Speed Cam-eraderie!
 

Fellow motorists!


Travelling from Abersoch in North Wales to Cardiff last weekend I was flashed by several oncoming vehicles on 5 different occasions. This was to warn me of speed camera vans ahead! Whilst this didn’t avoid me any tickets [these vans were positioned unusually appropriately in the middle of 30mph restricted villages] I think this level of renewed motorist camaraderie was brilliant!

Today I [and others behind me] similarly returned the favour towards road safety and hopefully negated the need for supercilious persecution of motorists due to a speed cam van tucked in on the A470 southbound, on the approach to Cardiff. I would hope that I made a positive and pre-emptive contribution to road safety in helping prevent motorists inadvertently exceeding the speed limit on this uninhabited piece of 70mph dual carriageway. It is clear to me that that prevention seems far more effective (if less lucrative) than sending a recriminating letter in the post some 2 weeks later – that is if their safety arguments are to be believed.

So my point is that this cam-eraderie should be extended well past the borders of Wales and that we should all remind each other of the speed limit where conditions dictate that should actively do so!

D

Agreed.

After all - cameras are not about raising funds, they are about saving lives !
It is, therefore, I suggest, every motorists DUTY to warn other motorists if they may be approaching an area that warrants a Camera - Fixed or otherwise.

As we have all been told, cameras are only deployed on sections of road that have had sufficient accidents to warrant deployment. Unlike a road near where I live which hasn't had a single accident in 10 years but strangely had a mobile van catching me at 36 in a 30.

And they wonder why less and less normally law abiding citizens are driving past when people / cops are in REAL distress.

Sad, but I'm afraid it appears to be true

This thread is worth a look, it details how a recent court decision makes it legal to warn approaching motorists of a speed trap:

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthrea...hlight=justice

I live in South Wales and it seems common practice round these parts to warn other motorists of speed traps, hhmmm sorry safety cameras!!

Haven't noticed it much else where but it can't only be the welsh - can it?

Myself I will continue to flash other motorists who i think are speeding especially if approaching a speed camera van.

Happy motoring people

GB

I had exactly the same a couple of months back - in a village a few miles along the pennisular (about 20 miles from Abersoch) the sneaky gut was hid in bushes - if not for the umpteem motorist flashing i'd woudl have definitely been nicked

On our recent jaunt to the ribblehead viaduct to meet the WYIOC, on the way back, I saw the approaching biker warn the biker in front of me, and lo and behold, there was the policeman with camera just inside the 40 zone off a 60.
I had the pleasure of warning a few motorists myself last friday while coming down off the cat & fiddle from the 50 into the 60.
I must say, of the times I've been into Wales over the last few years, I'm always impressed with the level of driving there. People see that you are making progress, and give you the room to do so, much more so that the numpties in this part of the world who feel agreived when you try to overtake :(

thought u had a drivesmart?

Would they warn us if they knew that we were English.....?

Very good Diesel, the fact that warnings were given for cams in villages at least made sure that motorists slowed down which of course is the reason for having speedcams!

I think that speed and spy cams on the open road are all wrong and your actions were fully approved in my book.

Les

Les

it was probably english drivers doing the flashing ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and i say that even though i'm welsh , my point being when it comes to mr plod it shouldn't matter if you have a stupid flag on your car we should be united,,,,,,,,just out of interest where have all those flags gone to :) ?

Bin/skip/gutter

:)

Only just got it, and did it's job at the top of the c&f for me, but nice to warn others of impending taxation :D

That link is scary Hedgehog. We really are The Enemy to those that we salary to run our society for us arent we? All the more reason for the little guy to stick together for the sake of common sense - I for one would never flash an oncoming car if it was clear that he was nailing it in traffic or in built up areas [unless there was actually NO scam van]; it's right that he might well get what he deserves. However a reminder to all others to play it exactly by the book the second you are a millimetre the other side of a signed change in limit hardly seems conspiratorial or aiding and abbetting of a crime to most people's sense of common sense and fairplay?

This is particularly true and valid when they cynically place these vans - on the safe and infrequrent 'overtaking opportunity' straights [Brecon Res, Llandnam, Merthyr bypass etc] to relish the return via safe overtakers [or those that 'overtake quickly' as you are urged to do in the Highway Code].

Actually, I'm surprised there are no antis here berrating our dissent as they simplistically bash their biblical Highway Code. Do you think our bit of common sense and talk of a return to sensible discretion won the day - as us simple citizens were once used to, last century;)

D

PS just read the DPP report and the logical conclusion of their argument is that a speed cam warning sign may be an obstruction of justice!!! That logic would certainbly put paid to any notion of discouragement - what next imprisoning speed bumps for interference with the law!!!

I think DPP will be happy soon!

I believe as of next year they can go back to hiding the Gatso's etc. Probably changed the rules to take advantage of the much smaller camera's we keep hearing about. Also in london they are trialing average speed camera's hidden on 'B' roads, soon you wont know where they are :(

They want stuffing!

Les :(