

Simon

Geezer

I have to disagree. Where I live Gatsos are ONLY in built up areas. I have only ever seen one Gatso on an A road, and that was on the A69. Admittedly I do not drive around hundreds of roads all around the courntry all the time, but when I do, I never see cameras everywhere.

Perhaps your the victim of subliminal police propoganda?

Beef

Hey, take the line. I don't mind.

brooks

I get cars zooming up and down the road outside my house, which is in a residential area. I went past some police (a few months ago) who were trying to catch speeding cars just 1/2 mile away from where I live. I told them they would be able to catch loads of drivers outside my house. They said that drivers have to have a safe distance to stop when they point the speeding guns at them. Therfore they could not monitor speeds on the road I live on. The road maybe short but it is long enough for thrashed cars to get to 40mph in a 30 zone.

Nick

About the one place guaranteed not to have a detector is outside a school!

Do schools still teach the Highway code & Cycling Proficiency to their pupils? If they do, they are not teaching them very well...!

Martin Home

How about having a lower wet-weather (perhaps, more subjectively, 'bad-weather') speed limit as in France?

That would give the police and courts some fun. Also, the way some people drive, they'd probably think the sign meant put on all your foggies and stick to the lower!

Think I've talked myself out of that - why did I bother

boomer

Re: They said that drivers have to have a safe distance to stop when they point the speeding guns at them. Therfore they could not monitor speeds on the road I live on.

Brooks - what a cop out (for want of a better expression!). Why can't they install a mobile Gatso, so that the cars don't have to stop? Why not simply have a Police presence to encourage people to slow down?

I think that we know the real answer - not just revenue generation, but also plain lazyness. If the authorities were really keen to improve road safety, then would install devices to nab the CLOGies (Centre Lane Owners Group) on motorways, or detectors for rear (and front) fog lights left on in clear conditions, or alerts for people who pull out of junctions onto main roads in 5th gear (and after crawling along for half a mile, turn off at the next exit).

I wonder if James Dyson could help invent something??

mb

PhilBennett

I think we should all club together and buy Pembrey. I'm sure if we throw a few of you I.T contractor's wallets at it - No hang on that would be Silverstone G.P circuit!

But seriously soon the only way to speed safely will be trackdays or the B4368!