warrenm2

Except now you'll be monitored over stretches of 15 miles.

Drivers will have no escape from new speed cameras

PeteBrant

Problem is, its really hard to argue against them when

On the M1 the number of casualties halved after average-speed cameras were introduced on a contraflow between junctions 6a and 10.



(Of course reducing by half could mean one person died instead of two)

Lee247

Jim Fitzpatrick, the Road Safety Minister, said yesterday that the new cameras would bring significant safety benefits as well as reduce congestion by making traffic flow more smoothly.

Do they really think we are that gullible to believe this

Turbohot

I was on the road from Runcorn Bridge to Speke Aiport (entering the back end of Liverpool) the other day. IMO the amount of speed cameras on that road (within the distance of only a few miles) are so unnecessary. I am not against "Speed kills, Arive alive" etc. But at some places, this extra vigilence seems well OTT.

PeteBrant

The thing that annoys me it when they are added for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

I mean I can possibly understand the use of average speed cameras where the work means that there is a real risk to drivers and roadside workers - Fine reduce the speed in those cases.

On the A40 going into london just before the polish war memorial, there is a stretch that is limited to 40mph - And it is just totally unecessary, and what makes it worse is the far higher cost of this system.

boxst

I did wonder how long it would be before these were rolled out nationwide.

Whenever I have encountered average speed cameras people just stick to the speed limit so they 'work' in terms of reducing the speed. This can also be the first step towards charging per mile, as every entry and exit will be covered by the cameras.

I expect to see a huge increase in cloned number plates.

Steve

Leslie

It has always been a fact that if the speed limit was high enough for people to drive at differing speeds then that was the best way to avoid bunching of traffic.

The road safety minister is talking through the back of his head. I wonder if he even drives a car!

Les

Turbo2

"Drivers who slow down briefly .... will still be caught because up to 50 of the cameras will work together in a network"

How exactly???? Nothing in this story tells me that these are anything other than the usual average speed cameras. There's just more of them. You could still speed up and slow down between cameras if you felt like it as long as your average speed remains the same: no camera in the world is going to know you've done that. That's just Bullsh!t.

By the way, that bit of contra-flow on the M1 they mention? You can barely get out of first gear on it for 5-6 hours of each day, so the reduction in deaths is hardly down to the f*cking speed cameras is it!

I'm surprised there were any deaths at all, apart from people having heart-attacks from the sheer frustration of wasting their lives in that traffic jam!

SJ_Skyline

Bet you that these can be tied into a road pricing scheme.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

Pete I do that trip every day. I guess you mean the average speed camera at denham with the bridge works ? Wonder what the bet is that they leave the bloody things up when the work is completed

And that sneaky little high level gatso just after the polish memorial catching everyone doing over 50mph

PeteBrant

Yeah I do it once a fortnight and drives me mad, god knows what it must be like to have to do it every day!!
I couldn't beleive that when I saw it- I mean you have the one going down hill just before you get to the hillingdon station bridge which everyone knows doesn't do **** all, but all of the sudden a *tiny* gasto pops up at the PWM.

Luckily for me, that's my exit (seeing as coming off at the Target roundabout is an exercise in futility), I suspect thats the only reason it hasn't caught me.

SwissTony

iTrader: (19)

The little speed *****/scamera van used to sit on the bridge after the PWM and catch loads of people as the 50MPH sign didnt start until after that bridge. There was no need for the limit to be reduced as it was fine as it was and in rush hour no-one was going any speed anyway.. But oh no, suddenly they disappear, the gatso appears and the limit is reduced. Quelle surprise

OllyK

The problem is they aren't giving actual data and they aren't being clear about if we are talking about deaths, or just injuries. It possible from this that injuries have reduced from 50 to 25 but deaths have gone up from 5 to 10. The statement is worthless.

PeteBrant

Agreed - It does stink of spin. Always present the facts in a way best suited to your cause.

You can bet your bottom dollar if deaths had been reduced from 2000 to 1000 per year since the average speed introduction, that would have been the stat to have been used.

RB5SCOTT

I don't want to speed everywhere, i just want to get to where i'm going as quickly as possible (within sensible reason) Driving nowadays is frustrating enough, like taking over an hour to drive into ****hole london thats only 20 miles away at 5.45 in the morning Lets just make every other journey as tedious

At least road rage will double

Fantom

What annoys me is that most of these average speed camera are put on motorways. Aren't these the safest of all our roads?

OllyK

At the moment, they are usually only through roadworks on Mways. Plenty on A Roads, A610 through Notts and the A52 I think it is, north of Notts.

I can see a large increase in the number of vehicles missing their number plates until the law is changed so that you get 3 points for that instead of just the fine you get now.

davegtt

As Ive been cycling this year its nice to get back in a car and you know what, its changed my perspecive on driving, I rarely feel the need to speed when on the motorway anymore. I drove to London and back earlier this week with the company car and quite happily sat at the speed limit. I dont see why we have to speed tbh.

scoobynutta555

On the contrary, it easy to argue against that 'fact'. The speed was limited to 50 from 70 plus. The speed is more often a lot lower, even stationary, than 50 due to mass congestion on that route. Also, a good deal of traffic has avoided the M1 altogether, I wonder what increase there has been in accidents along routes alongside the M1. I use this part of the motorway almost every day.

I'm totally against these new cameras as they'll be used for revenue raising and persecuting safe drivers, and will do little for safety, perhaps even lead to more accidents. It'll be another nail in the coffin for drivers. It's honestly the last straw to make me leave this increasingly sh1tty meddling country.

PeteBrant

To be fair I think that average speed cameras are anything but revenue raising given the cost of installation, and the fact they are easily the most effective way of slowing people down - Not many people speed through them.

scoobynutta555

I drive through them showing 55 mph and there's always people going faster than me by a good 10 mph or more. All this will do is increase the amount of cloned cars or falsely registered cars

Can someone tell me what's wrong with a fully trained traffic police force ensuring that anyone taking the p1ss on a motorway is dealt with fairly by a human with up to 30 years exeperience on the job rather than a machine somewhere just spewing out fines for speeders only?

The whole thing is ridiculous.

PeteBrant

On the flip side, people that do this deserve all they get.

I mean they see that there is a speed limit of "X". They see that there are average speed cameras in force, and you can see where those cameras are in force.

I mean if you get caught speeding in a average zone, then you are basically willfully breaking the limit, not only that you know you are breaking the limit, and know you are being recorded as doing so. Therefore you don't really have a leg to stand on.


It's not like a gatso, where you can get caught out.

I mean I am not supporting them or anything, except where the situation demands them, but you do have to be pretty thick to get caught by average speed cams.

As for plate theft, I had mine nicked the other month, so of course it does happen, especially with congestion charge etc - Of course as these cams get more widespread I would not be surprised o see this sort of thef ton the rise.

OllyK

You may think, but...

BBC NEWS | England | Nottinghamshire | Speed camera nets £4.2m in fines

IIRC they only need 4 accidents over 3 years to justify the cameras, so a potential drop from 4 to 2 isn't that impressive IMO.

PeteBrant

I am genuinely surpised by that !!!

OllyK

I sort of am as it's a bloody busy road with loads of traffic lights, so over the length it would be amazing if you averaged more than 30. Unfortunately the cameras are in clusters so if you have a brief break in the traffic and try to make the most of it, or accelerate to change lane, you can get caught out.

IIRC the 2 cameras on that list on the A52 are also SPECS.

I suppose the point that could be made is that despite people still exceeding the speed limit in such a large way, the casualty rate has still come down, which suggests that speed actually has very little to do with it. A lot of it is I suspect regression to the mean due to the very low figures required to justify a camera.

Felix.

Just don't speed

Or except the fact that you take a chance when you do

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

Don't you think though that it's funny - it takes months to work on a tiny stretch of road to resurface it or replace some crash barrier, but a set of SPECS cameras - they can go up overnight. Almost like they're trying to finance the roadworks through the cameras isn't it!

SJ_Skyline

I think police speeding through the cameras should also be fined and be given points on their licenses. Nobody should be above the law.

MrNoisy

iTrader: (28)

Are you telling me you SERIOUSLY believe any figures this pathetic excuse for a goverment tries to get you to swallow?

Cameras bloody everywhere but no police to stop REALLY dangerous driving. After all, they don't defend us against tailgating, road rage, drivers without tax or insurance. And think how many road traffic police £300,000 would pay for (and that's just one network of SPECS cameras!).

Totally outrageous.

And as for this biometric stuff they're planning forget it - I refuse to be catalogued and then have my details lost by these idiots.

Sorry everyone - rant over